Yet another Tonneau thread...but with picky specifics :)

I've read through many previous threads that left me with a few questions for my 2d Gen situation.

I have the 5' bed with the factory insert/rails. Soooo hard to shop for the aftermarket stuff online and figure out how each one specifically attaches, what degree of security, what degree of water protection, etc. I'm in Eastern NC so it's not easy to look at products in a brick and mortar store.

Is it important or useful for the cover to attach directly to the factory rails? Is there a roll-up other than the Revolver that has a decent degree of security (prob not)? Trying to stay under $400, have some security, keep things relatively dry, and not have the bed space use / rear visibility issues a tri-fold presents. I'd also like to find something that's not too difficult to temporarily remove. I wonder if I'm looking for a unicorn.

Any thoughts? Thanks everyone.

 

For example, does anyone have any experience with this one:

http://www.autoanything.com/tonneau-covers/tonnopro-tonnofold-tri-fold-tonneau-cover

 

I have experience with them. theyre similar to the tyger tonneau which is a little cheaper in price.
They also do not mention on any examples that you must either remove the factory insert/rails or insert tabs into the rails to be able to hold this type of tonneau down. Theyre good tonneau covers for sure but the fit because of the factory rails was the challenge that i had to deal with. once i bought the extra tabs it set in place pretty well. i had to figure out the spacing for the latches to connect to the tabs so that took some time but once i did that i functioned just like it should. i had little to no leaks and it was easy to remove if i decided to remove it. I would recommend tho spending a little more money and getting a better tonneau if you dont want any issues for a while. these tri fold ware over a few years and the latches get loose after a few years and maybe even need replaced. the backflip covers are great. as well as the roll n lock. more pricy for sure but quality is good. i hope this helps. good luck tonneau cover are a pain the the a$$ to commit to. just so over priced really.

 

If you're looking to stay in or under the $400 range, you can certainly get a great quality cover, it just won't have the hard panels. Soft roll ups & soft folding are great covers when it comes to keeping the bed dry from the elements. In regards to mounting to the factory track system, almost all covers that are vehicle specific will need to mount there. The hardware necessary to utilize the track system should be included. As Keith_Stone said, BAK Industries makes great products, but they are going to be on the pricier side ($650-$1000).

 

Appreciate the info -- I watched a few installation videos online for various trifolds and I can picture what you're talking about with the tabs. Someone mentioned, either on here or in an online review, that many of the trifolds don't have an attachment far enough aft (maybe because the rail ends) to keep it tight enough to the tailgate. The other thing is, as I compare my friends' trucks and tonneaus to my situation, I realize the bed rail caps I have sit higher than the tailgate and header cap, with a sort of bevel from the rail cap down to the tailgate. I guess that means I either have to install a gasket with the tonneau or change up the caps. Frustrating.

 

I'm with you on my price point taking me out of the hard panel tonneau. Do you mind taking a look at my response to Keith Stone above? I'll try to post some pictures of my rail and tailgate cap situation and see if you guys have any advice.

 

Here's what I'm talking about with the height of the bed rail caps above the tailgate cap...

 

This will level out your tailgate caps and side rail caps, and it will make your tailgate feel like it was designed to be on a truck.

http://www.kbvoodoo.com/shop/package-deal-side-rail-caps-tailgate-cap

 

Thanks Voodoo, I'll definitely consider that. I had a feeling I'd be going down a road like this...

What's the shipping cost?

 

Should be about $30 to you.

 

I made the mistake of browsing through your website, now I'm drooling over the utility racks. If nothing else your site is bookmarked and after I clear the financial black hole that is Christmas I can consider the caps and the racks.

 

Make sure the cover you get is compatible with our racks.....

 

Will do. Now that the tonneau cover has become new caps plus tonneau cover it's getting pushed for a few months, so I'll get in touch when I'm deciding what cover to buy. Thanks!

 

Do your friends have Tacoma's as well? If so, are you aware of what kind of tonneau cover they are using? The area at the bulk head which is lower will be compensated by a bulk head seal that is included in the tonneau cover kit 99% of the time. Unfortunately, Often time the tailgate cap portion does have to be replaced with a higher profile cap.

 

One friend has a 2016 Tacoma, the other has a Sierra Denali. In both cases their bulkhead, rail and tailgate caps are all at the same height. They both looked at my setup and were surprised. I can't figure out if the caps I have are stock or not, or if they're even OEM at all, since I'm the truck's second owner. The bevel on the rail caps is the most frustrating because it results in a gap that widens as you go up. That'd be hard to take care of unless I found some kind of custom fix. Pretty sure I'm going to have to buy new caps and so I'm looking at stuff like what Voodoo has to offer. Reminds me of when I bought my used Sea Hunt bay boat: honey it has everything! A month later: honey I have to buy a whole bunch of gear! Fun, but expensive.

 

Is this info on your website?

 

The biggest thing is that the factory accessory rail does NOT get relocated to mount the cover.

 

Thanks

 

Before you make any tonneau decisions, hook-up with eccracer104 AKA Mike at AutoAnything. He just hooked me up with an Undercover Flex tri fold hard cover after I tried to go the cheap route. I installed the Flex in 45 minutes here in Western North Carolina and I could have done it it 30 minutes if I hadn't dropped my T-30 bit. This cover works with the bed rails and looks great. Will do the car wash thing tomorrow. Don't go cheap if you can afford not to.

 

Appreciate the advice. I'll tell ya, I check out every cover I see in any parking lot, and I've noticed a LOT of the cheaper vinyl top ones that look like they've aged poorly. The tri-folds often have bulges where the folds are and I wonder what the seal is like underneath as a result. I saw my brother-in-law tonight and noticed he has a Bak Roll-X that's held up nicely. I really like that one and the revolver but talk about expensive. I'd started coming to the same conclusion you did as I did more and more research and couldn't find anything that checked all the boxes and met the price point. I try to be smart about my money but there's a difference between being smart and being cheap. Do you mind telling me about your bad experience with a cheap cover? And your undercover flex -- have you been through a rain that's tested the seals yet? Just curious about your experience. Also wondering what kind of bed rail / bulkhead / gate caps you had and whether that was an issue, since my bed rail caps sit higher than my bulkhead and gate caps. Thanks!