Review on Bakflip G2 bed cover for Tacoma

I just installed my new Bakflip Generation 2 (G2) bed cover for my 06 long bed Tacoma. Since I looked at so many different options before I bought the Bakflip I thought I would write up a review on the Bakflip... but this is my opinion.

First, I decided on the Bakflip, because my experience with soft tonneau covers was not that great. They fade in the sun and usually need to be rolled up which was a pain.

Here are the Pros . I like the concept of the Bakflip because you can flip one section up like a trunk of a car and with the help of a bed separator you can use it that way (great for groceries). See what I mean at www.bakfliptonneaucover.com. I also like that the cover is flush and matches the rest of the bed, it's very sturdy and well designed. It's also water proof, but there are gaps in certain places.

Here are the Cons . The Bakflip cover cost me $630.00 which is a bit on the pricey side. In fact here's a tip. Tons of companies sell this cover from several different prices. I called Bakflip directly and actually negotiated for the cheapest price I could find on the net including free shipping. Here is the bummer that I didn't realize. You lose your railing system installing this cover. Also, if you want to use the drain hoses you have to drill holes. Finally, the material that the cover is made out of is good, but the quality of the cuts of the rubber trim is messy.

One last final thought. Ebay is selling the G1 version of this cover for less money. According to the woman at Bakflip the G1 had a lot of problems and the G2 was totally revamped and is a better design.

I'm going to add some pics later. I hope this helps.

 

It took me a while, but I'm a perfectionist when it comes doing my mods. All and all it was a couple of hours.

 

Well... I have one more Con to add to this review. This is the first time I've had it in some serious rain and this cover is NOT water proof. I would say it's more like water resistant. I even drilled larger drainage holes and connected the drainage tubes at the front of the cover for better drainage. According to the site and their video the bed stays bone dry in rain... this is NOT true.

My final verdict: there are many flip style bed covers out there, but the Bakflip G2 is pricey first and foremost, you lose your railing system for install, and does not fully protect your bed from the elements. Keep hunting and let me know what you find.

 

Nice write up, to bad I have another one installed already.

 

nice write up, thanks. i was all set to get the G2, now i guess i will have to look a little further. thanks

 

we've had a G2 on our Tacoma for a year and are very happy with it... not completely waterproof but good enough for our use (my wife's garden design/maint. business).

 

does anyone have an idea where the water comes in from? is it a situation where some additional weatherstripping or something like that would solve the problem?

 

Have the same issue. Water comes in thru the first fold ( Counting from tailgate toward the Cab). The company sent me a new weatherstripping because they claimed it was installed improperly. Still Leakey. Also leaks from the cab end.

 

I just ordered the Advance Cover G3 Supra two days ago. Like the Bakflip cover, it is a hard tonneau that has 4 foldable sections. I had an earlier version of this cover on my last truck and loved it. In 3 1/2 years, it didn't leak any water at all. The only negative was that it used the bed rail system, so the functionality of that system suffered some. However, with the new G3 supposedly it no longer uses the bed rail system, so that is a big plus. Like the OP mentioned, I set my cargo divider about 18" from the tailgate, and I just had to open the last section of the cover to throw things like groceries in the bed, close the cover, and it was completely secured like a trunk.

I'll have to post how the new version, the G3, performs when I get it.

 

has anyone reviewed the roll up cover? i want one, but thats a large purchase

 

Hey guys-
Has anyone else looked into the G4 Elite Fold a cover
http://www.foldacover.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
The new model is specifically for the 05-08 Tacoma and allow the use of the rail system. Not cheap by any means at $750 installed from a local dealer here in Calif. I did not like the hard lids as they did not offer much flexibility, the folding styles as previously mentioned have lots of flexibility to storing stuff on the fly.
I dive for the Sheriffs dept so I need to carry my gear with me and having multiple compartments for tanks and equipment make it easier.
The only thing I'm not crazy about is that the new G4 mounts on top of the bed caps with 3M double adhesive tape, not sure how strong that stuff is over time.
ClaeTA

 

I have one more con for the Bakflip G2. The edges that are cut for the major folds are not painted and have ruff edges. The problem is, when I flip the cover over time it begins to cut into the rubber that the main sections are folding onto due to the ruff edges. I plan on fixing this by buying some touch up paint and coating all the cut edges.

These are things that you notice over time. Sadly I'm dissapointed because Bakflip could easily fix this issue.

 

I also have a G2. I bought it in August, 2008 for $580. It had a big gap at the tailgate. I called BAK industries and Ivan, the owner, sent me some weather strippping, and that worked great. I have no problem with water leakage. I have a bed liner, and I simply tuck the draing tubes under the liner. I also find the edges unfinished and sharp. The other negative is the bed rails get covered. I have thought about bolting on some Unistrut using the tonneau cover's bolts, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm not sure if there is enough clearance to get the Unistrut on. I guess the only way to find out is to buy a small piece and try it out. One more thing I like about the G2 is that it completely flips out of the way (Against the cab window) without having to remove it. If I had to remove it, it is rather simple to do. I have thought about roll-up covers, but the canister takes up 12 to 14 inches of the box. I have a 5 foot box, and cannot afford to lose that space.

 

So all in all, Bakflip covers are still garbage...

 

I wouldn't call it garbage. I rather like mine, and how it functions, giving me full access to the box if I need it without having to remove it. It locks down quite securely. It just could be a little better finished on the edges.

 

When you remove the BakFlip G2 cover is there still bracketry that covers your side rails? I want to know if you take the whole cover off to facilitate larger cargo if you can still use the factory tie downs on the bed rail.

 

The pics on there website look good.. and make me interessted just not for the price mention in the OP

 

When you do the quick remove, the cover just comes off from the bed cover rails in two places near the cab. So your bed cover rails would still be attached to your bed, and the bed cover rails cover up your original side tie down rails. So in order to have access to your tie down rails you would have to remove the bed cover rails as well. (I believe it's three bolts for each rail)

However you will have access to your front tie down rail by doing the quick remove only.

 

have been researching this and other products to make the best possible decision on my purchase of a new tonneau for my 06 taco DC SB. Ran across this and thought people would find it interesting (esp those who hate this product - might like that direct email addy!!). happy reading......

Hello all,

My name is Julian Maimin and I am the owner of BAK Industries.

After reading many comments and questions on this site about BakFlip, I thought I would share the most up to date information on BakFlip G2 with all of you.

After sending out a few thousand BakFlip G1 covers between Feb and June of this year, we unfortunately came to find out that many of the components used were ultimately failing. This was largely a result of defective rubber seals / 3M adhesive combination which we only found out about due to failures in the market. There were a few issues with gas struts as well on the G1, which put an uneccessary amount of strain on the covers, but the seals seemed to be the primary plaguing issue.

After much hair pulling, frustration and effort, I, along with my key staff sat down and decided to re-engineer the BakFlip from top to bottom, rather than try to put a bandage on the G1. The result is the BakFlip G2 which we introduced late in July of this year.

The new G2 is a far more robust product. The first change made was to the seals. Rather than rely on adhesives, we redesigned the panel frames to accommodate a rubber seal that applied with a tongue and groove design. Kind of like a lock and key. The rubber is fed onto the frames and has resulted in a superb finish which is as strong as nails and absolutely cannot fail.

Next we got away from having to use any tools. All you need now is a single wrench. The install is far shorter and the components used are professional grade knobs etc.

We also changed the Aluminum on the cover, adding 28% more aluminum. The result is heavier panels. In addition the aluminum panel frames have no tape under them. The design underneath encompasses integrated drains, rendering the G2 almost 100% water-tight.

The gas struts never did lock properly on the G1 and as mentioned, put unecessary strain on the unit. We therefor changed to a locking arm-stay on each side. This puts no pressure on the cover and will also keep the cover locked in place so you can drive with it open.

The latches under the cover are now modular. They can be slid fom side to side which allows a real tweaking of the locking feature if required.

All in all, the new BakFlip G2, although similar looking in appearance, has undergone a complete overhail. The result is a phenominal cover that will surely walk away with most awards in it's category this year at SEMA.

I have posted a video of the G2 on YouTube at the following link: [/URL]

I invite all of you to review it and share your comments and suggestions with me at my personal e mail address : julian@bakliner.com

I'd like to leave you with an assurance that I, along with my entire coimpany is 100% dedicated to producing the finest truck bed covers on the market. If we are not, I need to hear about it. I believe in this new G2 with all of my being and trust that you will as well.

Thank you all for the support you've shown over the years and thank you for your honesty. It's allowed us to make a brilliant product.

Kindest regards,

Julian Maimin - CEO
BAK Industries
7307 Coldwater Canyon Ave.
N. Hollywood CA 91605
(818) 764-0031 Fax (818) 764-4750
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