New BakFlip G2 HD installed

Okay all, I had the old polymer G2 Bakflip that started to crack. When Bakflip's first generation cover (the G1) failed, the G2 was the new design that came out with polymer plastic panels. Since then they have redesigned it with metal panels. i contacted Bakflip and they stand by their product....and then some...if you don't mind reading some let me tell you about it....

Okay about a year and half ago i purchased a brand new G2 Bakflip. I was nervous because it was the first and most expensive add-on to my truck. anyone who has any type of cover knows how expensive they are. it was brand spanking new and when i installed it, it was great. no complaints at all and i praised it to anyone who asked about it. the edges were unfinished with some sharp ends but wasn't a big deal. Over the year and half, the bakflip was fading. it is made out of polymer panels with a foam core and a aluminum frame. well the panels were held to the frame by rivets that were breaking off. I put some new rivots on myself and fixed it. but then the panels would flex and the panels now ripped away from the panels. and then the straw that broke the camel's back was on the top i noticed hairline cracks in the panels...panels that were said to last 5yrs plus. not a big deal as it was just cosmetics and didn't effect function but it was the principle of it. Well i had it and emailed the president of Bakliner. I sent him pics of the cracks in the panels and rivets that popped and unfinished sharp edges that is apparently on all of their bakflips. I wasn't expecting much or anything for that matter but i wanted him to hear my frustration with hundreds of dollars i invested. He emailed me back that night (which was a weekend and he was on vacation in the mountains skiing.) I was surprised. that alone showed me that he stood behind his product and his customers were that important to him. but in the email itself it said that he was thankful for the photos i showed him and that he fully stands behind his product. he said to call him monday to work it out. I took him up on that offer. Well i called and talked to him personally and he was very nice and professional and fully understanding to my situation. well we worked out a deal. i received my new bakflip g2 last week and to my surprise...he not only sent me a new Bakflip G2 that now has a more sturdy Aluminum powercoated panels (no more polymer plastic panels) but he sent me the HD version which is the Heavy Duty version. I said some harsh things about Bakflip before (to many on this forum when they asked me) but after this experience, i take them all back fully. I am eating my words and then some. And I am not saying this because i got a replacement but because the president of the company personally helped me out and stood by his product. it is so hard to find a company like that who isn't all about the easy buck but about the quality of their product. Their new bakflips are now all aluminum and way better than before. even the mounts that go on the stock rails are upgraded. I'll be honest and wish the edges were better finished but compared to the old ones, they are definitely and upgrade. below are some before and after pics... I wanted to be thorough so there are a lot of pics that hopefully will help anyone else who is interested in the Bakflip or just want some info....enjoy and sorry for the long read....and for the record, with the new improvments....I Do Genuinely Recommend BakFlip



Old polymer G2 BakFlip


As you can see it is faded a lot and is cracking




Here you can see the rivets come off making the frame fall apart




Here you can see the edges are unfinished


Here is a better look at the panels cracking



The weatherstripping is worn too


Here is the new G2 Bakflip i received (replacement)


AS you can see it says on the label HD (heavy duty) what a wonderful surprise.


Very, very good packing. expanding foam.


below are the new mounts vs the old ones. the left are the new ones. the right are the old ones that just had two nylon washer nuts. hell to get off cause it just spins and spins.


Below is the left and right of the new bakflip. it is off a bit but even. as you can see no rivets anymore.



Below is the old mounting rail. as you can see it is just a hole. 3 for each rail.


the new rail is cut all the way down making it easy to mount.


Below are the mounts in the stock track rail ready for the bakflip rails to be placed on top. oh and that is a neon tube in the middle. those are my bed lights. switch is in the cab. they are screwed in under the stock rail with tap screws.

as you can see i can still use the front stock track rail for the cleats. the side track rails will be covered so you cannot use the cleats but i have a solution for that that is better than cleats.



I bought two sets (5 each for $5 from http://www.armysurpluswarehouse.com/product/rope-ring-with-clip-b21-5-for-500-3752.cfm for my bed bolts mod. had 6 left over and used them on the bolts on the mount rails for the bakflip. now i got 3 rope rings on each side rail and yes they are strong. don't know the weight but they seem sturdy enough working all together or alone. 4 cleats on the front rail and 6 rope rings on the bed floor.




below is kind of hard to see but it shows the aluminum layer with the foam core. this is where cover mounts to the rails.


these are the star bolts that old the cover to the rails up front. the left is the old one and larger. the right is the new ones and smaller. the new ones are much better as they don't touch the sides like the larger ones did.



Here it is installed G2 BakFlip HD shiny and new.







see that small rope ring on on the cover...that is new feature on the cover. the top front of the cover has two rings as well that were on the old one for bungees to hold the cover open when driving. the ones under the cover now are for the bungees to hook to where as before you had to use the cleats up front.


Well hope you call enjoyed this and one thing i kept in mind with this thread....its worthless without pics.

 

I highly recommended it also. I just installed my new bakflip g2 3 weeks ago, and im loving it!!

 

I see that you are able to fold the cover all the way up to the back window, but are you able to completely remove the cover relatively easily?

 

yeh, those starbolts in the photos...there are just two star bolts up front that hold it when it folded all the way up. you remove those bolts and off comes the cover. very easy.

 

That's sweeeeet!

I just watched the installation video on their site; I see what you're saying. I knew I shouldn't have clicked on this thread. I need this cover!

 

That looks great, do you have any pics of it completely open and against the back window?

 

Looks really good! I like the folding design of these.

 

thanks.

this is of the old polymer bakflip, but its the exact same with the new metal bakflip i have on now. it folds up nicely and you get full access on the fly.

 

I have the same cover and I like the design however it could be built better. I hadn't hauled anything and some how the rivets broke off the poles that hold it in place when up. I also notice alot of glue/adhesive parts. We will see how it holds up over time.

 

is yours the polymer or metal panels?

 

Metal panels, it is only a few months old.

 

That's good to hear about the company since I bought one 3 mos ago. Not the HD one but I 've been pleased with it. I coated the sharp edges by the tailgate with black 'liquid electrical tape' and it looks much better.

 

:jelly:

 

How did u make the claim to get a new one? I got mine as a gift so no receipt. It is also the 1st gen cover.

 

I emailed the owner of the company directly. His name is Julian. I also spoke to him on the phone. its a pretty small company so you do get the personal touch. their new one is good but not great. if you check all my other posts about the bakflip you'll see i have a love/hate relationship with them.