Help me make up my mind - tonneau cover or camper shell?

[cantdrv55]

Seriously cannot make up my mind between a tonneau or shell for my TV. Both are on sale for Black Friday but of course the shell costs quite a bit more. The tonneau I am considering is rigid aluminum/plastic that folds back in sections. The shell I am considering is plain white but still costs a pretty penny. I want security and utility.

Which cover do you have and do you wish you went the other? Thanks!

[rmkrum]

Have a one-piece tonneau cover on this TV, hate it. It leaks and is not tall enough for stuff I want to carry in back. Our ice chest is too tall to fit-spare propane tanks barely fit.

A cab-high camper shell makes more sense to me like our prior TV setup. I'm too cheap to change it out so we live with it.


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[rmkrum]

And to be honest, the shell leaked occasionally as well...


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[Msmoto]

Have hard tonneau, want hard shell, especially one which replaces the tailgate with a stand up door. Dodge/Cummins 2500 Crew Cab Long Bed 4X4


Ms Tommie Lauer
Greensboro, NC
2015 Serenity 30 RB / 2008 Dodge Cummins 4 X 4
WBCCI #4165 AIR #31871

[SCOTTinNJ]

I can't fully open my tailgate when hitched so I just bought a soft roll up cover. Will see how it works out. Figured anything else with the exception of a tri fold might be tough to access.

[Msmoto]

The tailgate issue is why I want a stand up door.


Ms Tommie Lauer
Greensboro, NC
2015 Serenity 30 RB / 2008 Dodge Cummins 4 X 4
WBCCI #4165 AIR #31871

[GCinSC2]

Best thing I bought this year, my cap. We just completed a trip with several inches of rain, cap did it's job. Mine has side windows hinged at the top allows access to gear.

[Bruce B]

I have never used a cap on the truck. Certainly it gives you the most, secure space!
As I have had need of an open bed when not towing, we opted for a fabric tonneau cover. Ours is an accessory that was sold with the TracRak system of racks that was made by Truxedo. It is a very good solution for our needs. Not perfect at keeping the heaviest of rains from the cargo area but very good none the less. It rolls up nicely and has been easy to live with in general. It also has the added feature of locking shut when the tailgate is locked to provide some security of your stuff (as much a fabric cover can provide anyway...)
Bruce

[mimiandrews]

We have the Extang folding tonneau cover, and like it. It can be removed when the load space in the truck is needed for other uses, and (with a locking tailgate) gives good, out of sight security. I prefer a tonneau because it doesn't interfere with the driver's visibility when clearing for lane changes, etc.

[Florida 55]

I had the Backflip F1 folding tonneau cover. I very much liked the functionality of the cover, particularly having full use of the bed when it was folded back.

It had a few small leaks in the beginning. After 2 years it leaked badly. To the company's credit BakFlip replaced the cover under the 3 year warranty at no charge. The new one leaked as well. I finally gave up and bought an ARE cap which I like very much, particularly the extra storage space. No leaks so far.

If the BakFlip folding tonneau didn't leak, I would prefer it to the cap. A folding tonneau offers better visibility than a cap, weighs less, is easier to remove, costs less than a full shell/cap, and allows the owner to stand up in the bed of the truck for loading and unloading.

[Bill M.]

Been using a hard shell (low) cover for 7 years now. Still like it. It is dry inside and locks fairly well. Just high enough for a H3000. I use a 2000 and run it on the tailgate. I have a drawer on one side to protect and access sensitive stuff. Full height on the other for generator, tool box, and other stuff. A lot of it stays in the truck year round. The truck is a daily driver and my wife likes the good visibility from the low cover.

[Sweet Air]

I also prefer a hard folding tonneau cover. I got mine through GM and the brand is Fold-a-Cover. Everything in the bed is more accessible and it offers protection and security. It is not "waterproof" but mine only lets in a trickle of water during the heaviest of downpours. It also offers a slight improvement in gas mileage and is totally removable in minutes if needed.

[Colin H]

I have had a cap on all of my pick-ups over the past 25 years or so, & always felt that was necessary. I loved the space, but hated the look, poor visibility compared to an open bed & having to crawl into it in order to get stuff from the front of the bed.
My latest pick up, an 07 Chev 2500 HD crew cab, Duramax came with an ARE rigid tonneau. I started looking for a good used cap because I thought I needed one.
The reality is that when I had the cap on the previous pick up (I still own), I always packed it so all of my "stuff" stayed below the top of the box, allowing the best visibility, so I really don't "need" the height of the cap.
The tonneau is completely water tight, no one can see what may or may not be in the box, lockable, is hinged at the front, so I can load/unload from the sides as well as the rear (doesn't destroy my knees, like loading with a cap) & is mounted with gas struts to aid in lifting.
Another great feature is that the rear of the tonneau is several inches higher than the top of the box, so taller "stuff" can still fit, allowing me to close & lock it. You can also put much taller "stuff" in the box if you leave it open & lash the tonneau down to the hitch. I don't do this often, or for long distances, but it does allow greater flexibility.
Although I've always thought of tonneau's as a waste of money, now that I own one, I'm a believer

Colin

[dkottum]

We needed something to keep stuff from blowing out of the bed, some rain protection, and a level of security when the tailgate is locked. Did not want to block visibility when driving. And we needed easy access and the ability to haul things like brush or a large appliance.

Our new truck is a work horse more than a luxury liner, so no fancy cap was in order. We bought a Access soft roll-up cover and it does everything we need at a low cost.

A couple of other considerations. We have a half-ton truck so when towing there is limited payload for stuff in the bed. And why spend $2500 to protect a $1000 item, when you probably have it insured for theft.

[jm2]

used Glastite tall fiberglass caps on my El Caminos and Ford Ranger pickups from 1976 to 1996. switched to Ford's soft tonneau cover for the 1997 Ford F150 Supercab, and never looked back.

been using Truxedo LoPro QT tonneau since 2005. am very happy with the product, and the manufacturer's warranty and customer service. TruXedo Lo Pro QT - #1 Selling Soft Roll-up Tonneau Cover

and, fwiw, we've also been very happy with our Bedrug bedliner. have used the same tonneau and bedliner on our 2005 + 2008 + 2011 trucks

ymmv

[A W Warn]

I've used fiberglass caps on my last 5 trucks, for the past 15 years. The first was a wedge. The next were cab height. The one I have now is 4" above cab.

Up side - extra dry storage space & roof rack to carry the canoe
Down side - can't reach in over the sides into the bed

[TinTin]

We have an Extang solid folding tonneau. I like the quality of the tonneau, the look of a truck/tonneau combination, and the unobstructed vision. The fibreglass capper may have a big advantage if you plan to carry a large generator. The Honda 3000 wouldn't fit under my tonneau (2014 Sierra).

[Drathaar]

I prefer canopies over a tonneau because we can get larger items (e.g. Bikes) in out of the weather, and keep things relatively secure. Because our new truck is a crew cab, the passenger side vision isn't as restricted as other cab designs. I do recommend a quality canopy, such as Leer or ARE, over cheaper brands. You won't have issues like leaking windows, and the dealers tend to still be in business if you do have an issue.

For the folks that have a problem bringing the tailgate down when connected, try rotating the head of the jack 90 degrees.

[terryV]

I have had the same hard Al, 3 section folding tonneau for 2 trucks, now. It's heavy, but I could dance on top of it. (Well, that is if I could dance.)

I can go thru the automatic car wash, and it doesn't leak a drop.

Obviously, I like it. The only drawback is my next new truck will have to have a 6 1/2 foot bed.

In getting to this point I had caps and some soft tonneau covers, both the roll up ones and the 3 section, stretched over a frame versions. They all had problems, for me, anyhow.

The key is, what works best for you. You are the only one who can answer that question. Sometime trial and error is the only way to find out.

[SeeMore]

I have the ARE cap, cabin height, which works extremely well. No leak issues and side open windows are available. The deciding factor for us was it's function as a kennel, too.