How to Safely Remove a Truck Canopy

A truck canopy is essential when you need to cover any material in the back of your truck. The removal of a truck canopy can be very difficult, depending on the make and model of your truck and can require at least one or more people to help you. The removal of a canopy will make more space in the back of the truck and can also be removed permanently.

Step 1. Soft top or Hard top

You need to find out whether or not you have a soft top or a hard top canopy before you begin the removal on your truck. A soft top canopy will be less heavy than a hard top canopy and will take less time to take off of the truck. A hard top canopy will take more time and will require more people to help lift off the unit. Depending on the unit you have there will be different techniques involved to take off the canopy.

Step 2. Soft canopy removal

Locate the soft canopy and unsnap all of the sides. Now that all of the sides are unsnapped you will want to use the strap that came with the framing on the canopy to keep the pieces secure. The back of the truck you want to push backwards on the canopy until it folds down. You can now secure this with the straps that came with it as well. Use a socket wrench to unscrew any bolts that may be attached from the frame of the truck to the canopy. The soft canopy should not be too heavy but if you need to you should ask for another person to help you carry it to where you need to store it.

Step 3. Hard truck canopy removal

Have the person helping stand at end of the canopy outside of the truck. The person unscrewing the bolts will need to crawl into the back of the truck to get into position to the screws. The canopy can have either C clamps or wing nuts depending on the type of model that is attached.

For the wing nuts you want to unscrew these with a pair of pliers and place them outside the canopy where you can find them later. For the C clamps use a socket wrench to loosen these enough so they are almost unscrewed so the canopy has room to move. Start to lift up the canopy slowly from the tailgate edge of the truck.

Have the extra person near the tailgate as well holding onto the edges while the other person lifts up on the hard top canopy. Slowly move the canopy until it is around halfway off and crawl out of the truck while your helper keeps a hold of the canopy. Hold onto one end of the canopy side while the helper holds on to the other side and slowly move the piece off of the truck. Move the hard top canopy to a safe location and store the unit.