I'm trying to replace my dash. I've been searching junk yards and online. My question is though, has anyone tried to use one of those dash covers without a full dashboard underneath?

 

Doesn't work nearly as well as folks would like. You really need to replace the upper dash, if most of it is already gone.

LMC Truck, Geno's Garage, both sell better quality upper dash.

 

You need something under it! You need a complete dash not a cover. LMC has them but here may be a better choice since they offer a lifetime warranty.

http://www.dashcoversplus.com/page/864510

 

I replaced my original Swiss cheese dash about 7-8 years ago.
Luckily my son was able to get me a discount from they local dodge dealer.Cost was about $600 IIRC.

Took a weekend to replace it.Also replaced the heater core and a vent door.

 

I had all the pieces of the original dash, tried plastic welding it, couple kinds of glue, etc... but it was just too damn brittle to do anything with. Finally, I bought a cover like you're talking about, took all the pieces out and put it together using the cover as a mold / template to lay the pieces in... (had it supported on some pieces of wood, etc...). once it was all laid out, I put a couple layers of fiberglass cloth and marine epoxy over the entire underside and let it set up... then flipped it over and put it in the truck before putting a layer of polyester resin with some chopped glass added to help it keep from cracking. once it hardened up I put the cover over it and used a little silicone to hold that down. it's been that way for maybe 6-7 years now and has been solid as a rock...

I had the spare resin and glass on hand from boating projects, otherwise it might have cost a good bit to do... although glass and polyester resin isn't very expensive. I just couldn't see buying a used dash or even a new one only to see it get brittle and crack apart again...

 

The new ones, regardless of where you get them from, are better plastic, and not quite so susceptible to UV rays.

 

you have more faith in the aftermarket automotive industry than I! ;-)

 

They knew what the problem was, so, they fixed it. A minor change in the plastic, and down the road ya go.

 

I replaced my busted up dash with a new dash top from LMC (actual dash top, not a cover). It looks identical to the OE one, and is made from better UV-resistant plastic. I think it cost me around $350.