Heating the bed with a tonneau cover on

D

doc7string

Tremor Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2020
Messages
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Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Current Ride
'17 Audi S6
HI all. I have an idea and I wanted to see if anybody has ever done it, thinks it's a good or bad idea...

I have a Diamondback HD tonneau cover coming mid March delivery. Though not much of an issue now (the winter months of PA are quickly nearing the end) I was wondering if anybody ever placed an electric space heater in their truck bed to assist in the removal of snow/ice from the cover. If so, how did it work out? If not do you think it's a great idea or can you give me some good reasons why its a stupid idea? I would simply plug it into the bed 120v and as the car warms, hope the bed warm enough to make snow removal easier. I'd keep it strapped down so it would stay in place (so I don't have to keep putting it in and taking it out). Just a thought.
 
You have a 120V outlet in your bed? I don’t even have a 12V.
 
2 actually. I have a 21 f150. I find better advice here than any of the other Ford sites so I ask you guys the questions. I want a 250 tremor but it's too tall for the parking garage at work so I went with the 150 Platinum (a different kind of awesome).
 
Before I read your whole post I was envisioning you having a diesel and thinking about how installing supplemental cab heat in the bed would work. For what you're doing, an A/C operated infrared heater might work just fine....

MB
 
doc7string said:
2 actually. I have a 21 f150. I find better advice here than any of the other Ford sites so I ask you guys the questions. I want a 250 tremor but it's too tall for the parking garage at work so I went with the 150 Platinum (a different kind of awesome).
Click to expand...
Got it! I knew the F150 hybrid had a couple but did not know about other models/trims. Don’t think It would not be too difficult to a it to my bed which I would use. Especially if the parts are already Ford F-series parts bin. Hmmm
 
I’m not too sure how long a heater would work in the bed of the truck. All the space heaters I’ve seen have a safety switch in them that shuts them off in case they get knocked over (so it doesn’t burn the house down). I could see the bouncing around on the road breaking the cheap little switch.

Also, I could see the melting snow refreshing and creating ice.

But, I think it’s something you could do. It probably wouldn’t take much heat to warm that small of an area.
 
Just curious if you are able to fasten 12 volt heating cable to underside of your diamond back. Find power for when remote start is on. Use a Deutsch connector to unplug when you flip cover. Just a thought
 
I appreciate all the thoughts. Certainly I would need to hold it down somehow so it's not rolling around. I haven't thought about the best way to do that yet. I believe (but am not sure) that the outlets are functional after a remote start, but I will have to check that out (never even thought about it- great point made). I love the idea of the 12v heating cable. I actually sent an email to one of the owners of Diamondback, suggesting similar as an option for their cover. I told him he could take the idea for free. All I would ask was that he install in mine for free :) No response received! As far as ice reforming, no doubt that is going to happen. Though accessing the bed is important, I am more concerned for snow that can fly off and hit a vehicle behind me while driving. Not being able to access the bed is a pain in the behind, but throwing debris at another vehicle is dangerous. Because of this, first and foremost, I hope to make it easier and less likely to scratch up the cover when cleaning it off. Of course, we all buy our trucks because we want to be able to use them so figuring a way to prevent refreeze is now bouncing around in my skull. Thanks for all the comments guys. See, I told you the thoughts and advice on this forum are better than the sarcastic comments on others. Thanks!!!
 
Hi Doc,

I think you need to think through this idea a couple times. I can try and help you work shop it here. I see that you live in Pittsburg so you only average 30 inches of snow a year. You mention:
doc7string said:
As far as ice reforming, no doubt that is going to happen. Though accessing the bed is important, I am more concerned for snow that can fly off and hit a vehicle behind me while driving. Not being able to access the bed is a pain in the behind, but throwing debris at another vehicle is dangerous. Because of this, first and foremost, I hope to make it easier and less likely to scratch up the cover when cleaning it off.
Click to expand...
So as a person that gets 60+ inches a year here is what I have learned. The bed is usually the least of your problems because its always cold and not clumped together unless you get that special storm. And if you do just make sure the whole amount doesn't go all at once that's what dangerous a large clumped chunk. snow leaving your vehicle from the bed doesn't clump unless its a bad storm the roof is the worst threat for slabs to come off on the highway or forward when you brake.
If you DO Not start your truck
  1. If you clean your truck off while it is light and fluffy you can literally use a leaf blower. get a cheap electric one and blow away. You can also just get most of it off then take a lap going 40+ will do the trick.
  2. If there is a little more snow then than that brush it off then blow if you want. or do the same as above.
  3. if it get wet and icy really quickly where the blower wont do then use a brush or I go to a spray car wash and just blast it away unless its sheets of ice its not going to hurt anyone
If you start your truck
  1. Let it warm up, cleaning snow is easier before the start and first few minutes or way after when the layer on the truck is wet and slippery
  2. clean from the top down it will clump up and fall off.
  3. Make sure that if you start your truck you do not have any large pieces on the roof, these are the dangerous ones.
 
Move south!...It was 80 something today......I was working on my Tan.......
 
Dissident said:
Hi Doc,

I think you need to think through this idea a couple times. I can try and help you work shop it here. I see that you live in Pittsburg so you only average 30 inches of snow a year. You mention:

So as a person that gets 60+ inches a year here is what I have learned. The bed is usually the least of your problems because its always cold and not clumped together unless you get that special storm. And if you do just make sure the whole amount doesn't go all at once that's what dangerous a large clumped chunk. snow leaving your vehicle from the bed doesn't clump unless its a bad storm the roof is the worst threat for slabs to come off on the highway or forward when you brake.
If you DO Not start your truck
  1. If you clean your truck off while it is light and fluffy you can literally use a leaf blower. get a cheap electric one and blow away. You can also just get most of it off then take a lap going 40+ will do the trick.
  2. If there is a little more snow then than that brush it off then blow if you want. or do the same as above.
  3. if it get wet and icy really quickly where the blower wont do then use a brush or I go to a spray car wash and just blast it away unless its sheets of ice its not going to hurt anyone
If you start your truck
  1. Let it warm up, cleaning snow is easier before the start and first few minutes or way after when the layer on the truck is wet and slippery
  2. clean from the top down it will clump up and fall off.
  3. Make sure that if you start your truck you do not have any large pieces on the roof, these are the dangerous ones.
Click to expand...
This is great information. I was hoping to speed up the process of cleaning off the tonneau as I frequently get called for emergencies and need to move quickly, but it seems that my idea would simply serve to slow me down. I'm thinking I will skip the idea and do what you guys have suggested. Oh, and even though moving south would solve my issues, I like the changes of season too much to do that ;)
 
I used to....did alot of skiing and shoveling.......lived in multiple places that got 200 inches a winter...but alas....I really enjoy the beach now....and when we go somewhere...its the Caribbean!
 
When I first read this I thought ‘ignition’ source for anything flammable near by. I keep all the truck fluids in the bed under the tonneau cover. Hate to see a Tremor catch fire.
 
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