Tonneau Cover Question

[captbanjo]

We have ordered a 2017 GMC 3500 HD truck with a six foot bed and crew cab. Does anyone know if a folding tonneau cover will fold close enough to the cab in order to leave room for the fifth wheel hitch?

[drjjj]

All a folding cover is going to do is keep out some dirt. No security whatsoever. I shopped a lot before having the Retrax cover put on my 2015 Ford. They even make one now with a remote control to open and close it. You won't regret spending the extra $ IMHO.

[hybridhauler]

I second the Retrax Pro. It has to be the best mod I have ever installed on a vehicle. It provides a very good seal and is very easy to use. Well worth the extra dollars spent

[Rondo]

I also have the Retrax and will not be without it. Yes it does take a little space but it can be rolled to any spot in the bed and set there. I have the short bed and a Reese Slider but have not used it since we've bought the 2013 Monte. I do bungee the Reese handle down but aside from that I've had no other problems.

[captbanjo]

Thanks everyone. This is news to me.

Rondo, what takes up the extra space?

[Starmaster]

Hi Capt'n

I have a BakFlip F1 that I use on our F350 SB and have no problems leaving it on and folded while towing the Monty. The Retrax is an awesome cover, but also one of the most expensive. Some BakFlip models can be had for almost half the price of the Retrax.

BakFlip construction is as good as the Retrax. The Retrax is easier to store and deploy that the BakFlip.

Just another option to consider.

Dave

[uhftx]

One other thing no one here has mentioned. If you are in snow country. They will all freeze and Ice up with melting snow. I have always used a roll up cover just for that reason. You still have to brush off the heavy wet snow just like the roof of your truck or can be cited by law enforcement.

A few of the flip up ones actually flip all the way up to the back window and cover the view while backing and hitching.
This may be a limitation on the larger panels that fold over one another. The roll up one does not offer much security though. If that is your objective.

Just the out of sight and out of mind when covered, also keeps the rain and snow out of the bed. Once the tailgate is unlocked there is an inside release to open and roll the cover up manually. But a rambo knife is undeterred. I've never had an issue though.

quote:Originally posted by captbanjo

We have ordered a 2017 GMC 3500 HD truck with a six foot bed and crew cab. Does anyone know if a folding tonneau cover will fold close enough to the cab in order to leave room for the fifth wheel hitch?

[TLightning]

Get one that rolls up. Velcro secures it when not towing.

https://www.realtruck.com/extang/?ut...=tonneaucovers

[whiterose]

From the photo, it appears the Retrax is mounted in such a manner as to reduce the effective width between the bed rails. I have seen instances where the the back of the pin box has hit the truck side rails when backing into a tight unlevel site. Also seen on the same truck, the pin box hitting the tailgate when operating the hitch in the slide position. Maybe attributed to the pin box dimensions, but it was the standard pin box on a Montana High Country.

I have a rigid tri-fold cover, which, because of folded height, makes it unsuitable when towing. If I was to get something different it would be a roll up.

[BB_TX]

quote:Originally posted by captbanjo

.... what takes up the extra space?

The hard roll type covers roll up into a canister at the front of the bed. So you lose about a foot of room at the front. The canister is square and does not reach the floor, so you still have room to slide stuff under it.

[Rondo]

Wayne-- Sorry I haven't got back to you sooner but been busy here trying to get everything done before the cold weather hit here. BB_TX has it correct. The ReTrax rolls into a square canister which is from 10-12 inches from the front of the bed. It goes from side rail to side rail and secured there. I've had no problems with the pinbox hitting it or the rails installed on the side rails for the cover. and I hav had no problems with the pinbox hitting the tailgate either even in the slide position. I just had a new Retrax put on my one ton. The old one was nearly 8 years old and it is presently being checked out by the dealer to see if it can be repaired because it got stuck in place for some reason. We don't know why. I have a feeling it is a bearing on one of the rollers but not sure. They are checking it out. If it can be fixed, I'm going to put it on my 1/2 ton that I received as a birthday present from the DW. Isn't she a sweety! Even though the original ReTrx malfunctioned I got a lot of use out of it over the years and hope get more if it can be repaired. I'll take the ReTrax any time. The new one I got is the Pro series which is an aluminum cover rather than the plastic but the plastic has held up well and I have done some torture to it with other things being carried in the bed of the truck. It shows no signs of cracking or anything else. It is the Retrax One if I'm not mistaken. Let us know what you decide. If you have any questions PM me and I'll be happy to answer anything you might come up with.

[jlb27537]

I knew I was going to add a in-bed fuel tank and the Retrax box would be a issue. I was not worried about securing the bed, only out of sight, so I went with a Truxedo Lo Pro cover. It rolls up easily and provides the covered bed when not towing.

http://www.truxedo.com/p-36211-truxedo-lo-pro.html

I added a 60 gallon RDS tank and while the oem 36 gal tank would be Ok, I find having 90+ gallons of fuel makes it nice not having to worry about finding a station. I often double tow and at over 70' need a bit of room.

http://www.rdsaluminum.com/

The pin box hitting the side rails is usually only a problem if you have the long pin box. Last I looked at the new trailers @ CW, they all had the short pin box, but pin box length is dealer determined. Mine had a long pin when built, but I had it changed to a short since I knew I would have a 8' box truck.

[Bigsky3625RE]

quote:Originally posted by hybridhauler

I second the Retrax Pro. It has to be the best mod I have ever installed on a vehicle. It provides a very good seal and is very easy to use. Well worth the extra dollars spent

Agreed. I have the same one and would never get anything different.

[JABURKHOLDER]

To the OP, I know you asked about folding tonneaus and others suggest the Retrax instead. An option not mentioned is the Truxedo Deuce. It is a roll up cover but has a flip up section at the cab end. That end can be "locked" and with the tailgate locked you do have some security. But, like someone mentioned, not against a Rambo knife. A nice addition to the Deuce is the TonneauMate. It's a lockable cargo box that mounts under the cover, off the rails and off the floor. You can access the box from the flip up end of the Deuce or by rolling up the cover. That's the combo I have and I am very happy so far.

[PapaBeav]

Just installed this one in my new truck, took about an hour to install. I think it is perfect and looks great. JMHO



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Carl n Susan]

Another really happy Truxedo Deuce owner. Front or back access is invaluable.

[Art-n-Marge]

Don't know it's availability but how about a hardcover sectional called BAKFlip. No canister but you lose a little space as it flips back against the rear window.

[Simpson9508]

I also have the Truxedo Deuce. I have a floor mounted tool box in the front of truck bed. The Deuce makes it very easy to access the tool box.

[captbanjo]

So, I'm honing in on ordering the Retrax MX1, non-electric style. For those who have bought one of these, or something similar, what is the difference between the standard rail and the wider rail? Is it just an aesthetic thing?

[richfaa]

Just a regular ordinary roll up cover on two trucks since 2006. We are all over the country and never a security problem. We just wanted one to keep the hitch dry when not towing and the rollup cover does the job at a reasonable cost.