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So, wanting to have a bed cover/tonneau cover for the bed on my truck.
I still have the one from my 2012, been sitting in the garage for nearly 7 years.
But, Tonno Pro lists a different part number for the 2017 and later trucks, have no idea what the physical difference is, both beds are shown as the same length, 8'2".
So, decided to just try the old cover on my new truck, and it seems to fit okay, if anything it might be a touch long, but it works.
Now, great thing about that is, I already have the cover, not going to cost me anything out of pocket.
The booger is that it covers up my aux tank, no access to the fuel filler or shutoff valve.
Of course, even if I bought a new cover, I would have the same issue accessing the aux tank.
Have to figure out a way to put a access door or flap of some kind in the cover.
It is hard to beat free. That’s for sure. But I prefer the security of a hard folding tonneau cover.
FWIW:
There are several hard trifold tonneau covers that will fold up vertically which should give you all the access you need for the Aux tank. The ones that come to mind are Fords trifold, The Gator, The Lomax ,The BakFlip.
I’m sure that there are others but that’s what comes to mind.
Take a look at the Truxedo Deuce. It will flip forward to access a tool box but still rolls up nicely and doesn't take up a bunch of space like the hard fold covers do.
I wonder if you can hinge that front panel on the tonneau with a stainless piano hinge so you can lift it enough to get to the valve?
Bob
The main thing is to get to the fuel filler neck.
What I'm considering is mounting an access door, like one from the side of a travel trailer, supporting it with some aluminum stock attached to the frame of the bed cover..
I wonder if a marine canvas shop could install some type of access? Probably cost more than the cover did new though. And I'm not knocking TonnoPro. I had one and liked it. I currently have a Gator, which I'm pretty sure is made by the same outfit as TonnoPro. If not, they're very similar and in the same price range.
If the main concern or reason for access is the filler neck, I'm assuming it's a vertical neck, could you extend the fill pipe above the tonneau and just use a grommet where it pokes through the cover? If I recall correctly, you have the trickle-fill system that just uses gravity to fill your truck's tank so you wouldn't need a lot of access for a pump and nozzle, right?
RV access door showed up a little while ago, and it is going to work just like I had in mind.
The door edge nearest the back window will attach to the frame of the bed cover, and along each side I will be installing pieces of .125" thick aluminum stock to support it between the cover frame crossmembers.
Worked out pretty much like I pictured it would, just a little bit of wrinkling of the vinyl when I screwed it down tight to the frame.
Oh well, the important thing is it worked, and demonstrates that I can do it again if I decide to go to a hard folding cover later on.
Of course, now I have one more key to deal with, key ring is getting full!
Last pics, first showing the aluminum supports between the frame members that the access door is screwed to.
And, the finished pics.
Worked out pretty much like I pictured it would, just a little bit of wrinkling of the vinyl when I screwed it down tight to the frame.
Oh well, the important thing is it worked, and demonstrates that I can do it again if I decide to go to a hard folding cover later on.
Of course, now I have one more key to deal with, key ring is getting full!
Last pics, first showing the aluminum supports between the frame members that the access door is screwed to.
And, the finished pics.
Won't that RV access door interfere with the rolling up of the cover to tow your fifth wheel?
Won't that RV access door interfere with the rolling up of the cover to tow your fifth wheel?
Joe
Cover doesn't roll up, it is a tri-fold, fold the back two sections over onto the front one to tow a 5th wheel, no interference from the access door, just have to fold the rear sections back over to add fuel, no issue at all.
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