Crazy Utilty Trailer Idea: Add A Truck Bed Cap! But Which Cap?

This is my utility trailer. There are many like it, but this one is mine:


(bonus E46 content for street cred)

I tow it behind a 2017 Kia Sedona like so:


Normally the tarp top lasts about 3 years. But now I've hit a new problem: the kids are getting bigger. Under that tarp is 5 bikes and a bunch of gear in totes. That was fine when the kids all had BMX size bikes. But now everyone has mountain bikes. I want to transition to a stand up bike rack in the trailer, but that means everything won't fit under the height of the tarp.

Sooo....what if I just mounted a truck bed topper to the existing wood structure (with reinforcements of course). It is a 5x8 trailer, but I can fudge any over/under side of the truck bed cap with wood. What I can't find is a way to shop truck bed caps by measurements. The wood sides on the trailer measure 59" x 94". Here's the general idea:



I know the true answer is to buy an enclosed trailer, but I'm cheap, this is GRM, and I have an E46 to feed. Anyone seen a bed cap catalog with measurements? Closest thing I've found so far is a long bed Dodge Dakota. I'm thinking if I find a normal height bed cap the trailer will still be in the slip stream of the van and not ding my MPG too bad. Right now I get about 23mpg on the highway towing, which I pretty good I think.

Sounds like long bed compact pickup range.  Like for a 7.5' bed S10.  Afraid I don't know of any catalogs.

Not for bed caps but here is a chart with bed measurements. 

Pickup Truck Bed Size Dimensions (raybuck.com)

EvanB said:

Not for bed caps but here is a chart with bed measurements. 

 

Pickup Truck Bed Size Dimensions (raybuck.com)

 

Thanks!

Wow, most of the nearly exact fits are all old school long bed minitrucks. Now to be patient and hope I trip across a used one somewhere.

In reply to slefain :

Having recently shopped for a truck cap it is extremely rare for a seller to list what it is for unless it is currently on a truck. Some may list measurements. Good luck. 

There may be a place like this in your city: Used Truck Caps | EZ Wheeler.com

If so you could probably show up with the trailer and let them find something for you that works. 

Not really related, but does anyone else remember when they used to make utility trailers out of old truck beds? Basically just cut the cab off, put a hitch on it, and you had an extra bed behind your truck. My dad had one in the 70s. I suppose if you had one of those, it'd be easy to add a cap.

In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :

I kind of remember that- but if one was going to do it well, the existing frame rails need to be used and tied together.  Not that it's that hard to do....  

The sad thing for those of us in the mid west- the truck beds are the first to dissolve.  

Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:

Not really related, but does anyone else remember when they used to make utility trailers out of old truck beds? Basically just cut the cab off, put a hitch on it, and you had an extra bed behind your truck. My dad had one in the 70s. I suppose if you had one of those, it'd be easy to add a cap.

yeah I had one of those to take my ATCs to the Pismo sand dunes ,  it was a  little heavy for that job but worked good .

Or, hear me out, put the kids back on BMX bikes. 

Try looking for S10 long bed caps, as a lot of utilities used them and had caps on them. 

David S. Wallens said:

Or, hear me out, put the kids back on BMX bikes. 

We bike longer distances, they need gears. I still have their BMX bikes so there is still an option. Too bad there are no BMX tracks near us though.

Van roof rack for bikes and don't change the trailer?  

Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:

Not really related, but does anyone else remember when they used to make utility trailers out of old truck beds? Basically just cut the cab off, put a hitch on it, and you had an extra bed behind your truck. My dad had one in the 70s. I suppose if you had one of those, it'd be easy to add a cap.

I'll go one better on whatever scale this would be on. My dad had a trailer made of the back half of an El Camino. We would put yard tools standing in the torched pillar holes. We used it one summer when he was waiting for a new truck he ordered. Towed behind a Buick Regal. It ended up getting pushed down a hill into a pond on one of our properties and he told some guys if they could get it out, they could have it. I saw it around Toledo for years after that.

Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:

Not really related, but does anyone else remember when they used to make utility trailers out of old truck beds? Basically just cut the cab off, put a hitch on it, and you had an extra bed behind your truck. My dad had one in the 70s. I suppose if you had one of those, it'd be easy to add a cap.

me and this guy have been trying to make our schedules match for almost two months. For $250 I'm all in when they match up

If you've got a pick and pull near you, might want to look for a topper there. I scored one for my son's S10 and the yard price was only $45.

-Rob

John Welsh said:

Van roof rack for bikes and don't change the trailer?  

Too tall and too many bikes. I'm hauling the trailer anyway, so I might as well put the bikes in it. We've gotten spoiled traveling with almost nothing in the van itself other than snacks and comfort items. Everything else goes in weatherproof totes in the trailer.

There is another option. The trailer wood is showing its age (around 8 years now) so it may be time for a structure rebuild. I can go taller on the sides to a full 4 feet, which would clear all our bikes in a standing rack. Then I can still use my tarp system.

With those measurements, pretty much any old-school cap for an 8' bed will be fine.  Since you're adding rails, it's kinda a no-brainer.  Just put the wood where you need to fit the cap.

In reply to alfadriver :

SkinnyG had a square body trailer painted to match his square body p/u, so he may have a wealth of knowledge on the subject.

Marketplace - Truck Cap Of 2003 Chevy 8 Ft | Facebook    Geez, for $100 I should build a trailer......

In reply to slefain :

Now that you have me looking, there are tons of caps for $250 0r less, even saw a freeby.

In reply to alfadriver :

I know a guy.......

In reply to chandler :

To build on that this is for sale near me https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/239478545107491/?mibextid=dXMIcH