They are $$$ but they last forever. I bought one in 2011 for my 2011, and was able to use it on my 2016 as well, so have had it for 13 years. Its not a good cover if you tow 5th wheel, as you have to remove the cover to tow. Its going with the truck now on trade, as my new truck is a LB and wouldnt fit even if i had ordered a SB.

 

I'm on my 2nd Diamondback. The first one is still on the 2015 F-150 my Dad now has. Put one on my F-250. There's not much to break or wear out on a Diamondback. I've used the "haul on top" more times than I can count. Recently, when going camping and carrying a good amount of dirty firewood I didn't want inside my bed, I tied down the tote on top. It's a worthwhile investment for us.

 

Thru the years I've gone from toolbox, Gem Top canopy, toolbox to a Diamondback 270.
It all depends on what you need. I do not tow a fifth wheel.
I've been very happy with Diamondback since installed on my 2019 when new.

 

Just replaced the OE (BAK) cover on my 2021 F250. Rubber hinges failed at 2 years. Very unsatisfied. Did research and bought a Diamondback Switchback. As others mentioned they are $$$. Pay the money and move on. Only regret getting the Real Truck BAK OE to begin with. Been on the truck a week and so far so good. Time will tell.

 

how easy is it to push those inital panels to open the cover? I'm looking at Peragon and i've watched some vids. I'm a lil worried that my short (5'10") stature, bad shoulder, is gonna be a show stopper.

any insight?

TIA

Zee

 

For anyone interested in a rolling cover, I can't say enough good things about the RetraxPro. I believe it's the OEM option, but you can probably find it for a bit less (still $2000) if you look enough. There is some minimal water intrusion, but you could probably gasket it up more if you want to mitigate that (I really don't care, it's pretty minor). It's easy to install yourself, easy to maintain, and you can actually lock it anywhere along the track. It also locks at the tail quite securely. This was important for me, as I 5th wheel tow often and being able to keep it locked just in front of the hitch while towing is a huge advantage.

Prior to this I had a Roll'nLock with the vinyl covered metal slats, and while it also had minimal water intrusion, it was a far inferior product. The vinyl requires monthly+ maintenance, and despite that began to show serious wear after about 6 months (nothing critical, just unsightly). But the biggest problem was that while it was supposed to lock at 5 different points along the track, it would come undone from them and fully retract after a bit of driving. After about a year this started to happen even from the fully closed position, which was no bueno. I called them about it and they were like, "sucks to suck, not our problem". You also need to close it with a pull strap, which is somewhat obnoxious. Retrax has a far better solution here.

Just my 2 cents on the topic.

 

Pace Edwards Bedlocker is my vote. Some people complain about losing bed space with the canister up front but you're really only losing 4-5 inches more than with the BAKflip folded up against the cab, which is what I had prior to the Pace Edwards. And now I don't have to jump up in the bed to fold it up and it doesn't block my rear window. I also got the optional switch and mounted it inside my bed near the driver side taillight so now I don't have to use the remote if I don't want to.

 

I'm happy with the American work cover Jr I have.
Might as well have a small toolbox for straps and such on top of the cannister..

 

I personally wouldn’t recommend the Bakflips… I’ve had 2 on my 22 so far… they both leaked at the seams, the tailgate, the bulkhead… sure, not tons but it’s a far cry from dry! Plus the panels shift and at times won’t close right. And yes, they are the correct size, they have been installed correctly (although the second one had mismatched holes for the screws at the bulkhead…) Overall, just not a great cover. I do like the flush fit, but that’s it. I would not spend my money in another one from Bak.

Other than that, I just look at the others…

The Retrax Pro seems to be pretty well regarded and if I were to get a roll up that would be the one I would try.

The Peragon looks great, but the method to open it makes no sense. And while none of these are cheap, this one certainly isn’t… this one just doesn’t seem like a good idea…

The Diamondbacks look amazing, but the way it butterfly’s to open makes me wonder if it would be a pain in the butt for items in the middle of the bed… especially if the bed was full (which in my case would be when camping or traveling). And they are quite expensive! But, if I was going to cough up the $$ for another one, I think this is the one I’d try. It looks good, seems to be the most water resistant of the folding covers (reportedly anyway), has struts for helping it open and has a high weight rating for strapping things to the top. Also, I bet that DiamondbackHD in rugged black would look great on my truck!

Just my $0.02.

 

I just bought the new weather tech tri fold hard cover... its awesome

 

Not much hope for a folding cover that keeps things completely dry. Reasonably dry, but not completely.
I bought a BAK Flip. I wasn't happy with it at first because I felt that it let too much water in above the tailgate. I chalked it up to bad luck and was venting about it on FB and a guy asked me what the problem was. He happened to be a regional CS Rep for BAK and he had the same truck and cover as mine. Long story, short...I got a completely new replacement cover and all is well. My reason for this lengthy post is to let you know that BAK will give good service after the sale so i think it's well-worth your investment.

Good luck in your search.

 

Security is not the Diamondback's strong point, unless you're trying to only stop the 'honest' thieves. They're secure, unless you happen to have a standard 510 key on hand. It's very much a false sense of security. Don't get me wrong, I had one for a while and absolutely loved it, but I never liked the locking setup. I even wrote to Diamondback about it, they really need to custom key their locks, or at least offer it as an option. Otherwise, it's a great bed cover and their customer service is top notch. I'd recommend them, just understand the limitations.

 

My rear panel delaminated and the dealer is replacing it as the Ford warranty on Ford branded accessories is 2 years. Mine also isn’t water tight either. I had n Extang Trifold on my last truck which was water tight and held up great.

Bob

 

Do NOT buy Gator covers. I bought their top of the line with the lifetime frame warranty and the 10 year warranty on the cover material. After 2 years the cover began to show defects such as blister spots. When I contacted Gator they told me that model was discontinued and that "I was on my own". My truck is 2017 F250 Crew Lariat gas. Good luck.

 

I have a paragon bed cover.

Paragon

Love how they hide away into the bed of the truck. Also have the lock so no one can open it.