TheMAN
11-17-2013, 10:26 PM
I'm sure a lot of you guys had the same annoyance I had when having random small things in the trunk area-- they just roll and bounce around to no end! So I fixed this with an old cargo net at work a couple of years ago. I'm not sure what car it came out of, some Subaru... doesn't really matter as nothing really fits the Previa... it's just something I had laying around that I picked out of the trash at work. :LOL2:
My Dad and I measured the length of the net and it looked like a good fit. We had the idea that the net should be hung off the factory tonneau cover as it provides the strongest support. Probably up to a good 25lbs. Good enough!
So my Dad took scrap pieces of denim and sewed the pieces together as a "loop" so that it hung around the ends of the tonneau cover. It worked pretty good but the center portion was sagging as there wasn't enough tension and there is no center support. So my Dad took a small piece of elastic bungee cord and hooked it to the centre of the tonneau cover. This all worked except I was a little bothered by it:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Fmj98uvy0mo/TeB0pAEpheI/AAAAAAAAAWs/OLEtd-Ip3VY/s800/DSC_3901.jpg
The hooks from the bungee cord will eventually rub the finish off of the tonneau cover. It already has a little and this is something I don't want as this thing is pretty much impossible to replace now! :?:
The denim straps at the ends were also putting lateral pressure against the vinyl of the tonneau cover. This will eventually permanently distort it and may even lead to causing a tear in the vinyl. This is even more undesirable than just the stupid hooks!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4hknS_Jw7cA/TeB0pP0S5aI/AAAAAAAAAWw/xtUJ9WEnME4/s800/DSC_3902.jpg
So I spent some time at the hardware store and figured out I can use some furniture shelf support plates to act as "stoppers" for the denim straps. This will keep it comfortably away from the vinyl itself. I also found a bathroom mirror support bracket that will work perfectly for the centre support for the net! :thmbup: To ensure that the steel plates won't rotate around and to protect the tonneau cover's finish, I got some electrical heat shrink tubing to "insulate" these brackets.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-8DyafiIxadY/TeB0pAtMtGI/AAAAAAAAAW0/YGfYx6j6zBg/s800/DSC_3907.jpg
After forcing the heat shrink tubing around the bends, I used a BBQ lighter to shrink the heat shrink tubing into place; starting from the corners and working my way to the large flat parts to ensure uniformity. :)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vKt4xzFLy94/TeB0pXUj2lI/AAAAAAAAAW4/qe_0NOsVTso/s800/DSC_3908.jpg
Then I removed one screw at a time as I installed the brackets onto the tonneau cover assembly. First I used some rubbing alcohol to remove any grease then I applied a piece of industrial strength electrical tape to act as another insulator and to help add friction prevent the brackets from rotating.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tKVGPIcmDO0/TeB0pb5ALTI/AAAAAAAAAW8/bT0LOvH0bRY/s800/DSC_3909.jpg
After that, I just simply used the original screw, pushed it through the heat shrink tubing and tape to make a hole and screwed the piece onto the tonneau cover assembly:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BNk-oM853Co/TeB0pzkLnTI/AAAAAAAAAXA/37HQhKWTx48/s800/DSC_3910.jpg
For the centre support bracket, I did the same thing:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kX_HtjpQQH4/TeB0p_haDVI/AAAAAAAAAXE/v13cQ7bHwOM/s800/DSC_3911.jpg
Much better now!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mE8YCrFZ1L0/TeB0qLB606I/AAAAAAAAAXI/dKvpcaWRikI/s800/DSC_3912.jpg
Tight and perfect fit!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--HQgfWnHrbY/TeB0qfhtVhI/AAAAAAAAAXM/dpWJVGUJHa8/s800/DSC_3914.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UpDCCIKRZXg/TeB0qTRFjpI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/US0aANN6zwA/s800/DSC_3916.jpg
All for a little over $5! :thmbup:
Anyone else who has a tonneau cover can do the same thing I did to retrofit a cargo net into their van! It's so worth the trouble and now I can just not worry about stuff banging around in the back!
My Dad and I measured the length of the net and it looked like a good fit. We had the idea that the net should be hung off the factory tonneau cover as it provides the strongest support. Probably up to a good 25lbs. Good enough!
So my Dad took scrap pieces of denim and sewed the pieces together as a "loop" so that it hung around the ends of the tonneau cover. It worked pretty good but the center portion was sagging as there wasn't enough tension and there is no center support. So my Dad took a small piece of elastic bungee cord and hooked it to the centre of the tonneau cover. This all worked except I was a little bothered by it:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Fmj98uvy0mo/TeB0pAEpheI/AAAAAAAAAWs/OLEtd-Ip3VY/s800/DSC_3901.jpg
The hooks from the bungee cord will eventually rub the finish off of the tonneau cover. It already has a little and this is something I don't want as this thing is pretty much impossible to replace now! :?:
The denim straps at the ends were also putting lateral pressure against the vinyl of the tonneau cover. This will eventually permanently distort it and may even lead to causing a tear in the vinyl. This is even more undesirable than just the stupid hooks!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4hknS_Jw7cA/TeB0pP0S5aI/AAAAAAAAAWw/xtUJ9WEnME4/s800/DSC_3902.jpg
So I spent some time at the hardware store and figured out I can use some furniture shelf support plates to act as "stoppers" for the denim straps. This will keep it comfortably away from the vinyl itself. I also found a bathroom mirror support bracket that will work perfectly for the centre support for the net! :thmbup: To ensure that the steel plates won't rotate around and to protect the tonneau cover's finish, I got some electrical heat shrink tubing to "insulate" these brackets.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-8DyafiIxadY/TeB0pAtMtGI/AAAAAAAAAW0/YGfYx6j6zBg/s800/DSC_3907.jpg
After forcing the heat shrink tubing around the bends, I used a BBQ lighter to shrink the heat shrink tubing into place; starting from the corners and working my way to the large flat parts to ensure uniformity. :)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vKt4xzFLy94/TeB0pXUj2lI/AAAAAAAAAW4/qe_0NOsVTso/s800/DSC_3908.jpg
Then I removed one screw at a time as I installed the brackets onto the tonneau cover assembly. First I used some rubbing alcohol to remove any grease then I applied a piece of industrial strength electrical tape to act as another insulator and to help add friction prevent the brackets from rotating.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tKVGPIcmDO0/TeB0pb5ALTI/AAAAAAAAAW8/bT0LOvH0bRY/s800/DSC_3909.jpg
After that, I just simply used the original screw, pushed it through the heat shrink tubing and tape to make a hole and screwed the piece onto the tonneau cover assembly:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BNk-oM853Co/TeB0pzkLnTI/AAAAAAAAAXA/37HQhKWTx48/s800/DSC_3910.jpg
For the centre support bracket, I did the same thing:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kX_HtjpQQH4/TeB0p_haDVI/AAAAAAAAAXE/v13cQ7bHwOM/s800/DSC_3911.jpg
Much better now!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mE8YCrFZ1L0/TeB0qLB606I/AAAAAAAAAXI/dKvpcaWRikI/s800/DSC_3912.jpg
Tight and perfect fit!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--HQgfWnHrbY/TeB0qfhtVhI/AAAAAAAAAXM/dpWJVGUJHa8/s800/DSC_3914.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UpDCCIKRZXg/TeB0qTRFjpI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/US0aANN6zwA/s800/DSC_3916.jpg
All for a little over $5! :thmbup:
Anyone else who has a tonneau cover can do the same thing I did to retrofit a cargo net into their van! It's so worth the trouble and now I can just not worry about stuff banging around in the back!