Trailer Life's supposed article about bed covers

[WaltBennett]

I thought they might have some comments on at least one of the canvas caps available for TV beds, but they totally missed them. I've had a Softopper for our full-sized F350 bed since shortly after buying the truck and it's worked outstandingly well. I don't get anything from them, but this is one product that's more than lived up to it's advertising. My only complaint has been one snap that's a little off where it should be and the canvas needs to be good and warm to stretch and engage it. If it's a cool day, I just leave it be as there's more than enough others to hold everything in place. If we're traveling to shows to vend at, the cap folds up to the front of the bed and ties down to haul our Monty. When we get to the CG, I leave the hitch on the king pin, pull forward, put up the Softopper and I've an enclosed truck to haul our stuff too and fro. Reverse it all and we're good to go home. We're on the way to upstate NY tomorrow for a family thing and the weather isn't going to be all that great, so I folded it up, pulled the retainers off two pins, unhooked some velcro and took the whole thing off & stuck it in our garage. It's just as easy to put back on. I could even remove the bed rails by loosening a few bolt clamps and you'd never know it had been on the truck.

Why couldn't they include something about this thing?

[Art-n-Marge]

Probably because many people including me consider this a camper-like shell as opposed to a more flush mounted bed cover.

What I wish about truck bed covers is that someone would design an extension that fits around the truck bed rails, front bed rails and adds a little height to the truck bed gate. The problem I have with my existing truck bed cover, is that now that I have a tool box its sits a little too high above the rails and the truck bed cover no longer fits so I removed it. The height of the truck bed is under 19" and this seems just a little to short for many items. If the truck bed height to the rails was more like 24" then the truck bed cover would fit more times than not, then even you tall guys would be like me and need a ladder or step to reach into the bed.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by Art-n-Marge

Probably because many people including me consider this a camper-like shell as opposed to a more flush mounted bed cover.

What I wish about truck bed covers is that someone would design an extension that fits around the truck bed rails, front bed rails and adds a little height to the truck bed gate. The problem I have with my existing truck bed cover, is that now that I have a tool box its sits a little too high above the rails and the truck bed cover no longer fits so I removed it. The height of the truck bed is under 19" and this seems just a little to short for many items. If the truck bed height to the rails was more like 24" then the truck bed cover would fit more times than not, then even you tall guys would be like me and need a ladder or step to reach into the bed.

Art, not that it helps you any now, but I bought my tool box at Lowes and it fits perfect. Not only does it fit even with the bed rails so the toneau cover will clear it, but the box lid just clears the side rails of the toneau. Here's an old pic:

[Art-n-Marge]

Yup, Tom., I've found others, too. But if I could get a riser for the edges I could carry a Honda EU3000 under the cover. Fortunately I have EU2000s and while they fit under the covers, the tool box is too high. so I carry the EU2000s in the tool box, and the cover is in the garage until I figure something out.

Going back to the Topper, I did consider one when shopping for a bed cover but it was over $1000 to me, where the bed cover priced out at $600.

Since then, I see are many trucks where I live using the Topper. Even more Toppers than hard shelled campershells, so they are popular.

[bennettommyd]

I just ordered the Bakflip F1. You guys might want to look at these. It's a 4 panel and I can tow with the cover folded all the way against the truck window or only to the last panel.

[bennettommyd]

Should also mention they have a cover that works with a tool box.

[Art-n-Marge]

That's the bed cover I have in the garage now (BakFlip from Bak Industries). It doesn't fit over my new inbed tool box. It was the original style. They have since improved it a bit and added a model with a small tool box. I've had mine since late '06 and it's having some problems (some rivets came out, I replaced them with screws, some of the sealing tape has fallen off and I've retaped it up, but for now it sits in the garage.

I really like how it flipped back on itself in four sections (3 for short beds) and left pretty much the whole bed available for cargo since there was NO canister. The only thing some got weirded out about was whole thing folded up against the back window and completely blocked the rear view mirror. But so did tall cargo and when you're driving a truck you're mostly driving with side mirrors anyway. The other wierd thing was that if one did not flip the sections all the way back, the sections needed to be strapped back down. It you did not do this and either the wind or your speed were too strong and coming to the front of the vehicle, the wind could pick up the sections and flip them back onto your cargo. Happened to me only once, then I purchases hold down straps to keep the sections down.