Tonneau cover advice

[Finn5033]

Hello all, I just picked up a new 2025 crew cab 6.4 bed. I’ve had many trucks in the last 25 years and have always used soft roll up tonneau covers.

We are making a long road trip pulling our tritoon from Minnesota to Marathon in the Keys in March. We will have the truck bed full of luggage and other stuff so I’m considering going with a hard roll up cover or a hard trifold cover for a better seal and security. If you have had both styles please tell me why you like one over the other. My biggest thing is I don’t like the giant ball that the hard roll up has when it’s rolled up. I like that the trifold can just be removed if you need to use the whole bed. I would just love some advice because these things are not cheap and I don’t want to regret my decision. Thanks

 

[Flor1]

I went with the Elite one piece hinged at front stays dry.
In strictly my opinion the most secure

 

[Finn5033]

I went with the Elite one piece hinged at front stays dry.
In strictly my opinion the most secure

I appreciate the reply but I’m not looking for anything like that.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Just my opinion, but unless you go with a full fiberglass bed cover that goes over the rails, and do a tailgate seal, no tonneau cover prevents water from getting in the bed. I have a Gator ETX soft roll up. The only water that gets in my bed comes from around the tailgate. I did install a tailgate seal which helped some, but it's not a complete seal.

 

[Bertman]

I had the Bak Flip on my last truck and I have the Bak roll-up on my current truck. Sorry for the essay, I did a lot of research before deciding.

Tri-fold:
Pro's - cheaper, sturdier
Con's - completely blocks the rear window when fully folded up(I would usually leave the last section down and only have 2/3's access to the bed, when possible).

Roll-up:
Pro's - Doesn't block rear window. easier to roll-up and down
Con - slightly more expensive, will flex sometimes(like in the drier after a car wash)

To what I believe is your question, my truck is our family vehicle that we use for most trips and I would not hesitate to use either of them to secure our luggage for trips. No amount of rain/sleet/snow, blowing rain resulted in our luggage getting wet. With car washes, when the water jet's are facing the tailgate, some water will get into the bed, but for the most part it just runs down the inside of the tailgate. I believe that could vary based on the installation.

Regarding my earlier comment about the roll-up flexing, it's because that cover is built with many narrow strips of aluminum that cross the width of the bed, vs 3 larger solid chunks of in the tri-fold. The narrow strips are not naturally as strong and the 3 larger sections. The roll-up still seals on the channels, so it does not cause leaks, I can just hear it wiggling more with strong winds.

The reason I like the Bak brand is how their covers do not sit on top of the bed, but are flush with the top of the bed. Not a big deal, but I like that look better.

 

[Finn5033]

Just my opinion, but unless you go with a full fiberglass bed cover that goes over the rails, and do a tailgate seal, no tonneau cover prevents water from getting in the bed. I have a Gator ETX soft roll up. The only water that gets in my bed comes from around the tailgate. I did install a tailgate seal which helped some, but it's not a complete seal.

Understood, thanks for the reply.

 

[Finn5033]

I had the Bak Flip on my last truck and I have the Bak roll-up on my current truck. Sorry for the essay, I did a lot of research before deciding.

Tri-fold:
Pro's - cheaper, sturdier
Con's - completely blocks the rear window when fully folded up(I would usually leave the last section down and only have 2/3's access to the bed, when possible).

Roll-up:
Pro's - Doesn't block rear window. easier to roll-up and down
Con - slightly more expensive, will flex sometimes(like in the drier after a car wash)

To what I believe is your question, my truck is our family vehicle that we use for most trips and I would not hesitate to use either of them to secure our luggage for trips. No amount of rain/sleet/snow, blowing rain resulted in our luggage getting wet. With car washes, when the water jet's are facing the tailgate, some water will get into the bed, but for the most part it just runs down the inside of the tailgate. I believe that could vary based on the installation.

Regarding my earlier comment about the roll-up flexing, it's because that cover is built with many narrow strips of aluminum that cross the width of the bed, vs 3 larger solid chunks of in the tri-fold. The narrow strips are not naturally as strong and the 3 larger sections. The roll-up still seals on the channels, so it does not cause leaks, I can just hear it wiggling more with strong winds.

The reason I like the Bak brand is how their covers do not sit on top of the bed, but are flush with the top of the bed. Not a big deal, but I like that look better.

I appreciate the detailed response. I’ve been trying to find a hard quad fold now. Still doing a lot of research. I’m leaning towards the bakflip G2

 

[SW Driver]

I am in the same situation. I started researching options even before I had the truck. I have a 2026 Laramie with the multifunction tailgate which limits my options unless I replace the factory braces.

My research and helpful threads here led me to the Bakflip MX4 and the Diamondback SE. I really liked the design of both. The Diamondback is twice the cost, so I leaned more to the Bakflip.

Ultimately, I bought the Diamondback SE. Why? I always keep my cars a long time. Usually over 10 years. While the Bakflip seemed fine, I expect I’d replace it at least once during ownership. Whereas the Diamondback I expect to last my entire ownership.

I also liked the security and weatherproofing the Diamondback offers. The Bakflip and other designs like it are easy to get into if you know what you’re doing. Even the dealer I talked to said a knowledgeable thief can get it open in less than 5 seconds. The Bakflip is also more prone to water intrusion. Not necessarily a lot, but more than the Diamondback.

I just ordered my Diamondback this weekend. As such, I don’t have real world experience with it yet. They still had an offer when I ordered that included a bed light and ratchet straps for free. They have a price increase coming in January, so buy now if you like this one.

 

[Jako]

FYI, He went from a Bak Flip to a roll and breaks down the pros and cons.
My Bak Flip started to leak in several places and went with a Truxedo Sentry CT (balance between looks, security, driver visibility and useability). I never drove with the Bak Flip against the window considering how the Ram window has a history of leaking. There is also the Revolver roll that appears to have better security. I do not like the location of the lock release levers and prefer the all canvas look on the Truxedo vs the rubber on the edges of the Revolver.
The Bak Flip did appear to get heavier as time went on as explained in the video. I also have a friend who replaced his Bak Flip with another Bak Flip as the old one was leaking badly from various places, no idea how long he owned the cover before replacing it.
There are trade offs on all of them. Love my Diamond Back but it requires more "time and effort" for full bed access when needed but at the same time can put 1600 lbs. on top. Removal is no big deal for me but it does take more time than a "flip" or a "roll".
Security - All covers have their limitations with the availability of portable tools. Honda catalytic converter theft comes to mind with how proficient the thieves have become.

I use a Diamond Back in the winter (great with snow removal) and plan on switching to the Truxedo (NOT good with frozen / wet) when the weather becomes more mild and that will be my MO going forward.

 

[Jako]

I am in the same situation. I started researching options even before I had the truck. I have a 2026 Laramie with the multifunction tailgate which limits my options unless I replace the factory braces.

My research and helpful threads here led me to the Bakflip MX4 and the Diamondback SE. I really liked the design of both. The Diamondback is twice the cost, so I leaned more to the Bakflip.

Ultimately, I bought the Diamondback SE. Why? I always keep my cars a long time. Usually over 10 years. While the Bakflip seemed fine, I expect I’d replace it at least once during ownership. Whereas the Diamondback I expect to last my entire ownership.

I also liked the security and weatherproofing the Diamondback offers. The Bakflip and other designs like it are easy to get into if you know what you’re doing. Even the dealer I talked to said a knowledgeable thief can get it open in less than 5 seconds. The Bakflip is also more prone to water intrusion. Not necessarily a lot, but more than the Diamondback.

I just ordered my Diamondback this weekend. As such, I don’t have real world experience with it yet. They still had an offer when I ordered that included a bed light and ratchet straps for free. They have a price increase coming in January, so buy now if you like this one.

Good point on the longevity issue. My buddy is on his second Bak Flip. I figure he got tired of the leaking and his Gorilla tape wasn't working. Maybe he should have tried Flex Seal. My Bak Flip did leak from the seams and side eventually. Diamond Back wouldn't work for his use and equipment access.

 

[Finn5033]

FYI, He went from a Bak Flip to a roll and breaks down the pros and cons.
My Bak Flip started to leak in several places and went with a Truxedo Sentry CT (balance between looks, security, driver visibility and useability). I never drove with the Bak Flip against the window considering how the Ram window has a history of leaking. There is also the Revolver roll that appears to have better security. I do not like the location of the lock release levers and prefer the all canvas look on the Truxedo vs the rubber on the edges of the Revolver.
The Bak Flip did appear to get heavier as time went on as explained in the video. I also have a friend who replaced his Bak Flip with another Bak Flip as the old one was leaking badly from various places, no idea how long he owned the cover before replacing it.
There are trade offs on all of them. Love my Diamond Back but it requires more "time and effort" for full bed access when needed but at the same time can put 1600 lbs. on top. Removal is no big deal for me but it does take more time than a "flip" or a "roll".
Security - All covers have their limitations with the availability of portable tools. Honda catalytic converter theft comes to mind with how proficient the thieves have become.

I use a Diamond Back in the winter (great with snow removal) and plan on switching to the Truxedo (NOT good with frozen / wet) when the weather becomes more mild and that will be my MO going forward.

Thanks for this, I’m leaning hard toward that Sentry Model now

 

[Realtruck]

Thanks for this, I’m leaning hard toward that Sentry Model now

Congrats on your new Ram! The RealTruck TruXedo Sentry CT Hard Roll-Up Tonneau Cover is especially popular for its canvas overlay. I agree that it's a clean look with its low profile and matte black fabric, gives a bit of a high-end appearance and that alone makes this a personal favorite of mine. Not only that, but you've got the best of both worlds (a soft cover and a hard cover) with the Sentry CT. With your tailgate closed and locked, there's no access to the tonneau cover to get into the truck bed. Necessary security and a sleek look! PM me or email me if you'd like to get more details on fitment and pricing.

 

[Oldphart]

I've had Bakflip's on my last2 trucks. On either one, the only time I get any water in the bed is going thru a car wash, and then it's barely anything. We get rain by the bucket full here in S/E Texas but the bed stays dry.