Tonneau cover suggestions

[Darkrt]

Snug Top.

 

[Mitchrob85]

I have a hard tri fold Lomax that I got for less than $650. I am liking it thus far.

 

[Mitchrob85]

I bought my Lomax Hard Tri-Fold cover from truckalterations.com for $675 shipped. I get almost zero water into the bed even when pressure washing the truck or going through a touchless car wash.

I got the same one from Luke. Only water that comes in is right next to the tailgate but it's minimal and could be fixed with weather stripping.

 

[Rlandon]

Undercover Flex on mine. Only had it a few weeks (truck too) but so far so good. Works great with the remote tailgate feature for the seal. SUPER easy to install. Got mine from Tonneau Covers World as a price match from Discount Bandit with a super cheap price, TCW went cheaper by a few bucks ($768).

 

[Gipraw]

I have a Roll-n-Lock E series on mine. Love it.

 

[Redfour5]

Truxedo Truxport at $299 on a shortbed Rambox. It is not perfect, but actually pretty nice particularly from a value standpoint. From 15 feet you can't tell from expensive. It is a decent relatively high quality materials similar to my six year old one on my last truck and part genius and part retard design/engineering, but once you figure it out and have done one, you could do a second one in about 20 minutes. You will need a second pair of hands for about a minute to slide it on the tracks onto the back of the truck. DO NOT fully tighten until you have it just right, and it will slide for easy adjustment until you tighten it. Even if you don't have it in the right place, it takes about 45 seconds to undo the fasteners and re-adjust. Don't worry about the end plastic pieces being tight against the truck as the top fitting the bed is most important. Once yo tighten it, it will stay and you really only NEED one set of fasteners due to the track design that sure isn't going to let it fly off as the tracks on the bed management system it mates to are five feet seven on both sides front to back.

I'm more into functional than anything else. This does that with very very little water intrusion once you know where to put the rubber tape pieces.

The Instructions are from H E double LL, but if you have any mechanical aptitude it is pretty obvious what to do while cliff noting the instructions, that are basically made for a regular bed without a Rambox as are some of the pieces in the kit you will get, so don't sweat extra stuff in the bag. In fact, I'm thinking the RAMBOX installation is likely easier than a regular bed and better from a stability standpoint.

But it actually looks pretty decent. On the Rambox, they use the upper channel on the aluminum utility bed management system and have a T like piece of aluminum as the core structural element on the sides that slides onto the bed management system track from the back to the front. You will need a second pair of hands only to get the initial pieces to slide into the channel, that's it for help.

It isn't coming off from the top. I had to buy some extra waterproof rubber tape for the front seal behind the cab as their singular piece was a good 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the box edge. But I found this tape (not cheap) that expands from a quarter inch to as much as an inch after you put it on and the front is completely sealed. The back has some good solid seals on the corner where there is a gap between the bed and the tailgate. I have the "multi-function" tailgate . Basically put it on, open the tailgate, look in and look for light in corners after on and put some watertight tape stuff there. The tapes tape to each other (double thickness) if clean also or you can get similar tape at a hardware store in the window insulation area. I do like that expensive expanding version I got, but it is not cheap.

And the top is relatively decent looking at the corners from the top (outside) and like I said, if you are standing 15 feet away, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between it and a 600 to 1000 buck top. I see some people in places complaining about a little crease in their soft top that is driving them crazy and they are going to take it back or the installers couldn't get it just right. IF you are this kind of person, do NOT buy this. It is a functional piece of after market equipment at a very good comparative price.

I didn't really want the Rambox or the tailgate but the rest of the truck checked my boxes and I was OK on the tow ratings both payload and max. But, I gotta tell you both the Rambox and the tailgate are growing on me fast... The boxes are huge. And I'm looking forward to my first tow and NOT having to carefully lower the tailgate, holding it, so it doesn't bang on the trailer Jack and get scratched (Thank you dear wife). Now, I just open the tailgate like a door...big side or small side as needed. It's kind of nice AND I can almost reach all the way to the back of the bed. They say it adds like 70 lbs to the truck over a regular tail gate, but compared to the steel tail gate on my 2015, the all aluminum gate now with the auto dampening is substantially lighter than the 2015 tail gate, multi-function or not, let me assure you... The tonneau fit just fine over the tail gate.

 

[monkeypunch]

Try Luke at https://www.truckalterations.com/
He has very good pricing and knowledge. I have a Diamond Back (direct sales) cover but he was very informative when shopping.

How do you like you Diamondback? I'm thinking about the HD with a 8" front bin. I'm worried it will be a giant pain to expose the bed, if I need to move something that is large. How bad is it to remove the panels temporarily? I would probably get the Frontrunner tracks and bars also, so I can mount our Thule for increased cargo space/snow skis.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Truxedo Truxport at $299 on a shortbed Rambox. It is not perfect, but actually pretty nice particularly from a value standpoint. From 15 feet you can't tell from expensive. It is a decent relatively high quality materials similar to my six year old one on my last truck and part genius and part retard design/engineering, but once you figure it out and have done one, you could do a second one in about 20 minutes. You will need a second pair of hands for about a minute to slide it on the tracks onto the back of the truck. DO NOT fully tighten until you have it just right, and it will slide for easy adjustment until you tighten it. Even if you don't have it in the right place, it takes about 45 seconds to undo the fasteners and re-adjust. Don't worry about the end plastic pieces being tight against the truck as the top fitting the bed is most important. Once yo tighten it, it will stay and you really only NEED one set of fasteners due to the track design that sure isn't going to let it fly off as the tracks on the bed management system it mates to are five feet seven on both sides front to back.

I'm more into functional than anything else. This does that with very very little water intrusion once you know where to put the rubber tape pieces.

The Instructions are from H E double LL, but if you have any mechanical aptitude it is pretty obvious what to do while cliff noting the instructions, that are basically made for a regular bed without a Rambox as are some of the pieces in the kit you will get, so don't sweat extra stuff in the bag. In fact, I'm thinking the RAMBOX installation is likely easier than a regular bed and better from a stability standpoint.

But it actually looks pretty decent. On the Rambox, they use the upper channel on the aluminum utility bed management system and have a T like piece of aluminum as the core structural element on the sides that slides onto the bed management system track from the back to the front. You will need a second pair of hands only to get the initial pieces to slide into the channel, that's it for help.

It isn't coming off from the top. I had to buy some extra waterproof rubber tape for the front seal behind the cab as their singular piece was a good 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the box edge. But I found this tape (not cheap) that expands from a quarter inch to as much as an inch after you put it on and the front is completely sealed. The back has some good solid seals on the corner where there is a gap between the bed and the tailgate. I have the "multi-function" tailgate . Basically put it on, open the tailgate, look in and look for light in corners after on and put some watertight tape stuff there. The tapes tape to each other (double thickness) if clean also or you can get similar tape at a hardware store in the window insulation area. I do like that expensive expanding version I got, but it is not cheap.

And the top is relatively decent looking at the corners from the top (outside) and like I said, if you are standing 15 feet away, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between it and a 600 to 1000 buck top. I see some people in places complaining about a little crease in their soft top that is driving them crazy and they are going to take it back or the installers couldn't get it just right. IF you are this kind of person, do NOT buy this. It is a functional piece of after market equipment at a very good comparative price.

I didn't really want the Rambox or the tailgate but the rest of the truck checked my boxes and I was OK on the tow ratings both payload and max. But, I gotta tell you both the Rambox and the tailgate are growing on me fast... The boxes are huge. And I'm looking forward to my first tow and NOT having to carefully lower the tailgate, holding it, so it doesn't bang on the trailer Jack and get scratched (Thank you dear wife). Now, I just open the tailgate like a door...big side or small side as needed. It's kind of nice AND I can almost reach all the way to the back of the bed. They say it adds like 70 lbs to the truck over a regular tail gate, but compared to the steel tail gate on my 2015, the all aluminum gate now with the auto dampening is substantially lighter than the 2015 tail gate, multi-function or not, let me assure you... The tonneau fit just fine over the tail gate.

I'd considered the Truxport, as the one on my 2012 was an Extang soft tonneau. The Truxport appealed to me because it didn't have the center arch bars like the Extang did, but seeing the softcover buffeting up & down a few inches in the rear view mirror while at speed always had me wondering how long it would last under those conditions (I had an early CoverCraft frameless soft tonneau on my '85 Nissan back in the '90s that velcro'd to the sidewalls, and when the velcro got tired, it would come loose and flap around until I stopped and fixed it). My 2012's Extang was also coming due for a cover replacement, as the West Texas sun tends to beat everything to death, with the threads on the corners starting to let go after about 6.5 years of use.

Good luck with the Truxport - it's a good-lookin' cover, and for the price you can't beat it.

 

[Jako]

How do you like you Diamondback? I'm thinking about the HD with a 8" front bin. I'm worried it will be a giant pain to expose the bed, if I need to move something that is large. How bad is it to remove the panels temporarily? I would probably get the Frontrunner tracks and bars also, so I can mount our Thule for increased cargo space/snow skis.

The front and back covers on the DiamondBack are raised to 90 degrees, along with disconnecting the extension pistons and removed - easy to do. Than you have 4 bolts to remove the center piece. I keep the appropriate sized wrench in the truck. I debated for 2 years over what cover. Finally I'm too old to remove my tools from the bed of the truck at the end of the day. It's a great product and company. If you want to save some $$$ look for the seconds, often just minor blemishes.
Also what did it for me was the new style without the diamond pattern. I keep my vehicles (still have my 2001 Dodge SLT) and believe the cover will out last the truck, in which case it would make a nice cover for some outdoor storage after making the appropriate sized container.

 

[Shots]

I am looking for a tonneau cover for my 2021 ram rebel. I am looking for a hard cover one. The dealer quoted me around $1,080 CAD or so plus tax and instal. Just wondering what everyone has gone with and if there are any better options (cheaper, better quality).

For starters don't pay for install. Tonneau covers are straight forward and certainly not worth paying dealership rates to put it on for you.
Other than that, there are a ton of options so it does kinda depend on your needs/use.

I don't have my truck yet (waiting to be shipped) but I plan on putting a Bakflip MX4 on mine. I am also putting a bedrug in it. I had a bedrud in my 2008 RAM and loved it.

I have a Bedrug on my truck now and have had them on my last 3 Rams. I highly recommend them. I'll take it over the spray in liner any day (and yes, I've had those too).
I was going to order the Bakflip MX4 but saw the Gator FX3 for $200 less. They look nearly identical, with the only difference being that the Gator wasn't immediately available. It should be here in a week or two.

Bakflip MX4 on mine. Pretty good cover. Lots of good ones out there. Look for a deal. I don't like the roll up ones though on a 5'7 box...takes up too much space.

I've had a roll up cover (metal canister style, I assume is what you're talking about). It was great in the summer, but essentially useless in the winter. Snow/ice prevented it from retracting into the box. I immediately sold it. If you live in a snowy area I don't recommend them.

 

[monkeypunch]

The front and back covers on the DiamondBack are raised to 90 degrees, along with disconnecting the extension pistons and removed - easy to do. Than you have 4 bolts to remove the center piece. I keep the appropriate sized wrench in the truck. I debated for 2 years over what cover. Finally I'm too old to remove my tools from the bed of the truck at the end of the day. It's a great product and company. If you want to save some $$$ look for the seconds, often just minor blemishes.
Also what did it for me was the new style without the diamond pattern. I keep my vehicles (still have my 2001 Dodge SLT) and believe the cover will out last the truck, in which case it would make a nice cover for some outdoor storage after making the appropriate sized container.

I like the smooth finish as well. Any water get in yours?

 

[penguinphan]

I have a 2020 Limited with a short bed. I went with the RetraxPro XR. I had a RetraxPro on both of my previous trucks for the last 4 years and never had a problem with them. Downside is that I lose about 8 inches of bed space with the canister, but it doesn't sit on the floor of the bed so I can still push flat stuff to the edge.
I completely agree with the previous comment about installation. Installation is pretty easy for these. The only reason I didn't do it myself was that I was able to get them to throw the install in for free. We don't get much snow here in Phoenix, so winter conditions aren't much of a concern for me.

 

[captainzombie]

I received the MX4 this past weekend from Real Truck and installed it yesterday. I had bought the same cover 2+ years ago for my Silverado, and they really did improve this cover a lot. Quality wise all of the mounts to the cover itself, they seem to have used higher quality materials. The one on my Silverado, was quite ****ty and I had gone through 2 before I had one that was in semi-good condition. I hope this helps those on the fence.

 

[nc_beagle]

I received the MX4 this past weekend from Real Truck and installed it yesterday. I had bought the same cover 2+ years ago for my Silverado, and they really did improve this cover a lot. Quality wise all of the mounts to the cover itself, they seem to have used higher quality materials. The one on my Silverado, was quite ****ty and I had gone through 2 before I had one that was in semi-good condition. I hope this helps those on the fence.

Glad to hear this since I ordered one a few days ago! A little reassurance about my decision.

 

[captainzombie]

Glad to hear this since I ordered one a few days ago! A little reassurance about my decision.

Report back when you get yours. Hoping you also have good luck. These darn covers can be hit or miss since at times the machines in the factories do not cut the panels correctly and then add the crappy job on the rubber seals that was used before.

 

[Bluesuitmatt]

Bakflip MX4 here also, love it.


DO NOT order from tonneaucovered.com, worst experience ever buying something online.

They have, just 2 days ago, given me a quote for an extang encore. They seem to be the cheapest, but the shipping time frame is a bit of concern.

What happened?

 

[Jako]

I like the smooth finish as well. Any water get in yours?

I have an old seal (from another cover) on the cab side of the bed that has lifted near the corners so I get some water there, not the DiamondBack's fault. I added additional sealant on the tailgate but need to add more (thicker). It's on my list of things to do, unfortunately my list is getting longer that takes priority over the Ram. Sons are getting older so they can take care of themselves unfortunately in laws are also getting older (93 and 91) and need help living by themselves in there home of 65+ years. Father in law was a true DIY with everything but time has taken it's toll. Treat them as if they were my mom and dad and refer to them as such.

 

[Shots]

I was going to order the Bakflip MX4 but saw the Gator FX3 for $200 less. They look nearly identical, with the only difference being that the Gator wasn't immediately available. It should be here in a week or two.

Just an update on this.
I got an email on my order status yesterday (still about 2 weeks out), and the manufacturer of my pending Gator cover is Bak Industries. Yes, one in the same. So it's the same cover with a different label for a cheaper price. I guess this would be like Chevrolet/GM, or Ford/Mercury. Made by the same people with the a different logo for a lower price.

I was going to order the Bakflip MX4 because it would ship the same day, but I decided to be patient and save $200 for 2 weeks delivery. After all, I wouldn't have selected expedited shipping for $200 if I was ordering the cover with various shipping options.

 

[Redfour5]

I have an old seal (from another cover) on the cab side of the bed that has lifted near the corners so I get some water there, not the DiamondBack's fault. I added additional sealant on the tailgate but need to add more (thicker). It's on my list of things to do, unfortunately my list is getting longer that takes priority over the Ram. Sons are getting older so they can take care of themselves unfortunately in laws are also getting older (93 and 91) and need help living by themselves in there home of 65+ years. Father in law was a true DIY with everything but time has taken it's toll. Treat them as if they were my mom and dad and refer to them as such.

FYI, I found this tape weather stripping (not cheap/very expensive) that expands from one quarter inch to an inch after installation. It works great and can go over existing pre-installed tape. I just got it at Ace Hardware. It completely sealed the front of my install where they put a 1/4 inche weather stripping on that left between a 1/4 and half inch gap on my Truxedo cap. I also put some small pieces in those spots where I could see sunlight. NO water intrusion at all...

 

[securityguy]

Retrax or Peragon…both awesome covers and worth the money!