Tonneau and Cargo Divider for the wife, NEED HELP!

Hey guys,

I am new to the site and have been reading tons of product reviews, but am still struggling with which cover to get for my wife.

My wife has an 07 Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab and we are trying to figure out how to make it better handle the tasks of a mom with a baby instead of getting an SUV.

Currently, I am looking for a tonneau cover that she can quickly and easily access, perferably with one hand. A cover where she can open just the tailgate is preferrable, but I am open to other ideas. I was looking at the Trifecta and it looks like it might fit the bill with a Pop-N-Lock for security, but I can't tell how easy it would be for her to fold the cover back if she needed to?

I am planning on getting a cargo divider to keep groceries from slidding around and the stroller within arms reach, so the cover MUST allow the use of a cargo divider. I am currently looking at the factory divider and the loading zone gate.

On a side note: it would be preferrable for me if this cover was also easily removed for getting dirt, mulch, stone, etc. which is the very reason we are trying to keep the truck and not get an SUV. I'm sure you guys can understand.

Can you guys point me in the right direction and share your experiences or better yet, your wifes experiences!

Thanks,
Eddie

 

hey Formula, I have no suggestions for you - have never run a cover. Fortunately, there's someone here for every topic - you'll be well taken care of. Welcome to TW!

 

Been very pleased with my BakFlip G2 folding cover on my 2005 DC LongBed 4x4. Very easy to install yourself within one hr. No drilling. I have a popnLock on the tailgate for security. Been very happy with it. Bought off eBay with shipping for $625. Folds all the way up to the back glass if you need the whole bed for hauling. No leaks so far. Very low profile and well built. Only issues I would see with age would be the weatherstripping wearing out but seems as an easy replacement. I had a pace edwards sliding cover in the past but that one tends to vibrate on the highway and also the box takes away from the bed space...

http://www.bakflip-tonneau.com/installation.asp?tabid=3

 

Thanks for posting that. A couple of questions:

Does it work with the stock bed rails/cleats? Also, can you open and close the tailgate without having to open the cover itself?

 

I had the hard folding tonneau cover installed from Toyota, along with a tailgate lock , but this was all a freebie when i bought a new truck, but there our good deals out there. i love mine easy to deal with, as for the divider the Toyota one is good, another throw in, but to expensive, i have seen these for half price on some sites. try a bed mat, my stroller doesn't move on it at all

 

I have the factory cargo divider and bought the Access Limited Tonneau cover. You can unhook the bed cover with one hand and then roll it up.

The bed cover rails install behind the truck bed rails, so I had to cut about an inch of each end of my cargo divider.


Here's a link to the thread where I posted pics and how I did it...
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/15492-my-weekend-project-minor-mods.html

Good luck!

 

Thanks, I read that review and really liked this one, but the wife says it is out. She wants something that folds or tilts and not something she has to roll up and velcro. I really pushed this one, but no luck.

 

I should be installing my RollBak this weekend along with a bed extender. By dropping the tailgate and having the bed extender folded under the cover, I will have a small captured "trunk" for stuff at the back of the bed. Pop n Lock is already on.

I will let you know how it goes. I have some ideas for improving the overall weatherproofing of this type of cover.

 

I did probably one of the most cost effective things. The Trifecta tonneau, especially with their "Signature Series" material, is relatively inexpensive compared to others, and it meets your other requirements I think. The material looks like high quality canvas, like on an expensive convertible top, yet it's vinyl-backed. The seals are pretty good quality as well, and although it's not going to be water-tight of course, they also give you a tailgate seal that helps a lot. I ran mine in the rain this morning for the first time, and I didn't have any water in the bed. I expect there to be a little if there's a LOT of water on the roads. The cover sits on top of the bed rail caps with no problem and doesn't interfere with your stock bed rails at all. It's simple to fold up in seconds.

As for cargo dividers, I did the simplest... I got a couple of 2X8 boards, and cut them to fit across the bed inside the notches made for them. If you use a 2X8, you just have to fit them on the ends correctly. Easy to do, and they're about as sturdy as you can get. It will also allow you to slide sheets of plywood into the bed from the rear, on top of the 2X8s. On the rear 2X8, I attached a cargo net, with the lower corners clipped to the stock bed tie-downs. Works great for grocery bags.

I know there are more expensive setups, but this works good, for a good price, and it looks good. You can open the tailgate easily. When shutting it, it helps to slightly raise the edge of the tonneau - easy to do because the back mounts for the tonneau are spring-loaded and pop right back down against the tailgate.

Roger

 

...oh, I got mine from autoanything.com in record time... good people to deal with.

 

I have the Loading Zone divider and the bottom slides without a bed mat, like when groceries push up against it. The rubber mat helped some, but not ideal. The Toyota divider seems much better.

 

Unfortunately, the BakFlip does require you to remove your cleats because that's where the install bolts slide in. The front cleats are the only ones that you can use as tie downs, hence the easy install. You can open the tailgate without opening the cover. The cover self locks at each panel fold so there is a cable handle that you must pull to open each panel. I built a cargo divider with a 2 pieces of 2x6 that lays in the grooves in the bed. Only issue you may consider is the panels are heavy once you start folding it towards the front, may be too strenous for the wife. I would recommend this cover for those who plan on hauling alot and need full use of the bed. Looks very sharp and low profile. Sliding retractable covers are sharp but I will be more concern with reducing bed space for the box, retractable box being damaged by heavy items, or cover not retracting any more due to wear. I also remember the install for the Pace Edwards was a pain in the rear to get everything lined up to it will slide smoothly..Just my 2 cents..Good luck with your search..

 

Thank you for the response. How easy would it be for the wife to remove the first two spring loaded clips (I am assuming there is one on each side) and fold the first section back? How about putting it back down and latching it in place? That is one concern she has.

 

I showed this one to the wife and she liked it. Particularly the simple pull down cable to fold the first panel back. I do not really invision her ever having to fold more than the first panel to get to groceries or the stroller.

The thing that concerns me is the loss of the cleats. With the cleats gone what the heck do you tie to? I feel like I would lose a lot of options back there.

Also, was there a place to run the drain tubes on the Tacoma or did you have to drill a hole?

Thanks for the help guys, keep it coming.

 

Regarding the tie downs, that is the same issue I am encountering. Try searching for the Bakflip covers in one of the discussion threads. I recall a member giving some install pics and he added extra rings to the bed bolts. As for the drainage tubes, there were already too tiny predrilled holes in the front of my bed where the tubes could go, so I drilled them larger and bought some rubber grommets at the auto parts store to fit both the hole and tubes. I saw another member here made a y-adapter to connect both tubes to the center hole in the bed. Just FYI-the BakFlip cover comes off in less than 10 mins with loosening the rail bolts and folds away in the garage and the cleats can be put back on for hauling.

 

Formula51: regarding your question - it's super easy to unlatch and fold back the trifecta, and it's just as easy to reattach it. She should be able to do each side one-handed. It's like a plastic handle with an internal spring - you just pull it down and hook it over a little bracket. Not hard to do at all. Since the trifecta is a soft tonneau, it's light and very easy to fold. Anyone could do it, with no instructions necessary. I'm sure others can be just as easy, but I'm not familiar with them.

 

Well, I am leaning towards the BakFlip for two reasons.

1. It requires a simple pull of the cable to fold back the tailgate section.
2. It does not require any re-clamping to close the tailgate section like the Trifecta. Just simply push it down until it latches.

The BIG problem though is losing my rail system and not being able to fit a standard adjustable cargo divider. Sure I can build something, but making it easily adjustable is not that simple.

Do you think you could take a picture of the underside rail area of the BakFlip with the cover down (take a picture with the tailgate down) so I can see what is covered and what isn't? That would be very helpful.

Would like to hear from you guys with the BakFlip what you did to solve the loss of tiedowns and space for a cargo divider.

And of course, if there is another tonneau I am missing, let me know.