Gentlemen,

I'm considering purchasing a tonneau cover for my Crew Cab short bed.
What have been your experiences and what are your recommendations (brands etc.) Thank you, Magnum1029...

 

Hey There,

I bought an Extang tonneau cover......not sure if I would again.......I live in Ontario and therefor the studs are exposed to salt in the winter. I suppose with some routine maintenance of the studs/snaps they would be OK but I found them very hard to fasten/release in the winter. In fact I try very hard to avoid removing it in the winter for that reason. The cover contracts so much in the cold and it is damn near imposible to stretch it out in the cold to re install it if you have taken it off. I ended up damaging the cover this winter because I popped off a few studs to let some cargo stick through then when I went to re attach them once I was unloaded I could not stretch the cover enough to fit. I decided to take the cover off and roll it up and wait for a warmer day but I ran into a couple of snaps that were very stiff and then I ended up ripping one out of the cover. Not wanting to further damage the cover I decided to just leave it as it was and tie down the loose part of the cover to prevent it from flapping. Well I guess I didn't do a very good job because by the time I got home the end of the cover had cracked because it was cold and stiff and had been flapping in the wind.
Final thought,.....If it's for looks and you don't work your truck, go for it. If you are likely to be installing and removing all the time........well I'm just too lazy for that.

 

I bought the "Trac Top Cover" by pace edwards. It is a rolling "hard tonneau cover". It rolls up into a box at the front of the bed. It is a very nice looking cover, and very functional. It locks every 12 inches, and even comes with a light under the cover to light the bed area when the cover is closed. I would definitely recommend it.

It is a little expensive. I paid $700 to my dealer when I ordered my truck. That is only $25 over their cost. Most places want around $800 for it. So far it has been well worth it.

 

I have a Daws Better Built diamond plate tonneau that mounts to my tool box. I wanted a toolbox, to keep my stuff organized AND a tonneau. ******** also makes the X-2000 that will mount to a tool box as well. i thought the diamond plate would hold up better in snow country. I LOVE my tonneau! I can highly recommend it.

 

I bought a penda nascar trucks tonneau cover and I love it. It looks good, follows the contour of the bed, and is very sturdy.
Chuck

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 12-May-02 AT 02:27 PM (EST)]I bought the Access tonneau for my shortbed. I love it. It is a soft tonneau cover that locks at the back, and has velcro on the sides. It mounts on a rail that clamps inside the bedrails, nothing attaches to the outside of your bed. You can adjust the tension so that when you lock the back down, you can't get your arm in on the sides. You can roll it and the attached support rods up from one side without it sagging in the middle and you don't have any bars to remove before putting something tall in. You can also add a set of bars ontop of the rails which will add security (I got the rally/lightbar combo through the Ford Accessories catalog.) I removed the hidden release button on mine, so that you have to drop the tailgate in order to release the cover. With the tailgate locked, there is almost no way to get inside. The cover has a ripstop material, so that it cannot be easily cut with a knife. My cover cost about $400, but, I felt it was well worth the extra money.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/displaythumbnail.php?&photoid=4318&.jpg
F-250 SD XLT CC 4x4 Shortbed; MAAP nerf bars, Rally/Lightbar combo, PIAA 1300 driving lights, Lund bugshield, Lund SunVisor, tinted windows, K&N airfilter, Access tonneau cover, Rhino Liner, remote starter/security system, custom built console, Cobra 29 ST/WX CB with a Wilson 1000 magnet mount antenna, Realistic 500 channel police scanner, Kenwood 10 disk CD changer, Compaq laptop, SVP 100 Watt siren, and 24 Strobe lights.

Upgrades for the near future include: Warn Rio Grande pushbar with a 12,000# winch, 4" lift kit, fender flares, and 35" BF Goodrich T/A KO tires.

 

I've had 2 Extang covers. Both were snapless. I believe they are called Tuff Tonno III. I never had any problems with any of them. They do get tight in cold weather. The trick is a couple buckets of hot water and quickly snap it on. www.extang.com

 

I've owned Pace Edwards... but the best I've seen is the ReTrax, mine's on order, should be here this week.

http://www.rolltopcover.com/home.html

Robert

 

I've had 2 fiberglass covers. A.R.E. and Jason. Both are excellent quality.
dbugem

 

I installed the ROLL-N-LOCK cover. It is a roll up cover. It has worked well for me so far. Keeps everything dry. When I received the cover, the top to the canister was damaged, it had a small bend in it. I called and they sent me a new one in 3 days no questions asked.
I did much research on what I wanted, and it came down to a Pace or the Roll-N-Lock. I chose the Roll-N-Lock based on seeing both. Nothing wrong with the PE but I just liked the RNL better.
I ordered from this place because it was in the mid-west. http://www.web4jnj.com/
Hope you find what works for you.

 

I looked at that one too... the final deciding factor for me was the vinyl cover. After my experience with the PE I specifically wanted aluminum, no vinyl.

The vinyl held up OK, but the dealer accidentally cut it during install and it had to be replaced. I could see accidents happening during use too easily. Also, after a year it looked dull even though I kept treatment on it, this told me it was aging. It was not the dull I was worried about, it was the possible tearing and/or cracking that comes from prolonged sun exposure and/or acid rain etc...

Robert

 

 

Check out sportmasters.com, I have one of their hinged soft covers and it fits my 2002 SD Crew Cab short bed very nicely. The rails conform to the bed rails and seals well. It can be removed in less than 2 minutes to haul large stuff, or removed compeltely in 3 minutes. The vinyl is top notch, snaps on but is very water resistant. I purchased mine on ebay, cost me $150.00 plus shipping. The MSRP is over $300.



God and Soldiers All Men Adore
In Time of Trouble and No More
When War is Over and Wrongs Righted
God is Forgotten and The Soldier Slighted

 

>Check out sportmasters.com, I have one of their hinged soft
>covers and it fits my 2002 SD Crew Cab short bed very
>nicely. The rails conform to the bed rails and seals well.
>It can be removed in less than 2 minutes to haul large
>stuff, or removed compeltely in 3 minutes. The vinyl is top
>notch, snaps on but is very water resistant. I purchased
>mine on ebay, cost me $150.00 plus shipping. The MSRP is
>over $300.
>
>
>
>God and Soldiers All Men Adore
>In Time of Trouble and No More
>When War is Over and Wrongs Righted
>God is Forgotten and The Soldier Slighted

Ufda

Checked out the cover you purchased and I have a couple of questions.
Does the cover lift up or vibrate when traveling at highway speeds (70-80 mph) and exactly whats holding it down?