Thinking about buying a tonneau cover.

[RW1]

Dropped my retirement papers and have decided to take a road trip. I will be driving my Tundra. I figured I will toss my sleeping bag, tent, a case or two of MREs, a case of water, and my camera into truck and go. Then I started thinking about a Coleman stove, fire extinguisher, air compressor, and other stuff.

That got me thinking that a tonneau cover might be a good thing. Having never owned one, anyone care to share any thoughts on pitfalls? I've been looking at a tri-fold model on Amazon but thought I'd ask anyone out there if they had any thoughts. Thanks!

 

[donnyj08]

I have a Hard Swiss Tonneau cover on my Silverado. It is great for keeping things dry, and freeing up space in the cab that would otherwise be taken up by luggage. I carry a complete tool kit, floor jack, battery impact, jumper cables, jack stands, and tow ropes under mine all the times. it makes changing a tire or lending a hand a breeze.

It does become a pain if you need to haul anything remotely large at all though. If you have a motorcycle, ATV, large grill, need to haul furniture, etc... i would recommend getting one that can be rolled or folded forward.

Far shear protection for road trip items and security a locking Hard tonneau is a great option.

 

[WiskyBadger]

Ive had two soft leather tonneaus. On a Dodge Dakota I had the button style. Do not buy one of these. The buttons pullout. Im not sure they still sell them, I havent seen one in a while. Also had annoying supports you had to pullout. On my 06 Chevy 1500 I had the velcro style soft tonneau. I loved it, never had any problems. It was easy to rollup and lay back down.

 

[ejes]

Have had a Undercover classic hard truck bed cover for 12 years. It is nothing fancy, but it is lockable, watertight, and tough as nails. I've even used it as a working platform to stand on to work on my lights and garage door opener in my garage. I love the thing.

 

[TmanP]

Just installed a Gator SR2 on the Silverado. It went on in about a half hour and the SR2 model has automatic tension control so you don't have to mess with that. It has dual point latches. It looks good and isn't too expensive, take a look. SR2 Tonneau

 

[itguy08]

Going on 2+ years with the TonnoPro hard cover. Looks like vinyl on top but has a solid aluminum frame. Should protect from cut & steal.

 

[buffalobob]

Ive had a solid fiberglass tonneau and over time, didn't like it. Now I prefer a camper shell. Unless I need to haul very large cargo, it works great. If you have a couple guys, it's no problem to take it off if you need to. As far as foldable covers, I've heard good things about truxedo brand.

 

[Nick1994]

What about a camper shell? It would keep you out of the rain and you'd have head room in there, as well as much more room to haul stuff inside. You can probably find one on Craigslist.

 

[RW1]

Thanks everyone. I ruled out a camper shell or hard tonneau because I toss a Porta-bote in the back of my truck every fall for duck hunting. It wouldn't fit with a camper shell or hard cover.

A buddy had a soft tonneau that was a combination of velcro and snaps. He liked the convenience of being able to roll it up and getting full use of his bed. But he was not happy with the velcro.

So I started looking at this tri-fold model. But just wanted to put it out there just in case someone had a better recommendation. I sure as heck would trust you guys more than a review on Amazon.

 

[bigdawg74]

I was deciding between a hard 'glass cover, or a tri-fold. Ended up going with the Undercover Flex and am happy with my choice. It took maybe 45 minutes to install, folds back for larger objects, and can be removed in about 2 minutes to haul bark/mulch, etc. No extra key needed, either. Honestly, I can't think of any negatives.

 

[RW1]

Bigdawg,

I see you're not far from me. Did you go to a local dealer or order online?

 

[bigdawg74]

After looking at a few different brands at a local shop, I ended up getting mine from eBay. Best price I could find.

 

[Shannow]

tonneau covers down here are/were typically soft, and use an elastic rope and clips.

Had one on my WB ute, and loved the flexibility, as I could still have something tall, and pull most of the cover in around it.

 

[Trotter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0549t8WrM9U

 

[buck91]

Very happy with my extang trifecta. Super easy to open and close, even when it's cold out.

 

[JennyHemi]

My truck has the soft cover with marine snaps - and the snaps keep breaking

.

 

[Lapham3]

I have a topper that I like very well, but occasionally I need to take it off and have a simple ceiling winch setup and can keep it hanging up there if I wish.

 

[JerryBob]

Have a Truxedo soft cover on my Tacoma. Never leaks and am very satisfied with it. I use Aerospace 303 protectant on it.

I just retired, too.

 

[BAJA_05]

I bought a Lund Tri fold cover for my Ram 5 years ago from Summit catalog. I spray it twice a year with Aerospace 303 & it still looks like new & I get many compliments on it. If or when I need to move furniture or anything really big I just simply remove it for the time being. Gives the truck a very appealing look also & I would not think twice about recommending one to a friend.

 

[TiredTrucker]

I have been partial to the Access Cover tonneau roll up for about 20 years. Adjustable for stretch over time, lock down rear for security, reliable velcro sides. My only issue with a cover of any kind is dirt getting in on the dusty gravel roads I have to frequent. I only really roll it out on road trips or snow days. For the general user, a very reliable cover that definitely keeps things dry in the bed.

http://www.accesscover.com/?_ga=1.260593550.2018046532.1457887929