Tonneau Covers

[jackellis]

I've found a couple of tailgate locks and it appears they can be installed pretty easily. For example http://www.slickcar.com/productdetai...ProductID=2418

Can these really be installed by an owner or do they need to be professionally installed?

[djcannon]

I like folding covers

My Dad has a truck with a folding cover. It is the best compromise I have seen. We even haul light stuff on top of the cover at times with a tie down. The cover comes off in just a minute with minimal effort. Visibility is good while driving.


As an insurance adjsuter I realize that cars are only as secure as the people around them are honest. Glass can be broken, canvas ripped and at times the whole car pulled up on a flat bed and driven away. I wouldn't ever want someone to think that leaving anything in a locked makes it secure.

Just my 2 cents

[drillman88]

Another vote for snugtop

I bought a used 2002 ranger that had a snugtop hard shell on it.
It have hauled a myriad of things on the truck without removing the top.The largest was a washing machine in the box.I use rope to keep things in the truck and bungies to keep the top tight against the box.I have a trailer to haul larger things when needed. The ability to keep things dry and locked is wonderful.

[RAV2]

Started with a roll up (vinyl) cover with snaps all around. Very good quality item. Was somewhere under $200 for a Ranger. Material gets cold in the winter and is hard to manage. Temperature can cause shrinkage and makes buttoning them tough. Buttons can get dirty or begin to oxidize (corrode) and causes them to stick (always pried off the problem ones with a screw driver to avoid tearing the vinyl. Rolls up well and stows out of sight (need to store the ribs but some are integral in the top). Another note – can NOT be driven unsecured. Saw a guy in the winter on the highway driving with his cover flapping in the wind and the vinyl was all cracked and destroyed (modern materials may do better with this).

My neighbor bought the roll out aluminum cover. Box sits at the end of the bed near the window and takes up about 8”. Very costly (about $900) and was financed by dealer at time of purchase and installed professionally. Very secure, relatively water tight, some freezing issues in winter, may not be able to retract. Some have internal lights.

Friend bought a vinyl roll out cover that had Velcro on the sides of the bed and a nice locking mechanism near the tailgate. Said some guys in the northern (snow) states found them to survive the winter well. Rolled out easily, locked securely (always remember vinyl can be cut), and had nice internal ribs. Appeared to stow away easily when rolled up at the cab. Cost not too bad. I liked this solution and would probably pursue this type in the future if looking for a soft top.

Brother in law has a three piece – aluminum covered plywood system. Seems OK but not spectacular. May have been quality issues with hardware over time. Not sure how watertight the unit was.

Now I have a fiberglass 2 piece (Ford Explorer Sport Trac standard equipment). It weighs about 80 lbs. I can travel with either half open and folded on the other side. Very secure and sturdy (I have placed a ladder on the cover to repair field lighting). Does not roll up so there have been a few (1 or 2) occasions that I had to pop it off and toss it along side the item in the bed I was carrying. Snow proof. Relatively water tight but at highway speeds – in heavy rain – you are likely to get some water inside so plan ahead with items in the bed. Costly if purchased separately. Finish is matte fiberglass – not painted – which is a plus; you don’t want to worry about scratching some painted surface that matches the color of the bed. On a camping trip in the past, I have secured coolers to the top of this cover to save space in the covered bed. Line up when remounting was a problem until I marked to top of the bed rails with white outlines to show where the unit lines up to. Now re-installation is a quick 3 minute deal (highly recommended).

For me, though there is no perfect solution, the current 2 piece fiberglass unit seems to be the best combination of features.

[jackellis]

there is no perfect solution

I've come to the same conclusion. LOML favors a cap but getting a cap off to haul firewood and on again is going to be a PITA. A hard cover is "more secure" than a soft one but I'm not sure I want to spring for the fancy rollup solution and it does take up valuable space in the bed - permanently!

We'll have to experiment with the backpacking gear to see whether a tonneau cover will even work but I'm thinking a two-piece locking cover that I can remove when necessary is probably going to be the best, most cost-effective option for us. Leaving the bed open is not going to be an option, especially at highway speeds, if the fuel economy penalty is 10%.

[WayneJ]

If you decide to go with a soft cover,beware of smokers throwing cigarette butts. DAMHIKT. I replaced two on my last Ranger due to burn holes.
Wayne