Fellow Forum Members, Hello;

I am considering the purchase of the RetraxPRO Aluminum Series MX powered retractable bed cover for my new SD F-250 4WD w/6-3/4 bed and would appreciate some input and feedback from fellow owners who have experience with the particular cover or other Retrax model;

1. Which model did you purchase and install and what truck do you own?
2. Which finish did you go with (Gloss or Matte)?
3. How long have you had the Retrax on your truck?, (i.e. in terms of your experience with owing/using the Retrax)
4. How well have you been pleased with its design, quality, workmanship, appearance, and operation?
5. Have you had any problems with it, i.e. defects in the finish, powder-coating, rail system, latches, opening/closing, as well as water-tightness or electrical motor/wiring problem
6. If you have the manual latch model Retrax Pro, is it hard to reach the manual latch at the rear left corner of the bed? (My truck is not lifted but is a SD F-250 4WHD and such the top of the bed is quite high from the ground)
7. If you were to buy another retractable bed cover, would you choose the same one or a different brand/type?
8. PROs/CONs as you see them?

Not my truck below, just an photo of the Retrax.





All input & feedback will be appreciated.

 

After having the retrax pro gloss, I would not buy the power option because of ice and time to open. Sometime you have to give it a beating around the rails to break it free of ice to open. Once it's free it takes nothing to open the whole 8ft bed. Release the lock and give it a shove and it completely retrax (retracts) in a hurry. I couldn't imagine having a dumb keyfob and sitting there waiting for a slow motor. If you want that weird slow cool factor because it's motorized feeling then go for it. It's like having a motorized motor hatch cover on a boat. Useless. When I want to get at something I want it now. I only bought the gloss one because it was half price on Amazon 's warehouse deals. I'd take the flat if I were to pay full retail which I don't think any cover is worth what they are asking for. BTW I have one new in box for a long bed available. I'm in upstate NY. PM me for details.

 

I have the matte pro. I considered the power, but it was too slow for me. In hind sight, I'm very glad I got the manual one. It takes very little time and effort to open and close mine.

 

Ok, so the slow movement of the powered feature is something to consider - I get that. Thanks. How about overall quality and how's it holding up (mechanically and cosmetically); Also what truck do you have, i.e. F-250 and is it hard to reach the manual handle due to the height of the bed?

 

Had the Retrax on past 2 450s--9 & 10--same cover, worked well. Some of the screws will work loose if you don't check them. The clamps, same deal. Got a Pro for my '17--18 months, would buy again. None of them motorized. They are not water proof, some water will get in around the tailgate and along the rails, I just make sure nothing is in there that water will ruin. Have a custom KSH fuel tank that fits under the canister for most of its volume--this got rid of the dead space on the older trucks. Also, keep my B&W in all the time and cover easily clears it. Previous cover was gloss, new one is matte, like it much better.

 

2 months ago I installed the Retrax Pro MX (non powered) on my truck. It is the first roll cover I've owed. It came highly recommended from a trusted local aftermarket supplier.

So far it has worked out great. It is easy to open, looks good and seems durable. The only negative I can say, and it isn't a big negative, is that it is not water tight. In fairness, they don't claim that it is 100% water tight, just that they do a "great" job keeping out the water.

Good luck!

 

It's on my F450. My guess is 5'9" or taller would have no issue with the height of the handle. Even less of an issue if you don't have to reach across the dually fender.

It has held up well. One negative to consider... the Retrax has a larger can than others to allow for the ball bearings. I think the 6 75' has the same size can as the 8', which is unfortunate. If you have the short bed, the downside of that is magnified. When fully open, two of the planks are still out. This makes the can appear to be as narrow is the cover in the pictures; it is not

The cover is very strong and can handle me walking on it. I really like how easy it is to lock partly closed. I cover my firewood up front when pulling my 5th wheel. It still looks and performs great after 1.75 years and 22k miles. (My truck is garage kept.)

 

Looks as if the consensus thus far is the manual opening version (not the powered).

 

 

I'm on my second RetraxPro. In total, 7 years of using a RetraxPro. Very high quality unit, fits well, easy to use, reliable, seals well, works well in ice/snow climate.

2017 F250 4x4. I'm 5'10" and can reach the handle just fine. I've had other brands of canister retractables and this one is by far the best.

Only Con: they are not cheap. But, they are worth every penny.

 

2017 F350 4x4 stock height on 20" rims. Have the matte Retrax Pro Mx. About 12 months old now, non-power version. Works great and super easy to use / reach the latch to slide it. It's rare that I find any water inside the bed, but it can get in during long drives in a storm. Maybe just a few tablespoons at the most. It's surprising how dry it is really. Only issue so far is that the bolts provided for the U-channel clamps can loosen over time (had one fall off in the bed}. Ran red threadlocker on all 4 clamp bolts after that, and zero issues. Also lubed the rail slides with high temperature synthetic grease when it was first installed. Love it. Would buy the same one again if needed. Florida sun is brutal on glossy things, so I chose matte. Matches the OEM plastic bed side caps better anyway. Hth

 

Again, thanks for all the feedback Gentlemen.

 

 

Out of all the covers that we carry (all major manufacturers), Retrax has the best covers as far as build quality and reliability. We have only had a handful of issues over the years and most were due to missing parts from the factory and were quickly corrected.

Our most popular cover is the RetraxPRO MX, manual powered/matte finish. As others have mentioned, the powered covers are a nice-to-have feature, but they are a bit slow to open.

Also, the major differences between the RetraxONE series covers and RetraxPRO series cover: ONE covers are polycarbonate, feature a single latch lock, and have a 3-year warranty while PRO covers are powder coated aluminum, feature a dual latch lock, and have a lifetime warranty.

The only other thing I'd mention is that if you need added storage space, Retrax now offers the XR series covers. They're similar to the MX covers in that they have a matte finish, but they also feature rails that go along the top side of the bed rails that allow you to install over-the-bed cross bars. You can then mount a variety of accessories to these racks include baskets, cargo containers, bike racks, and more.

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to go over the options with you in further detail. Please let me know if I can help.

 

Conclusion Reached; I purchased the Retrax® PowerTraxPro MX.

Thank you to all whom contributed to this post/threads.