Tonneau Covers

[Rootsy]

Well after the 6th harsh winter the tonneau cover on my F150 finally gave up the ghost and decided to give the big rip... RIP ole lund...

i've been doing some looking around and as far as soft tonneau covers go i don't know what is the best... or what is good or what is junk... there are a lot of manufacturers now in a lot of price ranges and a lot of styles...

i need something that is easy to take off and put back on IN THE WINTER as well as the summer.. something i DO NOT have to use pliers on to get the snaps snapped... and i am not all that comfortable with the snapless covers... and definitely no velcro... i USE my truck to haul things and it comes on and off quite regularly...

so give me your experiences and opinions...

1998 F150 SB / Flareside

JR - shocks next...

[Walt. H.]

Hi James,

Long time between hello's, :wavey:

I have a "SportMaster" soft tonneau on my Dodge for the past 4 yr's still like new. It uses long style gas struts for a tall opening, all the other brands didn't open as high, it has a one lever release lock underneath like what is found on any garage door to open it "(cross bar lock)". Snaps still work like new even in the winter. It can be remove as a one piece assembly by two quick release hinge pins and a few snaps in the front part. Or unsnapp it completely and rolled it up and knock the support stays out of the way if you didn't know ahead of time while on the road you needed to carry something large back to the shop or home.
My brother inlaw has the same brand on his F-150 for the past 3 yr's and likes it the same as I do.

Check "Sportmaster" out in the back pages of your Summit racing catalog or other auto supply stores etc.

Take care,

Walt, :wavey:

[TBroccoli]

I have a 1997 F150 short bed. I have a Roll-n-Lock cover made by Rhino Linings. It is made of aluminum with a padded vinyl covering. It works just like an overhead garage door. When in use it pulls tight and locks securely to the tailgate. If you want, it rolls up in a 9" x 9" metal box just behind the cab window. It works great and still looks great after 6 years. It cost me $700 in 1998. Saved $100 by installing myself.

[Ranman]

Jamie,

I was skeptical at first, but I am now sold!. Truxedo low profile is the way to go. CHeck out www.truxedo.com. THere's the standard and the lo-pro ( I have the lo-pro). Joe has one on his F-150 and loves his too. You can also search for tonneau info at www.f150online.com. Good luck.

BTW, I can get you a good deal on the Truxedo if you're interested. I paid $325 for the Lo-Pro on my 04 SCrew.