Tonneau cover vs topper.

[Milo1952]

As much as I like the retrax pro xr, I'm not sure that I am willing to give up almost a foot of truck bed space. That would make me a 5 1/2 ft bed instead of 6 1/2 ft long bed. Just a thought.

[Goonies]

I use the FlipBak hard cover. It’s all aluminum and flips back in 4 sections to open. It locks with the tailgate key. When it’s flipped back I can stand up in the bed of the truck to unload my gear or haul items that won’t fit under the lid when it’s closed. Works well for me. Ordered from e tra.....

[Jtholland]

Originally Posted by brad1

The extra space that you get with.a Leer or similar topper makes it easier to load in too much stuff and potentially overweight the tow vehicle. Not a deal breaker, just something to be aware of.

That’s why I bought an f350. Payload of 3197 lbs.

[sparkymark]

Me2 F350

[Jtholland]

Originally Posted by sparkymark

Me2 F350Attachment 335900

Looks good. What kind of cap is that?

[Jtholland]

Originally Posted by Jtholland

Looks good. What kind of cap is that?

I looked again and notice palm trees in the background. Where might that be?

[Rounder44]

I've been a topper guy all my life but the new Tundra I'm eyeing I will get a tonneau cover instead.

My rational

1. I rarely load higher than sides of bed.
2. Cheaper
3. More secure: can't see in
4. Can add stuff on top like a bike!
5. Getting stuff in and out of a topper can be a head ache literally! I gashed my head last week hopping up and nailing the topper!
6. As with the bike while you may be able to get some things in a topper they may very well be so buried and so hard to get in/out as to be a major frustration. I have to unpack almost the entire truck or crawl back and forth to reach a package in the front of the bed! Even when I plan ahead packing!

If I had a topper I don't know if I'd bother to switch to a tonneau though...

I saw a couple mentioned above... any others to shop for?

Thanks,

R44

[sparkymark]

It’s a Leer 100XL and I live in Laguna Beach, truck is across street from my house.

[mtbackpacker]

I’ve done the topper thing in the past but won’t be doing it this time around. The topper was great for the dog and hauling a bunch of gear out of the elements and made a natural translation from the way I used my Tahoe. It was such a pain to deal with it almost never left my truck despite the lift I purchased to hoist it up to the ceiling in the garage.

The topper wasn’t great for all the uses that made me get a truck this time around over an SUV. Namely any kind of shoveling or hauling heavy stuff, loading and unloading, etc. A topper is just in the way at that point.

I am going with a Peragon hard aluminum tonneau this time around. I haven’t used it enough to know if it will be worth recommending but it is very light weight ~40lbs and removes easily.

[Colossus]

Originally Posted by 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.

Do you loose a lot of space when the Retrax is rolled up? Does it leak in heavy rains? Did you carpet the truck bed?

I use my truck to haul things from time to time and to move things the wife often purchases (furniture etc..), to put cap on would limit my ability to easily do so.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Colossus

Do you loose a lot of space when the Retrax is rolled up? Does it leak in heavy rains? Did you carpet the truck bed?

I use my truck to haul things from time to time and to move things the wife often purchases (furniture etc..), to put cap on would limit my ability to easily do so.

Hi, I lose about 10"s in the front from the roll box, but there is enough room for my two tool boxes to fit under the roll box. Also with my tailgate down, I can carry 8' boards including several sheets of plywood with about a few inches sticking beyond my tailgate. Note: I only have the 5.5' bed. Very little if any water gets in from normal rain and car washes. My generator and containers stay dry. I have a spray-in bed liner, no carpet. I can carry some furniture and even a few loads of rocks without removing the cover. For 14' boards, I load them through my back window and pull them down against my tailgate with ratchet straps.

As you can see, I bought my truck for towing my trailer and to have my generator set up in the bed, but my wife had projects, so my truck was used as a truck when needed.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by mtbackpacker

I’ve done the topper thing in the past but won’t be doing it this time around. The topper was great for the dog and hauling a bunch of gear out of the elements and made a natural translation from the way I used my Tahoe. It was such a pain to deal with it almost never left my truck despite the lift I purchased to hoist it up to the ceiling in the garage.

The topper wasn’t great for all the uses that made me get a truck this time around over an SUV. Namely any kind of shoveling or hauling heavy stuff, loading and unloading, etc. A topper is just in the way at that point.

I am going with a Peragon hard aluminum tonneau this time around. I haven’t used it enough to know if it will be worth recommending but it is very light weight ~40lbs and removes easily.

Not sure about the Peragon, but have you checked out the Xtang Tri-Fold? I have had on my last 2 TV's, and love it. Easy to install/remove, 1 person, folds up and locks if you need to ride with it open, very strong on top, and provides good weather protection. For my use, the only complaint I have is when I want to use my kayak and need to install a Thule rack in the back along with my roof rack; I need to use a tarp if raining and stretch netting to secure to the tie downs when folded open for this. This combo works fine for us.

[Smh]

We are planning to go with either the RetraxPro or Pace Edwards rollup. This is largely due to the fact we can’t carry our heavy eBikes on the TT rack. With batteries removed from the bikes were right about 45lbs which will work with the Yakama High Road rack. Here’s a video you might want to see by Long Long Honeymoon that reviews the ReTraxPro:

https://youtu.be/35MQwnRNKzY

[absteen]

I, like most of the respondees, prefer the topper for room, and security. Depending on state of registration, it can also be a huge registration fee saver. In California, I have always had a Leer Shell on all my trucks. My truck is therefore registered as a passenger vehicle, thus avoiding the commercial tag requirement here on all trucks. My DMV fees are about 60% or maybe a little less for passenger vs commercial. Added bonus, I think the aerodynamics are better.
Andrew, K6STN
2017 27"FB International Signature
2017 F-250 Diesel 4x4 Lariat crew cab

[Pruckles]

Originally Posted by Jtholland

I finally found and purchased my future full time TT, an Avion. 34w(10.6 meter), now all I need to complete my rig is a bed cover/topper. Any and all pros and cons of tonneau covers, fiberglass toppers, etc. , and why and what you use would be appreciated. Thanks JT

I have a GMC Canyon. I feel I have the best of both worlds. An aluminum cover from diamondback. I can carry virtually anything on top including an atv. It’s lockable and waterproof. Looks great too. Kind of expensive though $1700.

[Rain]

Originally Posted by Jtholland

I finally found and purchased my future full time TT, an Avion. 34w(10.6 meter), now all I need to complete my rig is a bed cover/topper. Any and all pros and cons of tonneau covers, fiberglass toppers, etc. , and why and what you use would be appreciated. Thanks JT

Sung top with opening side windows, front slider, full truck rack is what we use on our F150 supercrew 4x4 eco boost. We have a full rack with welded wire top (800# + capacity) that goes from the front of the cab to the back of the camper. We haul anything on the roof using the amp side steps and built in tailgate step. We’ve hauled furniture, lumber, kayaks, skiis, bikes, you name it. The rack sits 6” over the shell and we have solar panels mounted under the welded wire keeping the rack top flush. 100W solar panels lose about 20W but we have room for 600W, currently just using one and that one with a Renogy Charge controller keeps the trucks dual batteries charged. We also put lights and an awing on the rack for night/day trip use. The rack/shell versatility is amazing.

The shell is a snug top (who custom made the rack) with side opening windows making accessing “stuff” simple. We have a bed rug kit, easy access swing boxes, and an ARB fridge in the shell and carry a tailgate tent and air mattress in the shell as well for emergency or overflow sleeping use. This combo is the best setup I’ve yet had on a truck, and this is my 5th.

The combination looks like this:

[SlvrBllt]

I have a Bak-Flip. Hard cover 4 fold ( I have s 6’ bed). Doesn’t leak. good security features. Google Back Flip if you want to see more.

[napabill]

I have a hard fiberglass tri-fold tonneau cover. It is secure with the locking tailgate, and (I measured first!) clears a Honda EU3000iS by ¾" in my F150. Looks nice, impervious to hail damage unlike aluminum, cost $400 from eBay. I like the look, the access, and the unimpaired visibility.

[mnleber]

Im a Grandpa with a full size 3500 Savanna. Pros: security, passengers, a ton of cargo and full plywood sheets even with seats, good visibility😃 Did I say good mileage with AS 23 ft. Rides like a champ

[Ultraclassic]

Originally Posted by Jtholland

I finally found and purchased my future full time TT, an Avion. 34w(10.6 meter), now all I need to complete my rig is a bed cover/topper. Any and all pros and cons of tonneau covers, fiberglass toppers, etc. , and why and what you use would be appreciated. Thanks JT

I am new to this also, but went with a soft roll up instead of a flip flop, due to the ease of rolling it up out of the way, and cost. I had a cap and removed it for weight saving