Tonneau cover vs topper.

[SteveSueMac]

If I can piggy back on the OP’s question - now that I’ve swapped from a hard tonneau to a leer topper - I’ve noticed there is a gap that lets daylight though on both vertical sides of the tailgate. I never noticed this before as the tonneau cover hid the tailgate from view. I never had water intrusion with the tonneau nor did I get dirt swirling inside the bed because of those gaps. But having seen them through the rear view mirror - I’m wondering if I should expect water or dust intrusion with the topper? What’s your experience?

Thanks!

[CBWELL]

I just installed a Raider cab height cap on my truck and installed the tail gate weatherstrip as well. Can still see 2 small spots that let in light will try to modify and close up these spots. I have had an Undercover hard tonneau and a soft roll up one in the past, but I think that the cap will work better for us when on the road for longer periods. I also installed a Traxion tail gate ladder to make it easier to get into the box. Down the road I will look at the roll out bed.. The Traxion ladder works great and is easy to remove if not needed. Should have had this 5 years ago!!

[Hyo Slvr]

I was considering a cap for my F250 however it'd be to tall to shoehorn in my garage. As it is there is about 3/4 in clearance from the rear of my crew cab and the garage door frame. The rubber strip rubs against the very back of the cab. A cap would not clear. Might be something to consider if you park in a garage...just sayin'

[Dtrentr]

Originally Posted by Jtholland

How much clearance between bedslide and top of liftgate opening?

About 34 inches to clear the hinges. To load the bikes I have to remove front wheels and drop handlebar stems. The bedslide takes up almost 5 inches of height but the convenience of not having to climb up in that 8 foot bed negates any loss of cubic feet for me

[Jtholland]

Originally Posted by Dtrentr

About 34 inches to clear the hinges. To load the bikes I have to remove front wheels and drop handlebar stems. The bedslide takes up almost 5 inches of height but the convenience of not having to climb up in that 8 foot bed negates any loss of cubic feet for me

Looks like a good system.

[kb0zke]

When we finally make the switch from MH and towed to pickup and Airstream we'll have a full cap over the bed. We're full-timers and do some construction work for our church, so we have to have our own tools. Yes, there will be a "drawer" in the truck to access the things farther toward the front. I suspect that the actual arrangement of where things are in the bed will vary depending on whether we're traveling or working.

[Len n Jeanne]

We have a Leer topper on our Tundra, and find it super handy for storing all kinds of gear. The truck has a rear camera for backing. We often go camping with our canoe, and the straight roof line of the topper + cab is an advantage for mounting the roof rack.

[Kanusport]

I like the diamond back hard tonneau cover. Also have a bed rug, this is a good combo for me and my needs. The diamond back supports a lot of weight on top and it is easy to flip one side or the other open. Easy to remove as well. Definetly worth considering.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I have the Retrax Pro roll up bed cover. It's real expensive, but does exactly what I want it to do. I towed my trailer for ten years with a Lincoln Navigator SUV. Now I have an F-150 pickup truck. My opinion and thought was that if I put a cap on my truck, I'm right back where I was with an SUV, which defeats my purpose for buying a truck in the first place.

[jaybauman]

Here's another vote for Topper. Looks good and adds functionality. Good luck with your choice!

[GettinAway]

I just have a tonneau cover. I haul too much stuff in my truck. Have a king size mattress and box springs in it right now. Haul firewood, motorcycles, etc.. It’s a trifold version that comes off and goes back on very easily. I have racks for hauling the kayak. I’d like a topper, but taking them off and going back on is a much bigger job. I guess if I wanted to add a small itility trailer, I could go back to a topper, but then the utility trailer has to be stored, maintained, property taxed, and licensed..

[moosetags]

We prefer a topper vs. a tonneau cover. I need the height to accommodate my Honda 3000 generator and all of the other tools and stuff that we carry on our Airstream journeys. What I don't think that I can do without is my driver side tool box built into the topper. The full length door on the passenger side of the topper provides pretty good access to most items in the front of the truck bed.

Our topper has a somewhat commercial look, but I kind of like this appearance over the more streamlined prissy look of most toppers.

Brian

[Tomzstream]

I had an ARE rear vertical door cap (with removed tailgate) on my old Silverado and loved it, as did my dogs. The entire rear hatch opened up to give easy access to the bed without the tailgate being in the way (something the new trucks are experimenting with). Couldn't do the same with my new Silverado High Country without losing the backup camera, so opted for a lightweight aluminum core Leer Trifold tonneau cover. Love it too! Front of the bed (5 and a half foot) is easy to get to with two panels folded up. Easily removed, but so far haven't had to. Looks great too.

The tonneau cover sits on top of the side rails and is high enough to allow me to haul my Yamaha 2400 generator. As far as extra storage goes, I have a standard rear opening Sears Sport cargo box I can strap to the tonneau cover (or use Yakima roof bars clipped to the tonneau cover) that allows for an additional 20 Cubic feet or so, and is a good place to put dirty stuff like wet lawn mats. It also gives some aerodynamic advantages when towing the Airstream.

[SuzieQ2013FC]

I have a Leer and love it. Understand though that this topper weighs approximately 250 pounds and eats into payload capacity.

[caz]

We have a soft roll up cover on our Tundra tow vehicle. Like the flexibility of running with it closed and locked. Or, open to carry kayaks & bikes when underway with our Airstream. Caz.

[TexAirS]

I have a Undercover tonneau on a 2500HD. Light weight. Six people can stand on it, but my friends and I are too old for that. Very secure to a point. Two people pulling up on the tonneau can open the tailgate. My tailgate locks.



I've found the tonneau is bit easier to get to things in the front vs a cap. Of course, being 6'2" helps. Right after the purchase, I saw a hard tonneau that the front and back lifts up. The shocks made an X on each side of the truck. Nice idea. Don't know the brand.


One of my previous trucks had a cap. Loved it. Camped in it. Could not see vehicles behind me or on either side. Nearly ran over vehicles in it. That's why I opted for a tonneau this time. Limitations on space. Guess we don't need as much now a days.


Sjohn

[trikdacy]

I use the Pace Edwards Ultra Groove Electric Tonneau, and it works great. I chose this so I can take extra gear in my Thule Motion XT XXL cargo box that is mounted on the Pace-Edwards Multi-Sport Rack System by Thule that slides right in to the Ultra Groove slots.

[SailorSam205]

Not explicitly stated:
Soft Tonneau - lightest - security? Out of sight, out of mind.
Hard Tonneau - heavier - Security? Can be hardest to open.
Cap - heaviest- Security? Windows can allow shopping to see what's inside.


I have the Ford OEM soft tonneau, does what I need. I've seen reports that lead me to think I MAY be getting a marginal improvement in MPG. From what I've read caps are neutral due to increased weight.

[jrwayne]

Pace Edwards Ultra groove metal. comes with Thule load bars. Add what ever carriers you desire.

[perryg114]

Tonneau cover is for people who want to use a truck like it is a car instead of a truck. A topper is much better.



Perry