Leer HF650M tonneau cover???

@PEIHank, i found your post on the Leer 650 Tonneau cover. Ive got the same question, what are those parts for? The long foam, butyl strip, and assorted clamp pieces??

Do you happen to have the info leer sent you on the clamps and other parts? Ive attached the clamp parts. Thx.

 

@PEIHank ok. In the daylight this makes sense. Pic.

But the two extra long foam pieces? I dont wanna cut them short and create leaks and the butyl tape.

 

Here's what I got back from Leer:

The strips of foam are for the sides of the truck bed. They taper in and have a slight gap near the tailgate, so the seals help add cushion where the rails go so that it’s a bit tighter.

The plates will go with the clamps. They go in the back of the clamps to work almost as a spacer.

The butyl tape is in case the truck bed has any cracks near the joints. Some manufacturers left these slightly open, so the butyl tape helps seal those corners to prevent leaking from the sides of the bed.

 

First timer, figured I'd add to the conversation because there is not much out there on the HF650M.

I just installed on my DCLB. Love the look and hopeful it will hold up in New England weather.

I had similar questions regarding poor installation instructions and extra parts. Its not rocket science installing, but if there are some approaches that better weather proof the bed, Leer should be more specific. Leer thus far has been unresponsive to emails and messages left via phone. Got a couple of inches of snow followed by a melt and water definitely came in. I suspect at the front corners of the bed, but not 100% sure.

One question I had during installation, is how the rectangular plate is oriented and connected to the clamp. I decided go with the longer portion of the plate pointing down (opposite of what Scrapes picture above shows). I did this because I felt the plate would interfere with the provided weather stripping while still providing adequate bearing on the trucks bed-side/rail. Do I use the threaded hole or the larger tapered hole? Will I get better results water-wise if I reverse it? It seems most pictures on this thread suggest the long end of the plates points up.

Not really clear on where the butyl tape should be installed. Would rather not stick anything adhesive to the truck itself. Maybe those front corners will need to get some.

Also, I got thru the installation and was on the last step of installing the prop rods, and the stupid little plastic clips that hold the rod when its not being used snapped off. Never even had a chance!

Any and all input welcome.

 

It took me several months for Leer to send the plastic rod clips that came boken, and I am still fighting (keep in mind, this all started in July2020) to get the ball joint thing the rod clips to on the side rail. Leer's customer service is amongst the worst I have ever seen.

See my post above for Leer's explanation of the butyl tape and foam pieces.

I will try to attach the picture they sent me about the orientation of the mounting hardware. I attached above, but not sure it's visible.

I agree, it is a nice cover, but I wish I had gone with a different manufacturer - Leer don't deserve the business with service like this.

 

Thanks for the picture of the clamp hardware. Although, the graphic shows an additional piece under the large rectangular plate that wasn't provided. Oh well. Maybe I will re-install when it gets warmer out there.

Upon further research, and you guys may already know this, it appears the Tacoma bed inherently has holes/gaps in the assembly to begin with. Nothing to do with whatever type of cover you are putting on the bed. Specifically at the front corners where side and head rail meet at the top.

Here is the thread I came across. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rubber-plugs-for-gaps-in-bed-rail-available-now.420884/ Some options seem better than other I suppose. I think I will stick with butyl tape in these gaps and try not to go overboard doing rails and stuff.

Called the third party retailer I purchased the HF650M for and they are sending replacement prop rod clips, very common problem apparently, they have box of them on hand.

 

I'm looking at the Leer HF650M $999.00 or Bak Flip MX4 $999.00. I was all set to get the Bak but then I found the Leer doesn't have drain tubs and doesn't rest against the cab. I've emailed Leer and haven't gotten a responce. My questions were:
I'd like a copy of the installation instructions (to see how they deal with the problem leak spots in the front of the bed and how much of the deck trail is still available).
Where is this tonneau manufactured?
FYI, new member, first post.
Will greatly appreciate any info I can get.
Thanks.

 

If you value customer service, then I cannot recommend Leer. As you have already experienced, the inability to reach them for any support is extremely frustrating. I have been trying since July...yes, July!

I really do like the top, but based on service, I would look elsewhere.

 

Here are the installation instructions...

 

I like the Leer but customer service is going to weigh heavy in my final decision.
All producers should have their installation instructions posted. Shouldn't have to hope others will be willing to share.
Thank you PEIHank and jondoeski for your responces.

 

For those of you that have this Leer HF650M cover installed on your Taco, how has it been working out for you? Specifically, interested in it's weather/rain resistance since it doesn't use drain rails/tubes. How is the seal at the tailgate? When the panels are all standing upfolded, is the rear upper brake light visible and dies the bed light still illuminate the bed? And how has the durability been?

There are a few reasons why I'm interested in this cover over the Undercover Flex and Bakflip systems.

• 4 panel design results in a lower upright height when standing up
• No drain rails/tubes makes the bed width opening wider compared to the Undercover and Bak designs.
• CINQ latch design looks more solid than compared to other models that use a cable pull

It sounds like there have been some install issues, specifically with the instructions not being clear and/or missing parts. So maybe it's worth buying it local and having them install it.

 

Here are my answers and thoughts:

How has it been working out for you? Specifically, interested in it's weather/rain resistance since it doesn't use drain rails/tubes - I am very happy with the cover overall, very dry.

How is the seal at the tailgate? - It doesn't seem to overlap the tailgate very much. I may slide it back ever so slightly this spring. But thus far the amount of water coming in has been extremely minimal.

When the panels are all standing upfolded, is the rear upper brake light visible and dies the bed light still illuminate the bed? - It does cover the light somewhat, but I think the brake light would still be quite visible to cars behind you. The bed light is definiteley reduced in it's coverage of the bed, but not a show stopper for me.

And how has the durability been? - I've had it on since July and have not had any issues or see areas of concern yet.

I do like the latch system. It can't be opened with a simple bent coat hanger. The latches at the very back seem to just barely catch on either side and a slight shift to the left or right means one side may not catch. I have it perfectly centered and it works fine now. I think this will be even better when I install the long foam pads along each side rail this spring. I think this will narrow the opening by maybe a 1/4" at most which is all it would need.

It sounds like there have been some install issues, specifically with the instructions not being clear and/or missing parts. So maybe it's worth buying it local and having them install it. - I would do things differently if I were to buy it again. I would have it installed by the shop I bought it from. I bought it through a 3rd party retailer and have been waiting on replacement parts from Leer since July. I finally made contact with someone in the dealer support team at Truck Accessories Group (TAG) in Indiana, but that contact has not resulted in a resolution yet. This is after 15+ emails, 10+ voice mails, and I lost track of how many times I called without leaving a voice mail.

Do not put yourself in the situation where you will need to reply on Leer for service.

 

@PEIHank - thank you for your insight. Your points are well taken. And if I do go this route, which I am really leaning towards, I will have it installed by the local dealer. This will cost me a little more which stings a bit, especially since Luke at TruckAlterations gave me a great quote on an Undercover Armor Flex, but I don't like the rails & drain channels on that design.

For comparison, here is the Leer rail with it's narror profile: And here is the Undercover rail which extends into the bed more: And here is the Bak rail that also extends into the bed more:
This is probably why the HF650 can hold more weight than the Flex or BakFlip. But the HF650 also probably sits a little higher than the other 2. I'm not planning to put anything on top, but I know my kids will jump up on top of the cover so I want it to be sturdy as hell. I need the ability to fold and/or take off completely easily, otherwise I would consider the Diamond Back.

 

I think you will find, that no matter who installs the cover you will get water infiltration. Unless you pull the bed rail caps and silicone seal all the joints around the bed and fill the holes at the cab where the head rail meets the side rail, water is going get in.

I like the HF650 and would definitely recommend. I am talking minimal water infiltration, but it does seem to come from all sides. Again, I bought from third party and their customer service was great, RHR Swag I believe. Got me the broken parts when leer did not respond.

 

Thank you @jondoeski. Yes, I am not too concerned about some water intrusion. My main thing is having a local 3rd party with good customer service that I can lean on if there are issues (with either missing or broken parts) with the install or perhaps down the road in the future.

 

I must be a glutton for punishment as I went with the Leer HF650M even after reading the advice here.

I've had the Leer for less that a week. There were no instructing included, not even a link to find them. No weather striping and a broken prop rod clip. I emailed them to voice my concerns. And received an email back the same day with a replacement parts list. I replied and it's been two business days and no info on the parts. But I understand things are slow in these covid times, so I'll give them a week before emailing back.
My thoughts on the Leer:
*Had a small shower while parked. It leaked between the split rails. Not much but it wasn't much rain either. The seal between the split rails doesn't look complete.
* I went with the Leer for 3 reasons. No drain tubs, it doesn't lean on the cab and because it doesn't have a pull cord release. Youtube showed me how easy it is to use a piece of wire to release those. The finger (sync) latch does seem more secure. BUT the 4 panel system isn't. The reason why is there is one panel without a latch and it can be lifted up enough to look into the bed. For this reason alone I'd return the tonneau if it wasn't for the 25% restocking fee + return shipping. So I'm pretty much stuck with it.
* Cost: less expensive ordering direct, 999.00-45.00 on line discount= 954.00
The dealer wanted 1300.00 installed. Although that may be a steal to get it installed and have somewhere local to take it if you have problems.
*Yes the third break light is visible when the cover is open. The bed lights... not sure. Haven't checked it after dark. But good question. I'll check and post later.
* This is my first truck and tonneau. So I don't have any prior experience to draw from. But knowing what I know now, I should have gone with the Bak Flip MX4.

 

Here is the replacement parts sheet.

 

The cab bed lights are blocked by the Leer when it is in the up position. So I'll be adding bed lights to my future list of upgrades.

 

I just installed the OEM bed lighting yesterday. It was really straight forward and maybe took 15 minutes. I know there are better/bigger/brighter systems out there, but this was super simple and cheap.

 

Just ordered the HF650M 3 days ago and got a confirmation email but haven't received an email about shipping or tracking number info. Did you get an email when it shipped with tracking info, if so how long after you ordered? I've tried to call customer service but I get an answering machine and no one has called me back. Definitely a bit shocking for such a well known brand. I hope I din't make a $1000 mistake :/ anyone have a good customer service #, I just called the one I found online.