Gatortrax Retractable Tonneau Cover

[Billablehours]

Look at the Undercover Armorflex. I chose the armor flex since I can’t stand dents and scratches that are inevitable on the BAK MX4 and similar covers. No leaks, automatic lift gate closes perfectly and you get full bed use.

 

[witt182]

Has anyone tried to connect an automatic/electric tonneau cover to the upfitter switches? I have a few other lighting mods planned for the switches, but since there are six of them........

 

[simsn]

So, I spent entirely too much time this week reading reviews and watching youtube videos.
What I have concluded so far:

Tri-fold Covers: They are pretty much all the same from company to company. There may be minor quality differences between brands and models, but not enough to justify some costing double what others cost. The pro for me is you get complete bed access. They all claim to lock with the tailgate, but a crowbar could defeat any of them in under 30 seconds.

Retractable: Pros are full bed access and key lock. Cons are you lose bed space and cost.

Peragon: Pros are full bed access, key lock, and fast removal. Cost is also not terrible. Cons seem to be build quality and you cannot put tall items near the cab.

Diamondback: Probably the most durable and secure for under $2k. Cons: you do not have full bed access and is the most expensive of the group.

Did I miss anything important? I also always welcome alternative and dissenting opinions.

 

[Tremor14]

So, I spent entirely too much time this week reading reviews and watching youtube videos.
What I have concluded so far:

Tri-fold Covers: They are pretty much all the same from company to company. There may be minor quality differences between brands and models, but not enough to justify some costing double what others cost. The pro for me is you get complete bed access. They all claim to lock with the tailgate, but a crowbar could defeat any of them in under 30 seconds.

Retractable: Pros are full bed access and key lock. Cons are you lose bed space and cost.

Peragon: Pros are full bed access, key lock, and fast removal. Cost is also not terrible. Cons seem to be build quality and you cannot put tall items near the cab.

Diamondback: Probably the most durable and secure for under $2k. Cons: you do not have full bed access and is the most expensive of the group.

Did I miss anything important? I also always welcome alternative and dissenting opinions.

Seems as though you've ruled out roll up covers. Those are the most practical and cost effective IMO. I always went with the Extang Classic Platinum which was an under $300 roll up with snaps on 3 sides. I had one on my first truck, a 93 Lightning and it lasted 10 years and still looked good when I traded the truck. It stayed nearly 100 % dry inside. I bought the same for all 5 trucks I owned. Extang discontinued the snap down covers. There were some still out there, but I decided I wanted the bed rails available on the Tremor and the Extang covered them. I went with the Truxedo Sentry roll up. I ruled out 3 piece because they cover the back window when opened and are supposed to be fully open or fully closed. I ruled out retractable because they have too many moving parts, take up about 25% of bed space and cost is too high. There are many roll up covers in the $300-600 range that would likely be good choices. I think the roll ups do the best job of keeping bed dry. As far as security, some will take 10 seconds to break into, others will take 30. I wouldn't leave anything of value in the bed and expect the cover to do more than keep stuff out of view.

 

[Fozzy]

Has anyone tried to connect an automatic/electric tonneau cover to the upfitter switches? I have a few other lighting mods planned for the switches, but since there are six of them........

I have the Retrax powered cover. It’s a key fob to open and close it. I programmed the garage door buttons on the visor to control it from the cab. I am sure you could do it if you had to have it. It would take two switches to operate them since the cab switches are only on/off. Three if you wanted to control the light.

 

[moultrie83]

Surprisingly easy install even for just one person. Went back and made sure the rails butted all the way up to the front of the truck with the seals even though they were probably fine first time.

Guess we’ll see how water tight it is. A plus is it seems like a super easy dis and re assemble if needed.

 

[dfcpapi]

I order the below retractable Tonneau Cover on Amazon for $849. Waiting for it to be deliver today. Will post photo after I install it.

Syneticusa Retractable Hard Tonneau Cover Fits 2011-2023 Ford F-150 (incl. Raptor/Lightning) 5’6” (67”) Truck Bed Matte Black Aluminum Waterproof​

 

[lefty02]

Revolver X4S. Hard roll-up cover with a soft appearance. No actual bed space lost. Only about 6” above the rails just behind the bulkhead

 

[simsn]

So after much debate and research. I have decided to pony up the extra cash and buy a Diamond Back SE in smooth black with no cleats. I will provide pictures and an update once it arrives and is installed if anyone is interested. Thank you for all of the comments and recommendations.

 

[simsn]

After two weeks of waiting on production and shipping my cover has arrived. So far I am super pleased with the Diamondback SE. I got the smooth finish with no cleared installed. It looks clean. After the 24 hour cure period I will spray it with the power washer and see if it indeed waterproof.

 

[mjenergy]

Thanks for all the pictures. of your Diamondback SE. My plan is to also purchase a Diamondback SE and my ordered truck is also silver in color.

 

[Olaf109]

Have you looked at renegade? They seem to have a really nice product but the lead tines seem ridiculous!

 

[TREMOR-412]

Gator. I got this from a dealer missing all the mounting hardware for $300, bought all needed parts from Retrax for $120. I like it for the price.