Drove an hour to pick these up and the guy gave me no hardware. Can I just drill a hole into my bed and tighten these with a bolt? Any tips?

 

Looks like you’d have to use an allen bolt. I’d go with stainless steel, but confirm the head fits in the rail first.

What’s the plan for cleaning them up?

 

If you take the plastic bed side covers off, you’ll see the provision made for bed rails. I’m unsure what hardware is needed.

 

If the 5.5' bed, the pockets are covered and you'll have to measure, drill into the plastic and router it out. Had to do this with bullrings.

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I believe you spent an hour for likely a wasted trip unless you got them for a couple dollars: the rails are missing the protective gasket and rubber expansion blocks that secure them into the stake pockets:



You can either try to fashion some sort of fastener, or try contacting the manufacturer to see if they will sell you the missing hardware.

I wish someone had the motivation as you did to drive an hour to get them; I've been trying to sell my 6.5' Putco Crossrails on CL for almost a year now; which reminds me that I should repost it...

 

Get Bull Rings. Costs way less. Easy to install. Gives you 4 solid tie down spots. Can hide when not using. I *personally* think rails are tacky.

 

Hey now, let's keep it to ourselves... I'm trying to effect a sales here. A year is a long time waiting to dump these nasty, er, I mean, classy rails that came with my truck...

And yes, I love them pop-up Bull Rings that I replaced the rails with.

 

Discovered a thing called toggle bolts and used 4 to secure the rails onto bed!

 

All you need is the rubber block, a long bolt/nut and a washer. Home Depot even sell these tie downs. Get 4 of the and insert them in the stake pocket and place in the bolt to tighten it to secure your tubular rails.