HMMWV rear curtain and bed cover prototype

[Bulldogger]

Hello all! I’m glad to say I’m back at my sewing table. During my hiatus I acquired a few hundred yards of milspec pvc vinyl and am learning how to sew it.
Some time ago someone asked me if I could make a flat bed cover but I was stumped by how to join it with the curtain. I’ve since learned how to make curtains, and what common sense fasteners are, so I finally realized I could make a curtain/cover and am working on the pattern.
Here are some teaser pics. The fit isn’t right, but I can see the path to completion.
Bulldogger

 

[Sjoconnor]

Hello all! I’m glad to say I’m back at my sewing table. During my hiatus I acquired a few hundred yards of milspec pvc vinyl and am learning how to sew it.
Some time ago someone asked me if I could make a flat bed cover but I was stumped by how to join it with the curtain. I’ve since learned how to make curtains, and what common sense fasteners are, so I finally realized I could make a curtain/cover and am working on the pattern.
Here are some teaser pics. The fit isn’t right, but I can see the path to completion.
Bulldogger

Looks great. I’m interested in one.

Stephen

 

[CharlieB]

That’s interesting. Are you planning to cover just bed opening or top of wheelhouses as well?

 

[Bulldogger]

Looks great. I’m interested in one.

Stephen

I'll keep you posted sjoconnor. Will be a few days or weeks to get the design ready.
BDGR

 

[Bulldogger]

That’s interesting. Are you planning to cover just bed opening or top of wheelhouses as well?

Not sure what you mean by the "wheelhouses" CharlieB. Please clarify. I am interested in a design that people want to buy, so your inputs are valuable.
BDGR

 

[CharlieB]

Not sure what you mean by the "wheelhouses" CharlieB. Please clarify. I am interested in a design that people want to buy, so your inputs are valuable.
BDGR

Sorry, Rear fenders….wheel house is what they call it in parts book, been trying to track down a driver side one (or at least a top panel for one.

 

[Mogman]

Sorry, Rear fenders….wheel house is what they call it in parts book, been trying to track down a driver side one (or at least a top panel for one.

Have you put a WTB in the classifieds?

 

[CharlieB]

Have you put a WTB in the classifieds?

Not yet but may soon, I’m actually considering fixing the one I have and maybe building a flush deck lid & tool box into the top of it, pretty sure I don’t have enough flex in suspension to get the wheel up there too far

 

[Bulldogger]

Not yet but may soon, I’m actually considering fixing the one I have and maybe building a flush deck lid & tool box into the top of it, pretty sure I don’t have enough flex in suspension to get the wheel up there too far

I have thought about a toolbox set into the side of the fender (wheelhouse) as well. Too many projects ahead of it.
BDGR

 

[Bulldogger]

Sorry, Rear fenders….wheel house is what they call it in parts book, been trying to track down a driver side one (or at least a top panel for one.

At most I figure on coming 4” down the side. There is nothing below the row of footmen along the top edge to attach to. I find most folks don’t want to modify their vehicle to use my products, so I stay within the bounds of stock setup. That said, when I begin offering these if you want something special I’m sure we can work it out. BDGR

 

[Bulldogger]

Getting there, need to lengthen the bed cover to let the curtain sit more vertically.
BDGR

 

[Sjoconnor]

What if you made one that would cover the bed but attach to current rear curtain with a 2" velcro? I'd be more than willing to have my existing curtain brought to a local boat canvas place and have the other half of Velcro sewn in. Just throwing it out there. Thanks for thinking of viable options to cover the bed.

Stephen

 

[Bulldogger]

What if you made one that would cover the bed but attach to current rear curtain with a 2" velcro? I'd be more than willing to have my existing curtain brought to a local boat canvas place and have the other half of Velcro sewn in. Just throwing it out there. Thanks for thinking of viable options to cover the bed.

Stephen

I appreciate you sharing this idea Sjoconnor, and thanks to others who have posted or reached out via message.

If you had a double strip of velcro sewn in just like on the rear of the soft top it would be relatively water resistant. We could probably make it work well enough. I could do that, yes. Sewing around the seat belt mounts is a challenge, assuming you have a 4-man. However it's not impossible. It might be a mistake to assume your curtain is identical to mine, thus it may be better if I do all the sewing.

Last time I floated the idea no one wanted to mail me their curtain, but if you didn't mind the added expense of mailing it me, I could sew in the velcro and send it back with the bed cover, AND while I had the curtain I could upgrade it to an oversized window, if you like. The steel rod has to be removed to ship economically, but that's easy. If your curtain is old and hardened like the one my truck came with, I may struggle to sew around the seat belt mounts, but I've done it on my own so it';s not that terrible.

This is another good reason to finish taking my compound feed upholstery machine out of layup. It doesn't flinch with these heavier/thicker materials. (Not to brag, but it ran a perfect seam through 17 layers of ballistic nylon when I torture tested it. I think it could have done 25!)

Let me finish the pattern for the bed cover and if you're interested please send my a message through the site ("Conversation" they call it now).

Bulldogger

 

[Bulldogger]

Going to shelve this bed cover project for a while. I'm not sure I like it after leaving the prototype on my truck for a couple weeks. Needs underside support fur sure and it tends to sag regardless. I have some ideas, but am going to focus on soft slant backs for a while. Then maybe tire covers, then maybe this.
BDGR

HMMWV 4-man Soft Top Slant Back

In follow up to the previous post, if anyone has a good contact at Breton, or another military textile product supplier, I welcome it. I'd like to pass this design on to a more dedicated supplier, if I can't continue production on my own. Likewise if there is a Member here that has welding and...

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