Roll-up questions for a 2020

Hi there... Tacoma newby questions here for my 2020 Double Cab 5' TRD Off-Road.

1) Are the bed dimensions and configurations the same between the '19 and '20? In looking for a tonneau, all sites list fitment for '19's but very few include the '20 yet.

2) It looks like the "standard" method for mounting tonneaus, is the clamp into, and block the bed rail system. Some seem to make it completely useless, and others keep is useful, but the cleats are limited in their range. Does any manufacturer of roll-up make a non-drill system that keeps the rails 100% usable? Moved down is acceptable; I found one tri-fold video that did this.

3) I hate Velcro... Extang "seems" to be the only manufacturer that doesn't use it, but they are the worst (I think) for making the rail completely useless. Is there a another brand I haven't found that doesn't use Velcro?

4) Cross bars. It looks like many of the brands have them (just going by pictures and videos) but they don't advertise the fact. Are the bars pretty much standard? I think they are critical to keep snow/rain and wind from flexing and pulling the cover all out of shape.

I know I know - someone is going to respond: get hard tri-fold and all your concerns are gone... But I dislike the design of tri-folds when they are fully open - let's just block the rear view out the truck and put a big sail up there. I'd rather have a small, rolled up cover, and live with some of the other inconveniences.

Also, the hard-roll-up models I've not been looking at, primarily because I can buy 4 others for the price of 1 of the hard models.

Finally (this might be a stretch), is there a "Tacoma Super-Store" anywhere? A real bricks and mortar place where it's everything Tacoma (or maybe all Toyota trucks). Where they HAVE items like this in stock so one can "kick the tires"? The "truck store" near me has to deal with 100 different brands and models, so they have like 5 Tacoma things... Online is great, but, delivery time and expense and not being able to "see it" before is just annoying.

Thanks all.

P.S. I'm up to 87 kms on the odometer on my new truck... so, I'm still VERY new to the brand.

 

Welcome to TW, if you find this Tacoma Super Store, please share as I think the closest you will come to one is the stealership.

 

Even the dealership only carries a few things -- they have to order everything else. And the stuff they do have is behind the counter.

Can someone measure the width of their '18 or '19 bed rail to bed rail for me? Mine is exactly 57" before the little indent at the tailgate where it's a 1/2" narrower. Before I order anything I want to ensure Toyota didn't actually change it for '20. I doubt they would have, but OEMs have done stranger things.

Thanks!

 

Oh, geeze. I just found this post: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-gen-to-3rd-gen-bed-dimensions.586910/#post-19578337
I went back out and measured between the channels, and it looks be spot on the '18 measurement.
Ok, then. Time to order something - before the snow gets here.

 

Not a roll up like the trypical velcro style but there is the retractable method from companies like Retrax- which I have.

Bed dimensions are the same for 3rd gen. It clamps into the bed rail system but you can still utilize the tie downs and move them fore & aft between the clamps. I don’t know about the 5’ bed but on my LB the clamps are basically at the ends of the rails so it doesn’t bother me. The crossbars are made by a separate company with the mounts integrated with them as a system. As long as the company manufacturing the cover says it’s compatible with a rack system, you’re good to go. I have a Yakima setup but Thule & Rhino Rack are other options as well.


Hope that helps!

 

I had a 2gen LB with a hard cover previously. It was nice but a pain when I needed to take it off to load up the bed with larger stuff. When I got my 3gen I knew what i wanted and didn't.

I have this https://tonneaucoversworld.com/p/extang-encore-tonneau-cover/. For a tri-fold, lower profile compare to OEM. You won't get full access to the bed when it's all the way open like that of the BAKflip but it doesn't completely block you rear window. If you do need need full access to the bed, you just unlatch it at two points, fold it up and take it off the bed. Good and bad, you do retain the bed rails but it's relocated so any chance of using voodoo mounts for cross bars across the cover wont work but maybe someone has come up with something this setup now.

 

I loved the Extang Revolution I had for the Colorado. I'd have gotten it again, except, it blocks the rail system, making it useless. One of the features on the Tacoma that appealed to me was exactly that. Over the years I have funky-tied loads that the rail-attached tie-downs are going to be great for!

I ended up getting a "cheap" Tyger from Amazon. Fits well, seems to seal well - I just have to put something in the gaps between the side and front of the box. It could use a couple more cross bars, but that's what make it's cheap. If it doesn't work out (rips, falls off, whatever) then I'll look for something else.

The Retrax's look amazing - but I'd have to go through 5 or 6 Tygers for the price of one of them. Yes, they are thief proof, but that's not one of my criteria. It's more: "out of sight, out of mind"... I don't keep anything worth beans in the box MOST of the time. When I do have something valuable, it's when I'm driving from point A to B; it never stays in after I'm away from the truck.