Hard fold vs retractable tonneau

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

catinthehat85

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Posts
342
Reaction score
339
Location
Socal
depends on if you offroad or not. the vibrations cause issues with the mechanics of the the retrax. have had to fix several on trail over the years. but then the tri fold causes you to not be able to look out your back window. i have the revolver x2. has held up well but the vinyl top is starting to lift on the edges now. but it is 4 years old now.

Thanks for the info. Any idea if this issue would be prevented if the retrax was rolled up during hard off road driving? I offroad my rig quite aggressively from time to time and this post worries me.
 

AxelR

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2021
Posts
300
Reaction score
313
Location
Sunset
I’ve had the issue with the retrax as soon as I off-roaded it.
Hard to open until something pops back in - each time, it makes me wonder if I’m going to lose a finger…
But it looks great.
I went off-roading for a week and never opened it. Was on my own so didn’t use the bed. A little worried of how it held up. Will check tomorrow.
 

The Car Stereo Company

aka grumpy car stereo guy and frf rolodex
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Posts
32,701
Reaction score
23,808
Location
here, on frf
Thanks for the info. Any idea if this issue would be prevented if the retrax was rolled up during hard off road driving? I offroad my rig quite aggressively from time to time and this post worries me.
it didnt make a difference from what i have seen. im guessing it probably has to do with the winding spring. too many moving mechanical parts for heavy offroading. also might add, without a bed stabilizer, your bed cover will most likely fall into the bed since the bed sides flex quite a bit. doesnt matter the brand, it will collapse into the bed. with bed stabilizers the bed covers stay put and dont move
 

oswiff

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Posts
124
Reaction score
83
Any ideas on a bed cover that could be opened with the tailgate shut. I realize that it sort of defeats one purpose of a bed cover but my gen 2 had tailgate issues in the last 7 months. The tailgate wouldn’t open reliably despite two trips to the dealership. For the last 2 months knowing my gen 3 was close to arriving, I just kept my cover open.
 

MGSER

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2021
Posts
105
Reaction score
154
Location
Michigan
Which retractable is that in the picture, @RaptorMan703? Is that one motorized?
Retrax has both motorized and manual covers, I was think the motorized version should be cool until I saw lots of review talking about the motor longevity issue, then I decide to go with the manual version. Well, it is sitting at the garage while waiting the truck:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 

element217

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Posts
122
Reaction score
52
Location
Los Angeles
Any ideas on a bed cover that could be opened with the tailgate shut. I realize that it sort of defeats one purpose of a bed cover but my gen 2 had tailgate issues in the last 7 months. The tailgate wouldn’t open reliably despite two trips to the dealership. For the last 2 months knowing my gen 3 was close to arriving, I just kept my cover open.
The Retrax opens with the tailgate shut no problem.
 
Joined
Jul 5, 2020
Posts
33
Reaction score
27
Location
Maryville TN
Don't let anybody talk you into retrax. I thought it would be great but it's hot garbage. And somehow their customer service is worse than the product itself. I had to go to war with them on social media just to get them to honor their warranty.
 

BUGGOUT

Active Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Posts
53
Reaction score
40
My electronic retrax is great, no issues, you do lose bed space though........
 

Jake226

FRF Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Posts
290
Reaction score
361
Location
IN
I’ll second the Weathertech Alloycover. Hard textured black aluminum trifold cover that is durable and light. Very low profile and Easy to put on and easy to take off. Does a good job of securing the contents of my trucks bed. Only time water gets in there is when washing with a pressure washer. Never had water get in it during a storm or from snow melt.

We used the same one from our Gen 2 for this truck and it still fits great with a great seal.

Really it’s only negative is that you can’t secure it propped up against the cab. You can only secure in the full coverage or 1/3 coverage positions. So any task that requires more room above the bed rails will require you to relive the cover….but like I said, it’s super light weight, so removal is a non-issue.
 

Attachments

  • 05D3F2DE-C3F2-4ECD-BD1D-AAF4658D450B.jpeg
    05D3F2DE-C3F2-4ECD-BD1D-AAF4658D450B.jpeg
    189.5 KB · Views: 83
  • 3A4C0577-4678-4531-84C9-D15000BBFDDD.jpeg
    3A4C0577-4678-4531-84C9-D15000BBFDDD.jpeg
    302 KB · Views: 83
Top