Tonneau cover?

I am very close to buying a tonneau cover, but before I do I better check in with the experts. I am leaning towards the Extang Tri-Fold, which is a hard cover that folds back to allow access to the hitch. Thoughts?

Well I cannot speak for the hard type as I have the soft type. I have a Sundance 2900 MK and have had no problems with it on the vehicle. The only problem I have was when hitching up, you cannot see the hitch. So to remedy that I purchased 2 magnetic balls that extend up, you align the balls and all is good. You can get them at HF.

There is one drawback you are limited to storage under the cover when towing.

I think it is a great investment.

Get it.

I just had a Roll-n-Lock installed on mine. Kinda nice because it will stop in any position, so in theory I should be able to pull it right to the hitch with the trailer hooked up and cover the front half of the box. It comes with an optional electric remote. Thought that was the ultimate in lazy so I didn't get that option.

I just went through looking for a toneau cover. I had a special need, so I had to look at all of them. I had a Pace Edwards Jackrabbit retracting cover. But, I added a fuel tank in the bed and now the box for the retractor was in the way. So that one had to go. I also looked at the folding models including the Extang. Turns out that the only one that would suit my needs was the cheapest roll up one from Truxedo. And I can say that it's not to bad. So I guess what I am trying to say is think about any future needs you may have. If the Extang will work for you, I think that would be a good choice. Just my thoughts.

Peace
Dave

I have a trifold hard tonneu cover. Got it from GM when I bought my truck. Have had it for over 6 years now and love it. So much easier to deal with than the old soft tonneu I used to have. No more snaps to fight with in the winter.

Mark

I have the BakFlip which has 4 folds. The last fold covers the rear window so when towing I fold it 3 times and use straps to tie it down.
I found that putting a piece of tape centered on the last fold , inline with the hitch , allows me to hookup by simply looking in the rear view mirror.

When I went looking for a cover for my truck, I was dissuaded by the store owner from getting one of the roll-up type hard covers. Reasoning was that if the box for the cover got banged up, the cover would be inoperative. And they, along with the hard folding types was expensive. I settled on a Laredo soft cover. The side rails have heavy duty velcro down their length that the cover attaches to when you roll it out. I simply lift and tug the cover along the sides to make sure it's tight across the width. Adjustable tensioning keeps it tight, and two sliding locks at the gate to secure it. The aluminum tubes that run across it to support the cover are easily covered with foam insulation tubes to take some of the flap out. Unfortunately, it's either fully closed or fully open, so if I'm pulling the trailer, only "weatherable" items go back there, or they're in covered totes and secured. That has not been a big problem. When rolled up to get the hitch, it does obscure it, so I epoxied a couple of round rare earth magnets in the end of a piece of 3/4" PVC pipe. I set that on the hitch plate and line up with a decal I put on the pin box cover. When the pin box is lined up and reaches the hitch, the pipe gets knocked into the bed, and it's a done deal. The Laredo cover ran about $500, similar to the price of the GMC dealer installed soft cover.

I do miss the sectioned hard covers I had on my Avalanche, though. Too bad GM didn't offer them on all trucks. I could stand on them without a problem.

Retrax Truck Cover

I have the Retrax cover and would not settle for anything else. They are made in the USA. They are a bit more expensive then the other covers. I have had mine for over two years and have not had any problems. Also it is nice looking on the truck. Go to www.rolltopcover.com and see the difference.

I use a simple soft cover made by a local company. $175 and lifetime warranty. Velcro attach on side rails. I've had the fancy hard shell and rollups and they either leaked, froze solid or were inconvenient due to the limited open sizes.

I would definitely recommend the Extang, Tuxedo or Access, which I have, as long as it has the velcro sides (no snaps or clips). The little higher quality of say an Access gets you dual latches and a lifetime material warranty. Mine is on my second 2500HD and are very easy to install

Vinyl trifold here. Works great, priced great. Can't see the hitch but not a problem. Got One of those temporary stick on replacement mirrors, put it on the front cap after marking the spot where it would be the proper angle for viewing the hitch. Placed a piece of shiney aluminum duct tape on the head to give me something to aim for and voilà super easy. I just better not say it is easier without DW's help or I would, well you can fill in the blank
s.

I have the Extang Tri Fold and it is very good however, I can't use it with my 5th wheel. I have the Ford F250 Crew Cab with 6.5 foot bed. The tri fold does not fold back far enough to be able to use my hitch.

Ted

4ever said:

I have the Extang Tri Fold and it is very good however, I can't use it with my 5th wheel. I have the Ford F250 Crew Cab with 6.5 foot bed. The tri fold does not fold back far enough to be able to use my hitch.

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I'm hoping that the Extang Tri-fold will go back far enough on my 8' box...do you think it will?

Pro-Tech

Will a tri-fold cover work with this tool box? Does it interfere with the hitch in a long box Dodge? Or do I need to just look at the roll-ups? Anybody got one that can send pic's?

Gaffer said:

Will a tri-fold cover work with this tool box? Does it interfere with the hitch in a long box Dodge? Or do I need to just look at the roll-ups? Anybody got one that can send pic's?

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Based on the cover I have, a soft roll-up might work, if the box sits under the mounting hardware, but with the cover rolled up, even if it's not secured with its straps, it will restrict opening the lid on the box you have. For the stuff that I want to carry in the bed of my truck, I got one of the large Rubbermaid truck boxes, added some U-bolts on the sides, and use two ratchet straps to keep it tight to the front of the bed. Not as convenient as the one you have, but it holds what I need and sits well under the cover.

Sorry, but I don't have a photo readily available at the moment.

If it means anything, I have been trailering for 16 years and never used any cover over my box, My 2 Aluminum boxes are filled with tools and equipment, and I have extras stuff laying in the truck box and so far never lost anything. Never lock the boxes even when parked in truck stops. I figure if someone will take something they will break and rip to get at it. Now I find out that the locks on our Trailers are all common 756.

I think the Tri Fold would be back far enough from the hitch on your 8 foot box. I would need about another foot for mint to work. I have a truck box and it is below the rails and in about 6 inches on the side so no problem there.

Ted

I've had/have Extang covers. Pretty good.
Currently I use a fiberglass cover for the off season and a roll up Extang during the trailering months. Kind of a pain. I stopped using the rol up when I got a toolbox for the bed.

As for hitching - I use a simple pen style pick up magnet. I set it on the hitch at the front edge in the center. Very easy to line up the pin with the magnet and as the pinbox rides up the saddle it just pushes the magnet down and around the front edge. Cheap and works great.

I use the Roll N lock, As riverman states you can roll it right to where hitch is, then when not towing, I put a block of wood under the hitch to level it, then close cover all the way. Nobody knows then that there is a hitch under the cover.

Gaffer, I have a similar tool box/fuel tank, and based on what I found the fold up will not work. The one I found to work for me is a Truxedo Truxport. Here are some pics that I just took. Hope this helps.

Peace
Dave