Leer HF650M Tonneau Cover Review with Photos! - Install & First Impressions

[sowatt]

Great review, thanks!

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[NEguy]

Great write-up.

I also have the Leer 650 on my KR for about 3 months now. This is my first truck and after some research, I picked the Leer for the same reasons outlined above.

Love it with very little or no water seeping through in the rain.

Bought it at a local American Ladders & Scaffolds and had them install

 

[precab]

Tonneau Covers... Already at the mention, I'm sure you have lots of thoughts. Everyone varies on if they want one, function, price, etc. I wanted to share with you my thoughts on why I chose the Leer HF650M, the install process, and my first impressions. And to clarify, I'm not sponsored in any way, I just want to give back to this awesome forum. I hope you find this helpful!

1. Why this Tonneau Cover?

First of all, I wanted a hard folding cover for:

• Theft Protection - don't cut through my cover!
• Weather/rain protection - I need the ability to pack the bed with luggage for a trip and not worry about everything getting soaked.
• Full working space in my bed when I folded it up.
• The ability to Not cover my tail light when folded up.
• Low Profile - I don't want a big honkin' cover stickin' up.

This left me with a few options. The ones that rose to the top of my research list were UnderCover Armor Flex, Bakflip MX4, and the Leer - all of which are in the ~$950 to $1,050 range. I know there are some others out there but these were the ones I was drawn to.

As I began to research, there were a few other things I had to decide on. Drain Rail vs. No Drain Rail was one. The Armor Flex and Bakflip both have drain rails that stick into the bed a little more than no-drain rails. Then you have to cut a hole in the rubber gasket of the bed to drain - I wasn't a fan. The next was a wire latching mechanism vs something else. As @05RubiconLJ aptly noted in his review:

​

​

Granted, you'd have to know the wire is there to break in, but still, for someone motivated they could do it.

SOOO, all that to say, I choose the Leer HR650M for a couple of reasons. It gave me all my original points above, plus it didn't have a drain rain, still seemed very water-resistant, and has a pinch mechanism rather than a wire mechanism that made it less easy to break in.

As a downside, I have heard that Leer doesn't have the best customer service. So I chose to go with an online retailer who would work with the manufacture should there be any issues, like something being broken during shipping.

I ended up going with AutoAccessoriesGarage.com and when you call or chat with them you can get a discount. They ended up giving me about 12% off which was the cheapest I could find anywhere. I'm not sponsored by them or anything, I just liked their business and their customer service. They originally said it would take about 1.5-2 weeks for shipping - it actually showed up in 3 days. I was impressed. Too bad my truck didn't show up that fast (amiright?!? ).

2. Install Process​

Here's what you came for - Pictures!

The box showed up worse for wear but after inspection, everything was just fine.

Leer provides a great install video that made the whole process really easy! I watched that right before and that was all I needed.

The cover comes with the rails and 8 clips that look like this:

Put the rails on each side with 4 clips and it looks like this:

You do put a little foam piece on the end to keep the front from scratching the bed.

I did notice there was a little gap between the rail and the front of the bed. The tonneau cover has a seal that lays down on top of the front bed rail. It also comes with a separate sticky gasket seal that probably goes there. The instructions weren't clear on that, and I left mine off for now. If I notice a lot of water infiltration around the front then I will likely put the gasket seal on.

Once you get the rails on, then throw that bad boy up there and get excited for what's to come.
View attachment 31016

There are two latches, one on either side, that clip onto the rail and bolt down the cover. It also includes a safety strap in case something happens to help prevent the cover from flying off. This is what it looks like on the underside for the install:

Once I got it installed I had to play with the fit for just a minute or two to get all pannels to latch.

And that was it! It was actually pretty easy to install. It took me about an hour, but I also had my 4 y.o. "helper" who I was wrangling with during the process. I think it would only take about 30-45 min normally.

There are a couple of ways it can travel. Normal cover like directly above. Flipped back:
View attachment 31029
Those clips at the top would be clipped to the other side to hold down the top in this position. I didn't get a pic like that. (My bad...)

Orrrrr.... what I think is really cool, it can be propped up and give you almost full bed access. And as a plus, it doesn't lean up on the glass.

The clips seem pretty solid and will definitely stay in there well. It was a little hard to take off, but I'd rather that than them almost falling off. And when not in use, they clip in under the cover:

Here's the installed cover with some views of how the seals lay down. This was right after I installed it so those "gaps" where the pannels connect will go away after it gets broken in.

ANNNDDDD one last thing... It works perfectly with the power tailgate.

3. First Impressions​

Initially, I'm very impressed! The cover is very solid, the seals lay down well and look like they will hold up to weather pretty well. It's only been on a few days but I'll update once we get some rain. The latching mechanism was surprisingly very easy to use and did not feel cheap. You could unlatch it easily with one hand, and you can do so from either side. I thought I would really have to squeeze to get that thing to open but it wasn't bad. The prop rods seem pretty sturdy. I wouldn't put a ton of pressure on them to test it, but it will certainly stand up to the job. I do have to say, it was a little difficult to get them off when they were locked in holding the cover up. That might just take me getting use to though.

All in all, I would highly recommend! It seems like it's going to be a great cover and exactly what I wanted. ?


If you have any questions, let me know. I'd be happy to post any other photos or thoughts that I missed.



P.S. - Kudos to all on this forum for posting their experiences with their truck and accessories. Your posts and discussions have really helped me think through how I want to set up my truck. This is my attempt at returning the favor. Enjoy!

Wasn’t clear if this covers lockable?

 

[Bbass5]

Wasn’t clear if this covers lockable?

Good question. It’s not lockable in the sense that there is no key or way to put a lock on it. But with the tailgate closed and locked there is no way to get into it. You have to open the tailgate to access the squeeze clips to open the cover.

Does that answer your question?

 

[DANJENS]

Great review. Thanks. Would this work well with power tailgate or is the rear seal going to get messed up?

 

[saber8689]

Great review. Thanks. Would this work well with power tailgate or is the rear seal going to get messed up?

I have the leer 650m on my limited 2021 and it works great with the power tailgate...no problems at all.

My only criticisms of the cover are that alignment is very tricky to ensure the last board of the cover latches easily near the tailgate.

Also, the top of the cover actually doesnt look as clean or sleek as I was hoping...especially with any amount of rain as the water spots look terrible.

Overall I'm happy with the purchase, but I'm not sure I would buy it again as it feels like a cover that should be in the $500 to $700 range and not 1k+

 

[DANJENS]

I have the leer 650m on my limited 2021 and it works great with the power tailgate...no problems at all.

My only criticisms of the cover are that alignment is very tricky to ensure the last board of the cover latches easily near the tailgate.

Also, the top of the cover actually doesnt look as clean or sleek as I was hoping...especially with any amount of rain as the water spots look terrible.

Overall I'm happy with the purchase, but I'm not sure I would buy it again as it feels like a cover that should be in the $500 to $700 range and not 1k+

Thanks for the information.

 

[saluki1969]

I also have the Leer 650 on my PB. Had it for approximately 5 months and could not be happier. I have had no water in my bed even through a driving thunderstorm rainstorm. Automatic tailgate works perfectly. Squeeze latch is easy to use and I enjoy the increased security, especially since I live near crime ridden St Louis.

 

[Spindrive]

I’ve had this cover since April. I love it.

The ONLY “issue” I’ve had is sometime the arm that hold it up are hard to get off the 10mm ball.

 

[JoCox32]

Have any of you with the Leer HF650M experienced water coming in between the panels where the hinges are located? I was checking for leaks following a pretty hard rain and noticed some drips coming through between each panel. I expect some water at the extreme ends but I had hoped the mid-section would be fairly water tight. Not sure if mine is defective in some way or if this is common.

 

[Bbass5]

Have any of you with the Leer HF650M experienced water coming in between the panels where the hinges are located? I was checking for leaks following a pretty hard rain and noticed some drips coming through between each panel. I expect some water at the extreme ends but I had hoped the mid-section would be fairly water tight. Not sure if mine is defective in some way or if this is common.

I have not. I’ve been impressed with the water resistance of the cover and haven’t noticed any water in the bed after a rain.

Of course I’ve only had it a month so the seals are still pretty new on mine.

 

[CindyC-IL]

Tonneau Covers... Already at the mention, I'm sure you have lots of thoughts. Everyone varies on if they want one, function, price, etc. I wanted to share with you my thoughts on why I chose the Leer HF650M, the install process, and my first impressions. And to clarify, I'm not sponsored in any way, I just want to give back to this awesome forum. I hope you find this helpful!

1. Why this Tonneau Cover?

First of all, I wanted a hard folding cover for:

• Theft Protection - don't cut through my cover!
• Weather/rain protection - I need the ability to pack the bed with luggage for a trip and not worry about everything getting soaked.
• Full working space in my bed when I folded it up.
• The ability to Not cover my tail light when folded up.
• Low Profile - I don't want a big honkin' cover stickin' up.

This left me with a few options. The ones that rose to the top of my research list were UnderCover Armor Flex, Bakflip MX4, and the Leer - all of which are in the ~$950 to $1,050 range. I know there are some others out there but these were the ones I was drawn to.

As I began to research, there were a few other things I had to decide on. Drain Rail vs. No Drain Rail was one. The Armor Flex and Bakflip both have drain rails that stick into the bed a little more than no-drain rails. Then you have to cut a hole in the rubber gasket of the bed to drain - I wasn't a fan. The next was a wire latching mechanism vs something else. As @05RubiconLJ aptly noted in his review:

​

​

Granted, you'd have to know the wire is there to break in, but still, for someone motivated they could do it.

SOOO, all that to say, I choose the Leer HR650M for a couple of reasons. It gave me all my original points above, plus it didn't have a drain rain, still seemed very water-resistant, and has a pinch mechanism rather than a wire mechanism that made it less easy to break in.

As a downside, I have heard that Leer doesn't have the best customer service. So I chose to go with an online retailer who would work with the manufacture should there be any issues, like something being broken during shipping.

I ended up going with AutoAccessoriesGarage.com and when you call or chat with them you can get a discount. They ended up giving me about 12% off which was the cheapest I could find anywhere. I'm not sponsored by them or anything, I just liked their business and their customer service. They originally said it would take about 1.5-2 weeks for shipping - it actually showed up in 3 days. I was impressed. Too bad my truck didn't show up that fast (amiright?!? ).

2. Install Process​

Here's what you came for - Pictures!

The box showed up worse for wear but after inspection, everything was just fine.

Leer provides a great install video that made the whole process really easy! I watched that right before and that was all I needed.

The cover comes with the rails and 8 clips that look like this:

Put the rails on each side with 4 clips and it looks like this:

You do put a little foam piece on the end to keep the front from scratching the bed.

I did notice there was a little gap between the rail and the front of the bed. The tonneau cover has a seal that lays down on top of the front bed rail. It also comes with a separate sticky gasket seal that probably goes there. The instructions weren't clear on that, and I left mine off for now. If I notice a lot of water infiltration around the front then I will likely put the gasket seal on.

Once you get the rails on, then throw that bad boy up there and get excited for what's to come.
View attachment 31016

There are two latches, one on either side, that clip onto the rail and bolt down the cover. It also includes a safety strap in case something happens to help prevent the cover from flying off. This is what it looks like on the underside for the install:

Once I got it installed I had to play with the fit for just a minute or two to get all pannels to latch.

And that was it! It was actually pretty easy to install. It took me about an hour, but I also had my 4 y.o. "helper" who I was wrangling with during the process. I think it would only take about 30-45 min normally.

There are a couple of ways it can travel. Normal cover like directly above. Flipped back:
View attachment 31029
Those clips at the top would be clipped to the other side to hold down the top in this position. I didn't get a pic like that. (My bad...)

Orrrrr.... what I think is really cool, it can be propped up and give you almost full bed access. And as a plus, it doesn't lean up on the glass.

The clips seem pretty solid and will definitely stay in there well. It was a little hard to take off, but I'd rather that than them almost falling off. And when not in use, they clip in under the cover:

Here's the installed cover with some views of how the seals lay down. This was right after I installed it so those "gaps" where the pannels connect will go away after it gets broken in.

ANNNDDDD one last thing... It works perfectly with the power tailgate.

3. First Impressions​

Initially, I'm very impressed! The cover is very solid, the seals lay down well and look like they will hold up to weather pretty well. It's only been on a few days but I'll update once we get some rain. The latching mechanism was surprisingly very easy to use and did not feel cheap. You could unlatch it easily with one hand, and you can do so from either side. I thought I would really have to squeeze to get that thing to open but it wasn't bad. The prop rods seem pretty sturdy. I wouldn't put a ton of pressure on them to test it, but it will certainly stand up to the job. I do have to say, it was a little difficult to get them off when they were locked in holding the cover up. That might just take me getting use to though.

All in all, I would highly recommend! It seems like it's going to be a great cover and exactly what I wanted. ?


If you have any questions, let me know. I'd be happy to post any other photos or thoughts that I missed.



P.S. - Kudos to all on this forum for posting their experiences with their truck and accessories. Your posts and discussions have really helped me think through how I want to set up my truck. This is my attempt at returning the favor. Enjoy!

Now that you've had the tonneau cover for awhile, how do you like it? Please consider answering the following questions. Does the tailgate still open without assistance? I have normally used the soft tonneau covers and one thing I like about them is the clean look. How does it look with a little time on your truck, with the separate panels and covers over the seam, has the look gotten a little less neat than when you first installed it? Lastly, do you recall who you talked to at Auto Accessories. I tried calling them, the person I talked to didn't seem to be as knowledgeable of the products that I had hoped. Thank you for your posts.

Cindy

 

[Bbass5]

Now that you've had the tonneau cover for awhile, how do you like it? Please consider answering the following questions. Does the tailgate still open without assistance? I have normally used the soft tonneau covers and one thing I like about them is the clean look. How does it look with a little time on your truck, with the separate panels and covers over the seam, has the look gotten a little less neat than when you first installed it? Lastly, do you recall who you talked to at Auto Accessories. I tried calling them, the person I talked to didn't seem to be as knowledgeable of the products that I had hoped. Thank you for your posts.

Cindy

Hey Cindy,

I love it. Have had no issues with it. I have the power tailgate and it opens and closes with no issues. I’ve only had it a little over a month and it still looks really clean. Seals on the side have laid down well. I’ve never had a soft tonneau cover but the hard cover with the slats doesn’t bother me at all. Still easy to use with the clips and flip up.

I also added a tailgate seal to help keep any moisture out even though I didn’t have any water get in

 

[saluki1969]

I have had my Leer 650 on my PB since the 3rd week in July. I have had zero issues with it and absolutely no water in the bed, either through the car wash or rainstorms. The auto tailgate continues to work flawlessly. The cover looks great on my truck and is easy to open when necessary. I am well pleased with the Leer 650. Additionally, as cold weather has arrived, and my truck sits at work parking lot I do not have to worry about drainage pipes freezing and running water into bed.

 

[WRS]

Leaning towards this cover. Has anyone driven with just 1 section opened? What keeps the wind from blowing the section closed?

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