Stake pocket antenna mount - how to deal with plastic bed rail cover?

[Dodgeboy]

I want to install a ham antenna in one of the rear stake pockets. However, it looks like the plastic bed rail cover actually protrudes down into the stake pocket farther than the steel lip does. Most of the stake pocket antenna mounts have clamps that grab the underneath of the bed rail, and the plastic is going to interfere with this. How are other people handling this? I suppose I could try to use a Dremel and cut out the plastic from the inside of the stake pocket, but without knowing exactly where to cut it seems like a recipe for disaster. Is it easy to remove the bed rail cover temporarily, for cutting?

 

[LaxDfns15]

I cut mine with a dremel for my Bull Rings. Went down about 1/2". Scuffed the paint on the inside a bit in places, but I just shot some spray paint in to cover it up. In my experience you're more likely to break the tabs on the bed rail covers if you try to remove them.

 

[Dodgeboy]

That's what I was afraid of. It is disappointing that the plastic goes beyond the lip, and that there isn't a guide for where to cut. Did you cut the fronts out too? or just the rear?

 

[LaxDfns15]

Did all 4. For the rings you actually have to cut more of the rectangle than what is already open, so after realizing that I used my oscillating saw instead with a 1 inch fan blade. I just went slow until I got into the plastic so I wouldn't bounce out of the cut. The cuts aren't as clean, but they're covered by the flange so not a big deal. As you can see from the pic I bounced out of the cut on this one (first try with the oscillating saw).