american roll cover review

I just got and installed my American Roll Cover with the yakima rack system. I didnt find much on here in the way of reviews when I was doing my research so I figured I would post my experiences here and update every now and then as I use it more.

I ordered mine on 3/6/18 from autoanything.com. customer service from them was excellent and it was a very easy experience overall. I did email truck covers USA just to confirm the order was received and correct, this was not cheap and I wanted it to be right the first time. They emailed me back with in a few hours and confirmed everything and gave me an estimated ship date of the next day.

Shipping: this was the most frustrating part. The cover was shipped via UPS freight. I was provided with a tracking number however this was rarely updated. It initially shipped on 3/8/18 with an estimated delivery of 3/13/18. I wound up getting this 3/20/18. This is likely due to the 3 nor'easters we received in 2 weeks. I can't blame them for this but it was frustrating calling trying to get an update and know if the scheduled delivery was going to be made and getting told that they had no idea where my shipment was or when I would be receiving it. In the end it did end up making the scheduled delivery day and I did call that morning to confirm.

Packaging: The cover was shipped in 3 different cardboard boxes on a wooden pallet. The boxes did have some damage to them however everything inside was well padded and showed no signs of damage. Truck covers states that they send a foam/rubber strip to fill gaps on the truck bed but this seemed to be absent from my shipment. I am not concerned about this as that is very cheap at my local hardware store.

Install: This was surprisingly simple. I did phone a friend and have my dad help me just so I had a second set of hands and eyes. The canister set into the bed easily and flush, seeming to not need any gaps filled from the get go. side rails slid on easily enough and sat flush with the canister. next step was to shim the side rails to maintain equal spacing on either side of the cover. This required 1 shim at the front clamp point and 2 on the rear. The clamps slid right into the bed rails and clamped down easily. after this all that was left was to set the stop point, this was a bit of a PITA as both sides need to be even(or as close as possible) and the slides dont move with the smoothest motion. We ended up closing the cover and tail gait with me in the bed. Then my dad help the cover closed against the tailgate and I secured the stop points. this seemed to be the easier than trying to do each side individually. the next step is to secure the lock point with a second screw, I have not done this yet as I want to use the cover for a week or two and make sure its in the right place. I also did not install the drain tubing yet as I want to see how much water gets in the bed with out it. It looks like I will be able to do the front drain with out drilling into the bed, I will just need an adaptor for the tube to fit into the original drain holes in the bed. I also picked up some black silicon do seal gaps per the recommendation of the manual but have not used that yet either.

The rails for the yakima racks are pre installed. you need to add the landing pads and skyline towers. the landing pads went on super easy and the instructions from yakima were pretty easy to follow. The skyline towers were a little more confusion but not bad, my biggest issue here is that 2 of my 4 towers were busted out of the box and would not insert onto the landing pad as they should. This issue has been resolved(well is being resolved) by one email to truck covers usa. I informed them on my issue and recieved a phone call with in 2 hrs and then a follow up this morning letting me know my replacements were in the mail.

to get the cover installed, minus the cross bars, took 1hr 30 minutes.

initial thoughts: I love it. Its really well built and seems pretty damn near bullet proof. install was relatively simple and I have been very pleased with the customer service of the manuafacture. While this is by no means the cheapest option I think it has been worth it.

I am planning to expand on my thoughts as I use this more. I can also take more pictures if people would like.

 

Week 1 update: so far the cover has been awesome. glides smoothly on the tracks, locks in place and seems damn near bullet proof.
It hasnt rained yet so I decided to see how much water ended up in the bed after I washed the truck today. The answer is not much at all, even with out any of the drains or seals that the manual suggests. I've also been keeping an eye on my MPG, I know its a controversial subject but I'm pretty sure my MPG has actually improved with the cover. I took a few pictures of the water in the bed and trying to show how much space the canister takes up.

 

*zombie thread bump?*

I have the roll cover too and love it. I've had no issues with water intrusion, even during pressure washing or heavy downpours. On a few occasions the lock has decided to not let me pull the cover past the first detent, but that's quickly solved by reseting the lock and rolling the cover back in.

Finding a rack system though is a PITA... I don't have the American rack system, but might get it.

How are you liking the rack? What sort of things are you hauling on it (if anything)? Are you restricted to Yakima products/rails? I'm trying to find a solution for carrying a RTT and I'm not sure the reliability (longevity), versatility (different brand rails and tracks, etc), or durability (weight limits) of the Yakima track AND rails.

 

I'm a big fan of the rack. i have been putting skis bikes camping gear and a roof box on it with no issues. i dont have a RTT so i cant really comment on that. the cross bars and mounts pretty much need to be yakima im pretty sure but the actual racks themselves can be just about anything.

 

Solid review and I'm sure everyone appreciates the pictures that were provided. Truck Covers USA definitely makes an awesome quality Tonneau Cover.

 

Thanks man. I couldn't find any form of decent review on em when I was researching so I wanted to do the best I could. after about a year, the cover has been solid. had a few hiccups with the locking mechanism but those were easily fixed thanks to the excellent customer service of truck covers and a few minutes with a screw driver.

 

Yes, great review. FYI, I'm selling mine after very little use – I had to install a rack for work...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...erican-roll-tonneau-cover-sf-bay-area.603545/

 

Great, review, love mine. Even without drilling drain holes, it is 98% effective regarding any water intrusion and any coming through drains well underneath the bedliner grooves. Live near Seattle so plenty of consistent rain.

 

Read reviews on several popular hard roll covers. i like the American Roll due to the small canister and ability to quick open without a key (unlock tailgate and pull internal handle).
Question:
-can you keep the tacoma bed rail system? Sure would miss those potential tie down points.
-Can you add the Yakima rail system later? Or do you have to choose that up front?

Appreciate if anyone knows.

 

The stock bed rail system is essentially inaccessible, at least in my build (can't find any photos right now). That said, you can be creative about it and still mount items to it, but there's not much clearance. I've got some plate/molle style mounts attached to the bed rail, but to mod or access that would be a bit more work than normal.

The rail system can definitely be done after the fact. Most approved suppliers (at least in my area in CO) are able to do the track install in order to meet the supplier specs. If you have a drill and a rivet tool, you should be able to do it yourself, too. The specs from the supplier show a pretty short rail (3 feet, I think), but the dude I went to installed the full length of the bedside, about 4 feet. The Yakima tracks plus a conversion kit to Rhino Racks rail system is what I've got going on. I've been using it for my RTT on rugged roads for two years now, no issues.

 

Thanks, Nice to have the option to add a top rail system later.
That's what I figured on the stock bed oem rail. Too bad but if I can get a mini hook on somewhere, that's a bonus.

I reviewed about every tonneau there is. Nothing meets all my needs but this Truck Covers USA looks solid so probably going that route.

 

Installed Truck Covers USA retractable this morning. Initial thoughts:
-Easy install BUT i have not done drains yet. Gonna live with it for a while first.
-i was able to get those smaller tail hooks in the track. So I still have some tie downs
-disappointed the blanket dies not fully retract. See pic. The key plate stops tue last 3 inches from rolling in. I liked that this was one of the smallest boxes at about 9x9 But now im losing anothe 3 inches for really no reason. Seem like they could engineer a way for last few inches to roll in.

overall still would buy again. Looks great in flat black. Tough. Low profile. We’ll see how i like in in a month