How do you cover the back of your truck?

[aname4me]

Can you please tell me... the soon to be rookie.

How do you cover the back of your truck?

We are in the process of planning (dreaming about) our summer AS adventure.

At present, the truck has a cloth Tonneau cover. This has served us well. It is light, and rolls 100% out of the way. I live in a small place, so security has not been an issue.

I would like to hear what you selected to cover the back of your truck. I am guessing the big issues would be security, volume of storage, quality.

Do you have tinted windows, painted window? A commercial caps with window storage?

How do you lock it up... factory lock, hasp lock?

Did you chose a taller truck cap in a hope of getting better mileage?

Does anyone use those giant drawers they make for the bottom of the bed? Has anyone made there own “truck bed storage unit”?

[rock60]

i used a leer cab high topper for years on my 8ft bed and used a 6ft broom handle with a hook on the end to reach things. you can store alot of stuff in there and stays dry. i just used the factory lock. also used the bed mat not a liner, the liners are to slick and everything slides around.

[Wingeezer]

I suppose its a question of how you intend to use it, what your budget is, and also to a lesser extent what sort of a "look" you want.

I've only owned two trucks including our present tow vehicle.

After looking at all the options, a cap that follows the roof line of the truck was my choice.

I felt that a tonneau cover, fabric or fibreglass, although costing a bit less, wouldn't give me the amount of storage space I wanted, and would not be all that convenient. I did recognize that it would give me the option of being relatively easy to remove it carry extra high objects, but that has never really become an issue.

I suppose the higher caps that extend above the height of the truck cab are maybe the most practical, but for some reason I've never liked the look of them.

The only mistake I made - on our first truck - was to save a couple hunded $ buying a less expensive cap - and I got what I paid for. Water leaks, terrible lock and window hardware and rippled fibreglass.

For our present truck present truck I bought a Leer cap and it suits our needs perfectly.

Its windows are tinted quite dark and difficult te really see what is inside. I just rely on the tailgate lock and the lock on the Leer cap rear window. When I carry a little Honda gennie inside, I cable lock it to one of the tie down points in the bed. Most of the rest of the stuff I carry in the truck bed is not of great value.


Brian

[Dwight]

I saw this truck at a Airstream rally recently....

[2airishuman]

this is a common issue,

so 1 might imagine it's been covered a time or 2 here.

a simple search with any of the key words used to describe these things will bring up MANY threads and pix.

here are just a few with loads of details...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...lls-52455.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...bad-27878.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f161...elp-11494.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f161...ver-15855.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...ers-41412.html

lots of good options, THINK about what/how much U plan to carry in the bed.

Originally Posted by Dwight

I saw this truck at a Airstream rally recently....

that's a louisiana truck right?

i saw it at 2 rallies a few years back and met the owners (in oregon ?) ...

very nice set up, but a full utility bed and cover isn't inexpensive,

nearly ordered 1 for the last/new truck.

cheers
2air'

[driftless]

We bought our Ram 1500 new in 2008. It's a standard cab with full bed and 4WD. Both the truck and bed cover we selected were based on our desire to use the vehicle for multiple purposes.

We installed a fiberglass cab height cap with tinted windows and a floor mat that doesn't allow things to slide around. Because the bed height is substantial (4WD), I use a step stool to climb in and load or unload at the front. The rubber mat does a great job of keeping things in place but does make loading a bit more difficult.

I wanted the full bed because I do some carpentry and woodworking. Hauling 4x8 sheet goods completely inside the bed is really nice.

We chose the standard cab because I didn't want the longer wheel base of a club cab with the full bed. Things change and now I wish we had the club cab and short bed.

We use the truck for our family business to pull a 14ft covered cargo trailer. Because we have that trailer, I never have to worry about taller or heavier items going inside the bed of the truck.

For security, I just use the factory lock on the cap. We live in a pretty safe area and the only theft we've experienced was the removal of the spare tire from under the truck by some low life, theiving, b.....d. I use combination padlocks on the trailer and a lock on the hitch both when it is connected to the truck or parked.

For us, the fiberglass cap was the right choice. So, I'd suggest, that unless you are only going to use your TV for pulling your AS, you need to review all of the potential uses you may have for the TV and then make your decision.

I did think about the slide out bed tray, but the step stool was much less expensive and the tray's use is limited when the truck has a trailer attached.

Hope all this helps....

[wasagachris]

I bought this truck new and ordered an ARE cap with it. It was painted to match the truck. The options on it are side flip up windows, front sliding window to match the rear window of the truck and it folds down to be able to clean the outside of both truck and cap windows. It also has the dome light. The tailgate locks and the cap has a handle lock as well.
The box was sprayed with Rhino Liner.
TW Series Truck Caps : A.R.E. Truck Caps and Tonneau Covers

[gamana]

I have a Diamond Back HD cover which supports 1,600 lbs, has two locks and a black line coating. I like it very much. It also bought the commercial ladder rack option to carry a 20ft aluminum canoe and 4 bikes.

DiamondBack HD Truck Bed Cover: Heavy Duty Aluminum Truck Bed Covers

[pappy19]

I have an Access soft cover on mine and this is my second one. The first one was on my long bed and I had it for 4 years in all kinds of weather with never a problem. Sold the long bed and got a short bed truck. I bought another Access cover just like it and have had this one since 2007 and it looks just as good as the day I had it installed. The best thing about the soft cover is that you can roll it up to use the bed for odd objects. I've never had any problems with theft as when it is closed all the way and my tailgate is locked, it's secure. When I had my 5th wheel the Access covered the 5th wheel hitch and kept it out of the weather. For me the Access soft cover is a very good deal at around $350.

Pap

[tkasten]

I use the Truxedo soft cover that rolls up. My 09 Silverado 4x4 has an 8' bed. I use a tool box and can still carry my 4 wheeler. I keep a Honda 3000 Gen. chained in the bed of the truck for our entire travel season. When I want to use the gen. I just roll back the cover a few feet and good to go. I can still carry 8' sheets of plywood and large tall items.

[truckasaurus]

It also comes in a heavy duty version but the std is good for a few hundred pounds, (I sometimes use it as an elevated work platform too). Gull wing (removable) panels front and back and lockable/ weatherproof, even in Alberta! I think I'll modify it later this summer to incorporate cooling and exhaust for a Honda generator but otherwise it's a pretty simple solution to the truck bed conundrum.

[4RXLA]

I use a Bed Rug and a motorized retractable metal bed cover. I didn't want a cap because it makes it too easy to bring too much "stuff" on trips. Plus, I like having no blind spots. It works for me

[Antique Pedaler]

Originally Posted by rock60

i used a leer cab high topper for years on my 8ft bed and used a 6ft broom handle with a hook on the end to reach things.

A simpler idea is to just carry your Zip Dee awning hook in your pickup to reach things. My trailer came with two of them.

[Charlie M]

I went with a cab high Snug Top, very dark tinted windows (out of sight out of mind) and a Bed Rug. The Bed Rug cuts the road noise and prevents a lot of sliding around. The Snug Top costs more than most but it is a well made product. My first Snug was the "lid," a good product but limited space. My current Snug Top is my second Top.

[Gene]

We had a cap on a truck in the '90's and didn't like the poor visibility out back. Backing was more difficult because it's hard to see through a topper and with a trailer, I want to see well in any direction. People can see what you have inside, so that may be a temptation.

We have a hard tonneau with the factory lock. Usually we are in low crime areas, so we don't worry about it. Most things we carry can fit under the cover and when I need a bunch of 8 or 10' lumber, I tie down the tonneau with bungie cords attached to the locking mechanism's bars. It looks flimsy, but I've been doing it for years without incident. The cover comes off pretty quickly if I want to carry tall items. I imagine it is lighter than a topper and that matters with a half ton truck so far as payload is concerned. I can often get things in the front of the bed by standing on my toes and reaching in from the side and2 getting my clothes dirty when the truck is dirty. You can stand on the tire to reach in if you c an get your foot between the wheel spokes. I do like the idea of using the awning hook.

There are 3-part hard tonneaus where you can remove all or part quickly. The ones that wind up at the front end of the bed would seem to have freezing issues in the winter, but I have no personal experience.

Gene

[Lucky Dog]

We bought our 2006 Silverado pre-owned and it came with a Pace JackRabbit retractable tonneau. It is lockable, as is the tailgate, and keeps the bed suprisingly dry. I guess if somebody wanted in bad enough, they could get in, locked or not. It does a good job of keeping objects out of sight, no wind resistance like some caps and retracts for loading taller objects. It has held up very well. Your choice will depend on your needs and like always, how much do ya want to spend!

Rich

[stufarmer]

I keep it simple...

[Phoenix]

This is what we have on our Tundra: Toyota Tundra Tonneau Covers - photos

We've had it since we bought our pickup in 2008; absolutely no water leaks from car wash or driving at highway speeds in heavy rain, but some dust comes in around the tailgate (not the fault of the tonneau cover).

However, same problem described by CrawfordGene: it's hard to reach stuff near the front of the bed. But, it is still hard to reach things with the tonneau cover open or off.

BTW, Stufarmer, nice setup!

[Gene]

There are kits to seal the tailgate. They are rubber pieces that you cut to size and they have self stick glue to adhere to the bed body. That has cut down road dust a lot. Sometimes snow or dust can blow in under the tonneau where it meets the tailgate, but usually there's no problem. Very little water has gotten in.

Gene

[Jammer]

I've had a couple of toppers over the years.

Most of last year I traveled with an open bed. I do not carry a generator, and find that in many cases, I don't need to use the bed for storage. While boondocking I sometimes carried auxiliary water and wastewater tanks.

I have a Suburban now, and the body style inherently solves the "bed cover" problem, although carrying gasoline or garbage is problematic.