Bed covers

[Douglas Walouke]

So I’ve had a BakFlip, four section, hard, folding cover on the back of 2014 Longhorn. It’s starting to fall apart and the darn thing is heavy to flip unless you’re standing in the bed of the truck.

Looking for some advice on new covers. I like the ability to just partially pull back the cover, but I’m torn on going with a soft vs hard top as I don’t often leave anything of value in the bed. I live in suburban Cincinnati where crime/theft isn’t that big of an issue.

Thoughts anyone?

Thanks for taking the time to drop a note.

 

[RamDiver]

I've been using a Roll-N-Lock cover for the past 16 years and am very satisfied there's nothing better for my use.

I've been on multi-week road trips with my buddy's Ferd which has a folding cover, and another friends truck that had a solid fibreglass cover.

The solid cover is horrible to access the front area unless you enjoy crawling on your hands and knees. And the folding cover is always a PITA to open and close, now that it's wet inside, it's more of a PITA.

The folding cover usually takes 2-4 hands to open and close, that alone is a pest. It works OK if you have a dedicated second set of hands.

I like that I can lock my cover part way closed, open it completely to get a cord of wood, load or move stuff, and I often get dressed/undressed for scuba diving while standing in the truck.

Opening and closing is pretty effortless and on some scuba trips, I might have about $25K worth of gear secured in the back.

I'm pretty confident that nobody going to be able to get in there without a K12 saw and lots of noise.

RealTruck bought Roll-N-Lock in recent years, however; it looks to be the same unit. I can't speak to RealTruck's customer service, but I used to call Roll-N-Lock in Florida and they were awesome.

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[nlambert182]

Those roll-n-lock bedcovers are awesome. I loved the one I had on my 1500. If money is no object and the rolling mechanism doesn't interfere with how you need to use it I would point to that cover.

That said, they are expensive so if you're looking for bedcovers that keep the bed dry but won't break the budget, a soft cover might fit the bill. I have a Gator cover on my 2500 and love it. Does the job of keeping my bed dry, takes 2 minutes to roll up if I need it, took less than 30 minutes to install, and cost less than $250.

 

[1stindoor]

I have the Bakflip as well. My first cover in 40 yrs of driving trucks. If I was going to buy a new cover, I'd probably go with the Diamondback. More expensive, but would have met my needs better as I'm used to throwing 2 bikes and a kayak in my truck while on vacation in the summer. Now I'm contemplating how to build a bike stand in the bed because of the cover. First world problems.

My son has the Roll n lock in his Chevy. He's had no issues.

 

[brian42]

I had a soft tri-fold and loved it. Easy to remove (2 minutes to remove and 5 minutes to install), no drilling/mounting, easy to carry (15 lbs maybe), and easy to clean (wipe it down with some 303 every couple of months), and was not very expensive.

I was coming from almost 20 years of fiberglass tonneaus so this was a dream to work with. There were some things I learned along the way as I did not like the clamp system as much as I thought (there are differences between brands - I bought one of the cheapest ones) and was looking at upgrading to a Vanguard hard tri-fold that wasn't going to break the bank or need mounting but I sold the truck before I pulled the trigger:

https://vanguardoffroad.com/shop.html?fitment=2019|Ram|1500&page=1&facet-Fitment-Specific+or+Universal=Fitment-Specific&facet-categories=1389247

My dad has the Bakflip on his (he has Ram Boxes so is limited in products available) and loves it. It is a very nice unit but needs to have the rails mounted (and drains run) and is heavy to wield on a whim.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Mine - a bit steep, but a crook would need to come prepared to tear everything apart and make a lot of noise getting into it.

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[freeswimmingfish]

I just put a retractable cover on my 2500. Got it from Truck2go. So far I like it, has T-slots on the rails for attachments. Also got better MPG (6.4). Went from 14.5 to 17.3!

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

really depends on what your looking for out of a cover and what your budget is. Retractables or hard roll ups are great if your not looking to do anther folding cover(which is the most popular style)

Message me if you would like any info or pricing on any covers. We offer most brands

 

[Burla]

line x'd diamond back, but they aint cheap.

It ain't gonna fall apart that is for sure

 

[Kickboxer]

I like the roll up tarp style, I think I've had 8-10 over the years.
The Access cover is one of the first and they work very well.
The price is right also, I would not pay big bucks for those
hard types. I trade too often.

 

[DanAR]

My research seemed to indicate that the more complicated and more costly the cover, the more problems that seemed to be reported. I finally decided on a Pro X15 low profile soft cover, sort of medium price. Figured I could replace it 2 or 3 times over for the cost of a hard, rolling cover. But some people do need a hard cover.

 

[nlambert182]

My research seemed to indicate that the more complicated and more costly the cover, the more problems that seemed to be reported. I finally decided on a Pro X15 low profile soft cover, sort of medium price. Figured I could replace it 2 or 3 times over for the cost of a hard, rolling cover. But some people do need a hard cover.

View attachment 543077

Looks eerily similar to my Gator cover. For the price, it's really hard to beat if you just need protection from the rain/elements.

 

[CrispyBacon]

Backflip Revolver x4s is absolutely the bomb.

 

[Chukbacca]

I too am considering a bed cover… And I am curious about compatibility. Is there any difference between the classic models and the older fourth generation? And to that end, are there any covers that have aged particularly poorly?
I guess more simply said …I am looking at used covers and would like to know if a 2020 would fit my 2015.
Thanks as always for your kind replies!

 

[K2EPM]

So I’ve had a BakFlip, four section, hard, folding cover on the back of 2014 Longhorn. It’s starting to fall apart and the darn thing is heavy to flip unless you’re standing in the bed of the truck.

Looking for some advice on new covers. I like the ability to just partially pull back the cover, but I’m torn on going with a soft vs hard top as I don’t often leave anything of value in the bed. I live in suburban Cincinnati where crime/theft isn’t that big of an issue.

Thoughts anyone?

Thanks for taking the time to drop a note.

A friend of mine had the same problem with the backflip, after a while they become porous and retain water causing it to be heavy. So, I stayed away!!! I have only had it about 6 months, but I am very happy with the LOMAX tri-fold cover by Agri Cover. https://shop.agricover.com/category/trifoldcovers

 

[K2EPM]

I too am considering a bed cover… And I am curious about compatibility. Is there any difference between the classic models and the older fourth generation? And to that end, are there any covers that have aged particularly poorly?
I guess more simply said …I am looking at used covers and would like to know if a 2020 would fit my 2015.
Thanks as always for your kind replies!

LOMAX Hard Tri-Fold Covers | Hard Folding Tonneau Covers

Official Site for LOMAX Hard Tri-Fold Covers. Discover this hard folding tonneau cover.

shop.agricover.com

 

[brian42]

I too am considering a bed cover… And I am curious about compatibility. Is there any difference between the classic models and the older fourth generation? And to that end, are there any covers that have aged particularly poorly?
I guess more simply said …I am looking at used covers and would like to know if a 2020 would fit my 2015.
Thanks as always for your kind replies!

The Classic is a 4th gen truck so a 2020 Classic and 2015 should be the same bed.

I don't know about the cargo floor dimensions but the 5th gen is a different shape on top. The 5th gen has a taper on the outside dimension but is square on the inside where the 4th gen has a taper both outside and inside:

5th Gen distance between bed rails?

www.ramforumz.com

 

[BlueHemi1500]

I have a soft tri-fold bed cover on my 2020 5.7 bed. It works great. I noted the OP lives where snow can get bad. I take my cover off when snow is forecasted for 2 reasons: 1) I need the weight in the bed, 2) do not want to tempt failure from the weight of the snow. I had a tri-fold also on my Chevy 8 ft HD truck as well. I currently have the TriFecta 2.0 (I think). Both trucks have/had minimal water leakage, mostly from the tailgate. I have never bothered with a tailgate seal. If I have things that can not get wet: 1) wrapped in trash bags, 2) packed in plastic tubs. Easy to remove and install if I need to. Both of my tops had to have the tailgate opened to open the top. I had/have a locking tailgate on both trucks. If security is a big concern then a hard top is the better choice. If just being able to cover items and use minimal water protection is all that is needed a soft top flip/roll-up will be a better choice on the wallet.
It is a matter of needs/price point and of course personal preference.

BlueHemi1500

 

[SigEp418]

I’m picking up my 2nd Lomax cover on Wednesday, previous was on a 2016 1500 sport. It’s aluminum, easy to use and remove, and does offer some security. Runs around $1200. I’ve had soft covers too and just don’t like them.