Are tonneaus a "get what you pay for" item?

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T. Anders

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My two cents worth...I've owned 2 Tyger Tri-fold soft covers for my last two RAM trucks and been very happy with both of them. They fit nice, easy to install, fold up for tall loads and completely remove for a totally open bed. They are also definitely water tight with only minimal intrusion under high pressure conditions, mainly in the tail gate area. Never had a failure, rip, tear, sag or warranty issue. About $240 from tygerauto.com.
I've had my Tyger tri-fold for over four years and I've also been very happy with it. It sits outside 24/7 and has held up very well. I think it was around $230 on Amazon and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.
 

duckman631

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Truxport truxedo. 3 of them and no issues. Excellent price, fitment and your main concern is the latch system. Many come with cheap plastic latches. Some have a pull line system which tend to snap and if the latch is plastic it’ll crack after a while. Truxedo has nice solid metal latches and release.
Hi all,

I'm looking to buy a tonneau cover. It probably will be a soft cover, as I'm hoping to save a few bucks. Basically I want to have a reasonable amount of rain protection for luggage when needed, but to have easy access to the full bed to get scoops of mulch and haul firewood and whatnot. On RealTruck I see the Gator SRX is on sale for only $220. The price definitely sounds appealing, but I'm bit wary of buyer's remorse. Is a cover that costs twice as much or more going to really be worth it? I'd love to hear about your experiences, positive or negative, with cheap covers.
 
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AleYeah

AleYeah

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Truxport truxedo. 3 of them and no issues. Excellent price, fitment and your main concern is the latch system. Many come with cheap plastic latches. Some have a pull line system which tend to snap and if the latch is plastic it’ll crack after a while. Truxedo has nice solid metal latches and release.

Definitely looks like a solid option, and slots in 1 penny shy of the $350 max price I've kinda decided upon.
 

Evil Phoenix

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To the OP Question. I bought that exact tonneau cover in Feb of 2020. It is fabulous and I would highly recommend.

There was a quirk with at first. When you install it and tension the "leather" it fits great. Then it goes through heat and cold cycles for a year and you will have to tighten it again.

I tightened it once after the install and i still use it to this day.

I will preach over and over again that the soft roll ups are the best. My brother had a folding cover and when fully folded up it completely obstructs the rear window. AND most of them dont fold completely out the way as there is still 3 - 4" of hard mounting surface over the bed making that front bulkhead unusable if you want to fit something all the way in. In my case it is motorcycles and dirtbikes dont fit with that hard cover all the way.

The soft ones roll up and hide completely out the way. Additionally I would recommend getting one with the Velcro as they can be pulled taught and look great.
 

CalifPhil

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I went with a Lund soft roll up cover, it was USA made, fit great, easy to install, been on over a year and still looks and works like the day I installed it.
 

duckman631

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Definitely looks like a solid option, and slots in 1 penny shy of the $350 max price I've kinda decided upon.
Yup. I paid $349. When I bought my first one in 2018 was only $279 but thanks to a tree that went thru it during a bad storm this year I had to replace it but from 2018-2024 it was still good as new. I have the short bed. We have one on my wife’s 2014 6ft bed ram and that one is still perfect.
 

BlueHemi1500

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All
Little late to the party.

This is the cover I currently have for my truck, a 2020 Laramie with a 5.7 bed.
I have had this cover for about 18 months or so. Very little water leak(s) usually only from washing the truck, usually from the tailgate. I do not have any tailgate seal devices that can be purchased/made, I just use plastic tubs/garbage bags to protect items from moisture/dirt/dust, etc. when needed.
I would definitely buy this cover again without hesitation. I use my truck bed frequently, so the Tri-fold meets my needs. I take my top off when I know I am going to carry bulky items. I also take my cover off if snow is expected to protect it from the weight of the snow. I agree with a previous poster - think about how and what you want the cover to do and how you will use the truck. My cover I can take off and back on in about 10 minutes, but I take the time to line it up carefully for the best seal.
I got my cover from Amazon as a return, and saved a bunch of money, due to the fact it was a return, same warranty.


BlueHemi1500
 

Goose55

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I put the Leer Pace Edward's all aluminum on mine. Very expensive but everlasting.

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Chukbacca

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I was never a fan of tonneaus. My wife wanted something so we could secure stuff while on an upcoming road trip.
I bought a used white LSII hard cover for $100 and sprayed it with Bed liner (maybe another $100?). I LOVE it! Takes all sorts of abuse and I’ve seen too many sliced soft covers.
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nlambert182

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Another +1 for my cheap Gator SFX soft cover. Just went through another round of 4" of snow (that then turned into ice) sitting on it from Friday morning until this morning. No issues, and the bed is still dry. :)
 

Azmp1

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I got a cheapo soft cover from Amazon back when I bought my truck in 2016. 8 years later it’s ready to be replaced, though still holding up and doesn’t have any major tears or rips. Mostly just threading failing and The the typical weather beating that it took over 8 years of Maryland summers and winters. I will likely be picking one up just like it and if I can get another 8 years outta $150 cover I’d be happy.

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AleYeah

AleYeah

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I went cheap, with a Tyger T1 soft rollup from Amazon. 180-something bucks as a "used, like new" option. Might've been a return or something, but the original packaging/tape still seemed intact, and everything inside was fine.

I just now installed it, so no intel on the waterproofness so far, but I'll report back over time.

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