Danny5
Junior Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2016
- Posts
- 16
- Reaction score
- 7
- Location
- Surprise, Az
- Ram Year
- 2019
- Engine
- Cummins 6.7
I've been looking at all the available (expen$ive) tonneau cover options for the Rambox model since we bought her new in November of 2016. At the end of February, we decided on the Bak Revolver X2.
Now, there are not a lot of pictures or video on installing this tonneau cover on a Rambox model. So going into this install, I felt a little apprehensive. Hopefully these pictures will help other Rambox owners should they choose this pretty cool cover!
No unboxing pictures. I've seen other truck models of the X2 unboxed, and it was almost exactly the same. 2 rails, a bag of hardware/rubber, and the tonneau rolled up. First step is to break down the factory rails by removing the adjustable tie down cleats and the end cap covers.
A couple of different thickness bulkhead seals are included in the kit. If you bed is bare, like mine, then you install the thicker seal
These next shots are the rails you install into the factory rails. Be careful as they bend easy! I put pressure in the wrong spot and put a bend in one. argh!
They install into the top channel on the factory rails
The instructions warn that this is a tight fit, and they weren't kidding. Not a chance getting them in without lubrication. The instructions recommend soapy water. When this failed, I tried pure car wash soap. And when that failed, it was WD40 to the rescue. I used a block of wood to help get them all the way in.
Do NOT push on the top of the rail that sticks out, only push on the part that slides into the factory channel!
Push them in until you can push no more. I used the aforementioned block of wood and a hammer to tap the rail the rest of the way in until the plate touches the front of the bed. The instructions warn that a drop in bed liner will have to be cut for clearance. *sucky*
Now you can slide the provided straps and the factory tie down cleats back into place.
Drop the tonneau cover on your installed rails and cut the saran wrap.
Roll it out and check fitment. This is when I discovered my fitment issues. The tonneau cover and installed rails were interfering with tailgate operation. Since these aren't clamp on rails like most trucks, I had to figure out other ways to get some height out of them.
Out comes the electric ratchet and a 10mm socket. I loosened all the factory bolts on the accessory rails, pushed them up in the rear only for more clearance.
Why not lift the rails all the way Danny? Because you still want the bulkhead side to seal!
Now with the rails raised, I can close the tailgate and adjust the tonneau cover. This is when I noticed some "strange" engineering???
First off, the supplied rails stick out of the factory rails. This means those end caps you removed in the beginning won't be going back on the truck.
This gap at the front of the bed is scary! If you have a drop in bedliner, this would probably match up nice. As it was, I cut more of that bulkhead seal and stuffed it in this gap...
Say it ain't so! I was missing the install hardware, so I ran off the hardware store and bought nuts and bolts. I have already spoken with BAK and they are sending me the correct hardware. For now, I have these cranked down good and tight. (By hand, not with an impact!)
I slid the strap mounts so they are slight under the tonneau when fully open. These I did use my electric ratchet with a 13mm socket.
This is a decent shot of the alignment. The instructions state to line up the back of the tonneau with the end of the rail. However, the passenger rail sticks out about 1/4" more than the driver's rail. My fitment was best by lining up with the driver's rail.
And no interference with a rambox, tonneau cover open or closed!
It's a tight fit, and not exactly the water tight seal I was hoping for. There are large gaps, probably more due to the design of the rambox than any fault of Bak. The one part that bothers me the most is the height adjustment of the rails still wasn't really enough. The tonneau cover contacts the top of the tailgate when closing. The only way to close with the tonneau in the locked position is to really slam it.
I also bought a tailgate seal kit, and used a lot of this to plug holes at the back end of the cover. It won't be perfect, but I should be able to put things in the bed without them getting soaked.
Final thoughts? This cover is a huge improvement over it's predecessor, and I would buy it again. I just wish I knew what I was in for ahead of time.
And that's why I wrote this!
Now, there are not a lot of pictures or video on installing this tonneau cover on a Rambox model. So going into this install, I felt a little apprehensive. Hopefully these pictures will help other Rambox owners should they choose this pretty cool cover!
No unboxing pictures. I've seen other truck models of the X2 unboxed, and it was almost exactly the same. 2 rails, a bag of hardware/rubber, and the tonneau rolled up. First step is to break down the factory rails by removing the adjustable tie down cleats and the end cap covers.
A couple of different thickness bulkhead seals are included in the kit. If you bed is bare, like mine, then you install the thicker seal
These next shots are the rails you install into the factory rails. Be careful as they bend easy! I put pressure in the wrong spot and put a bend in one. argh!
They install into the top channel on the factory rails
The instructions warn that this is a tight fit, and they weren't kidding. Not a chance getting them in without lubrication. The instructions recommend soapy water. When this failed, I tried pure car wash soap. And when that failed, it was WD40 to the rescue. I used a block of wood to help get them all the way in.
Do NOT push on the top of the rail that sticks out, only push on the part that slides into the factory channel!
Push them in until you can push no more. I used the aforementioned block of wood and a hammer to tap the rail the rest of the way in until the plate touches the front of the bed. The instructions warn that a drop in bed liner will have to be cut for clearance. *sucky*
Now you can slide the provided straps and the factory tie down cleats back into place.
Drop the tonneau cover on your installed rails and cut the saran wrap.
Roll it out and check fitment. This is when I discovered my fitment issues. The tonneau cover and installed rails were interfering with tailgate operation. Since these aren't clamp on rails like most trucks, I had to figure out other ways to get some height out of them.
Out comes the electric ratchet and a 10mm socket. I loosened all the factory bolts on the accessory rails, pushed them up in the rear only for more clearance.
Why not lift the rails all the way Danny? Because you still want the bulkhead side to seal!
Now with the rails raised, I can close the tailgate and adjust the tonneau cover. This is when I noticed some "strange" engineering???
First off, the supplied rails stick out of the factory rails. This means those end caps you removed in the beginning won't be going back on the truck.
This gap at the front of the bed is scary! If you have a drop in bedliner, this would probably match up nice. As it was, I cut more of that bulkhead seal and stuffed it in this gap...
Say it ain't so! I was missing the install hardware, so I ran off the hardware store and bought nuts and bolts. I have already spoken with BAK and they are sending me the correct hardware. For now, I have these cranked down good and tight. (By hand, not with an impact!)
I slid the strap mounts so they are slight under the tonneau when fully open. These I did use my electric ratchet with a 13mm socket.
This is a decent shot of the alignment. The instructions state to line up the back of the tonneau with the end of the rail. However, the passenger rail sticks out about 1/4" more than the driver's rail. My fitment was best by lining up with the driver's rail.
And no interference with a rambox, tonneau cover open or closed!
It's a tight fit, and not exactly the water tight seal I was hoping for. There are large gaps, probably more due to the design of the rambox than any fault of Bak. The one part that bothers me the most is the height adjustment of the rails still wasn't really enough. The tonneau cover contacts the top of the tailgate when closing. The only way to close with the tonneau in the locked position is to really slam it.
I also bought a tailgate seal kit, and used a lot of this to plug holes at the back end of the cover. It won't be perfect, but I should be able to put things in the bed without them getting soaked.
Final thoughts? This cover is a huge improvement over it's predecessor, and I would buy it again. I just wish I knew what I was in for ahead of time.
And that's why I wrote this!
