Tonneau cover | convince me

[jimhlee]

Great posts here. I personally am looking at the Retrax Pro because I want to use the built in side railings to install a Yakima rack when I go snowboarding and use the tonneau cover to put in my bags (snowboarding boots and stuff) in the bed and not worry about snow covering and weighing the truck down.

The rollup and fold up covers will interfere with my ability to add the low profile rack.

I'm going to use the Yakima rack with the low profile jetstream bars with the Snowboarding racks because I don't want my boards that are wet and with snow in the bed with my snowboarding equipment bags and it's easier to stow and access.

I also already have a Yakima case I can also use if I want easy access that I can tuck without much wind resistance.

I think that setup makes it most capable for my needs. Here's a pic of the setup.

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[mme_and_lightning]

My favorite tonneau cover is the peragon. I don't stand on a tonneau.
Check it out. (I use them, not affiliated with the company)

Pickup Truck Bed Covers For Sale - Peragon®

 

[hls811]

I'm doing some research while I await delivery and I'm in the "Do I or Don't I" need a cover stage...
I don't think its something I'd want to have on or have closed regularly. I'd say from April to September it would be open/off most of the time since I plan on getting a bike rack for inside the bed and ride a few times a week - a cover would just get in the way. But after reading this thread, I do think there are instances where having one would come in handy (toting things around and not wanting it to get soaked in the rain, helping keep the leaves/snow out , etc..)

Is there a recommendation for easy off/on cover? I was originally thinking a roll-up soft cover would make sense, but then I realized from some of the pics they have crossbars, so that seems like it would be more of a problem.

 

[flyct]

Really struggling to pick between a hard roll up like the X4s and a hard flip
like the MX4.

X4s con: can’t partially roll it up. But is this even a concern?

MX4 con: complete bed access leaves the rear window blocked. I have a pro with no bed camera.

Con for both: can’t access the back of the bed without folding/rolling it all the way up.

Convince me why one style the the “correct” choice! Obviously they both have their pros and cons, so there is not correct answer without knowing all the personal requirements

thanks!!

I’ve had a Bakflip F1 hard cover on 3 trucks. Same cover moved to new truck.

on my 2022 F450 and my 2023=Lightning I now have soft covers and they work great. We don’t have snow or issues with the theft. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B94WC2F1/

These are well built, easy to install and remove and do a better job of keeping water out due to no seams.

 

[WildBlue]

I’ve had a Bakflip F1 hard cover on 3 trucks. Same cover moved to new truck.

on my 2022 F450 and my 2023=Lightning I now have soft covers and they work great. We don’t have snow or issues with the theft. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B94WC2F1/

These are well built, easy to install and remove and do a better job of keeping water out due to no seams.

I have read that these soft-type tonneau covers will vibrate/flap/make noise when driving at highway speeds; this is why I have been considering a hard cover instead. Has this been the case for you?

 

[WhipSticks]

I am also following this closely. I know I want a cover for the bed. I know I need to haul kayaks. So I need a cover that is compatible with taller or adjustable rack. I think I am OK sacrificing some bed space for a roll-up box, so the retrax system looks good, BUT, I would prefer to have the rack system use the stake holes rather than T-rails. I know that the front stake holes on the Lightning are there (but hidden under some finish that you can cut out with a router), but I am having a devil of a time getting information on which Tonneau covers don't interfere with the use of the stake holes.

 

[flyct]

I have read that these soft-type tonneau covers will vibrate/flap/make noise when driving at highway speeds; this is why I have been considering a hard cover instead. Has this been the case for you?

Yes they flap a bit on the highway, but no noise. But for $226 I'll take a little flapping. The Hard covers (F1) couldn't be unfolded by my wife due to the weight. It also developed leaks in rain at the hinge seams . Of course this was in a Super Duty that was used to tow a 14k lb 5th wheel.

 

[chl]

When I bought my 2001 Ranger Edge Super Cab, it had a hard shell cover, bi-fold, with a bed partition in the center that pivoted and could be removed or folded up. The front of the cover had a key lock which unlocked with the ignition key. It had lift-support struts/shocks in both the front and the back. The thing is kind of heavy. It also had a spray-in bed liner and the two together were an $895 option.

Cover - cons:

1) I think the first issue I encountered was the partition was a joke. A plastic thing with slide bolts to hold it in place, which they didn't do a good job at. The bolts were at the top and it also pivoted at the top. Because it was plastic, the bottom could be pushed pretty easily so not a 'secure' location behind which to store anything valuable under lock and key.

2) The lifters. They only lift the cover to about a 45 degree angle, so in the back I found my self removing them to put tall stuff in the bed that would fit in 1/2 the bed (3 ft). In the front it;s another story - how much can you squeeze in between the cab and the 45 degree raised cover? Not much. I ended up removing the lifters, 45 degrees was not enough for tall things. But the rear half of the cover can be folded over and laid on top of the the front half when something tall needs to be carried without the hassle of removing, storing, and then replacing the lifters. It is pretty easy to open 1/2 of the cover and lay it flat on top of the other half and that works better even for loading and unloading bags of gravel and the like, better than with the lifters at 45 degrees, for me anyway. You can stand in the bed to adjust the load.

3) The lock. Laughable. First the plastic cover for it broke and blew off somewhere down the highway leaving the lock facing upward to welcome rain, snow melt, hail, sleet, dirt, etc. Besides that, the lock cylinder comes loose and rotates with the key - tightning it back up is a hassle that gets old quick. Besides that, with the flimsy partition, what is the point of having a lock anyway? Anybody with half a brain would just push the partition to get in the front. So I leave it unlocked and without the partition. Anything valuable goes in the cab.

4) If I have to move something tall and long in the bed like a dirt bike, well the whole darn cover has to come off, and the sucker is heavy and awkward to carry by myself. Yes I have done it myself, but it was a pain, and then where do I put it while not in use? No where far from the driveway that's for sure.

5) The rubber gasket that goes around the edges and seals the cover to the bed against leaks, like any gasket will deteriorate over time - however some black Gorilla tape works just fine to fix any places where there is an issue.

Pros:

1) The spray-in bed liner is a must have - I would not want to do without one. Things slide in and out without scraping the metal bed, easy to clean with a hose, easy on the knees, still in good shape after 22+ years of use moving furniture, wood, gravel, motorcycles, etc.

2) The cover. For all its issues, it does its job of keeping stuff protected and not flying out on the highway. Also, because it is so sturdy, I can fill the bed with stuff that fits there under the cover and then put stuff on top of the closed cover too, tied down of course. So something that would require removing the cover like a couch, and instead be put on top of the cover.

3) Snow. Ever try to get snow out of a pickup truck bed? Ever had a soft cover sag under the weight of snow? Or tear on a nail or screw? Gotta have a hard shell cover. The cover on my Ranger is strong enough that 3 feet of snow won't make it sag at all, unlike my canvass boat cover. Also it is easy to sweep the snow off with a wide push broom.

4) Never had a serious leak.

So, when I order my 2024 Lightning it is going to have a spray-in bedliner.
I may go with a 3rd party hard shell cover. I will look at the Ford cover options too, as I shop around and compare prices and features though.

 

[Tfarrell73]

Have the x2s on my current truck. Planning on installing ths X4S on the lightning if it ever gets here

 

[Kentrider]

On the pro side, after this, they will think twice before visiting for a long stay (large suit case) or a stay at all which will give you the chance to travel instead of staying in and hosting.

We are trying to turn a truck into a sedan. I am thinking to just enjoy driving topless as I have in the old truck for over a decade. I carry a tarp for occasional protection from weather. There is something cool about just dropping stuff in the back without worrying about taking a cover off and putting it back on.

Of course we have a SUV as well and we rarely use the truck’s second row to carry people. If it was our only vehicle, I may feel differently.



This is a very attractive option I considered but ultimately I had to pass because it covers two of the tie downs and most importantly the rack is not easy to remove or adjust the hight of like my old rack. when I am not carrying a kayak on the rack (most of the time) with lightning, I would want it bellow roofline. And when I go to the local dump, I don’t want to be harassed for having a lather rack so I remove one of them very quickly with a latch. So I am thinking no cover and old racks for me.

the old racks

Edit: anyone covering their bed and feeling a bit geeky, please do a mi/KWh before and after test in similar conditions and let us know how much if any difference there is in efficiency.

Yes, Maxx, I'm really curious about the possible increased mileage-efficiency due to reduced drag with a covered bed while on the road. Having completed home installation of FCSP for home fast-charge and HIS for home power back-up, a tonneau cover is my next planned "upgrade" for all the reasons you guys have mentioned. So, this thread is golden. Thanks all!

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

We're a big fan of the RetraxPro XR. That's what we run on our shop truck. It's a canister style rolling cover that is superior to the rest. It allows you to mount accessories to the built in T-Slot rail system.

If you're looking for a cover be sure to visit our site and check out our Tonneau Cover page. We go over the differences between the various covers and only sell THE BEST covers.

https://www.4x4truckleds.com/tonneau-covers/

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