- 518
- 179
- 43
- Location
- Stoneville, NC
My truck has this "2nd gen" frame setup. Unfortunately a couple of the horizontal poles are very rusted in a few spots. The straps that secure the cover to the frame at the top will also hold moisture, and couple that with movement rubbing the paint, and now you have rusty spots. A few of the rectangular steel pieces that the straps thread through to secure are also rusted on mine. One day I plan to replace at least some of the horizontal poles with aluminum or stainless steel. At least my cargo cover doesn't have any holes My cargo cover does however collect water and sag. For now I have alleviated that by using strips of thin plywood that span from side to side, and go over the center rib. It hold the cover up so water drains. I'm not sure the 2nd gen frame kits came with the flat metal strips to help with this, or if they did then mine were missing.Both the early and late bows (1st and 2nd generation) simply slide into holes on the top of the bed sides. You have to decide if you want 1G or 2G bows. The 1G are not economical to ship even motor freight, the bows are huge (8'x6'). In Texas, Red River Parts (New Boston) has those in stock so you can go there and get some in person. The 2G bows break completely down and are UPSable. See ebay etc. I am starting to think the 2G bow kits for the 5 ton M1083 MTV can be modified for the LMTV. Just cut down the stringers.