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Help me find the right tonneau cover for me


Nitrousbird

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Just picked up my new '18 GMC Sierra SLT crew cab truck.  

My previous two trucks were an Escalde EXT and an Avalanche.  I love the hard covers that are stock with them.  3 piece, individually removable, waterproof and you can walk on them.  Very durable and work great  Also, they are flush with the top of the bed rails.

Who makes one that is similar?  Nothing metal.  No one-piece covers.  No soft covers.  The Back Flips seem to be the closest, any other alternatives to that?

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I bought the Bakflip MX4 for my ‘15 crew cab short bed Denali and have been happy with it. Pluses: It looks great, easy to install, mostly water resistant and lets me use most all of the bed when I flip it up against the window which was a must for me, especially with a short bed. Minuses: Would I walk on it, absolutely not even though it is claimed to support a good amount of weight. I do step on the header (short section against the cab) in flip flops when I wash and wax the roof. It does leak a little and I knew when I bought it it would. Especially with 3 hinges so I wasn’t put off by that. I have a foam rubber pad insert so everything is off of the bed so my stuff hasn’t  gotten wet. From a security stand point I do lock the tailgate which prevents the lid from being lifted. Bottom line is any bed cover is only going to keep honest people honest. I used black silicone on the header and single side taped closed cell foam pads on the rear rails when I installed it, so it is probably more water resistant than straight OEM topper. Would I buy another one, yes. It works great for me. 

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The more I read about the Bakflip, the more I'm inclined to go with a different brand.  A lot of bad reviews; poor workmanship and leaking.  

I'm used to having a dry bed.  When we travel, leaking water isn't something I want to deal with.  I do like @Ronnie suggestion of the Retrax.  I've seen a few of these; that one looks like a better design than some of the others.  I've been looking at the Gator 3-piece units as well.

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4 hours ago, Nitrousbird said:

Just picked up my new '18 GMC Sierra SLT crew cab truck.  

My previous two trucks were an Escalde EXT and an Avalanche.  I love the hard covers that are stock with them.  3 piece, individually removable, waterproof and you can walk on them.  Very durable and work great  Also, they are flush with the top of the bed rails.

Who makes one that is similar?  Nothing metal.  No one-piece covers.  No soft covers.  The Back Flips seem to be the closest, any other alternatives to that?

I think your closest thing is a Bakflip tonneau.  I've had a couple of them and they are OK, but not durable enough for me.  There is an epic thread from around 2010 on one of the ram boards on what it took to get them to honor their warranty.  Walking on them does reduce their life.  The panels are not individually removable, they come off as a single folded unit.

Not exactly what you are asking for, but the Diamond back cover like I have does allow you to remove each panel, however the center one requires tools.  You can get either the Standard which holds 400lbs or the HD which is good for over 1000 and you can transport an atv or 2 on it depending on bed length.

Edited by oldjeep
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I know you said no soft cover but you really can't beat the versatility of a good low profile rollup. Sure it's not as secure but with a locking tailgate, you'd need a box cutter to open one up, and since they're transparent, most theives won't waste their time and assume it's just covering an empty box anyways. The good ones seal really well. 

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13 minutes ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Honest question as I really have no input for a cover suggestion. Unless you have a roof rack on your truck, why would one need to walk on their bed cover?

That is typically why I walk on mine - kayak racks.  But we also haul stuff on top the cover when the bed has been filled.  Just plop the washing machine on top the cover and tie it down (don't do that with a bakflip)

Edited by oldjeep
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I have a bakflip mx4.  I like it, but it does leak a bit.  The only time I've ever had water is when its raining super hard.  I'm sure I could reinstall and try to take care of the leaking but it's not really an issue for me since it's not that much.  I wouldn't walk on it, but I feel like it's secure when the tailgate is locked and I like that it can be flipped all the way up since I have a short bed.

 

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4 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Honest question as I really have no input for a cover suggestion. Unless you have a roof rack on your truck, why would one need to walk on their bed cover?

Washing the roof.  I wash my truck on average of once a week and my vehicles are only hand washed.

 

4 hours ago, oldjeep said:

I think your closest thing is a Bakflip tonneau.  I've had a couple of them and they are OK, but not durable enough for me.

Not exactly what you are asking for, but the Diamond back cover like I have 

From all the reviews I've read, no way on the Bakflip.  Now there are other brands that have a similar design.  As for yours, it just isn't my style.  

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15 minutes ago, Nitrousbird said:

Washing the roof.  I wash my truck on average of once a week and my vehicles are only hand washed.

 

From all the reviews I've read, no way on the Bakflip.  Now there are other brands that have a similar design.  As for yours, it just isn't my style.  

They make long handled brushes you know.  :)

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16 minutes ago, Nitrousbird said:

Washing the roof.  I wash my truck on average of once a week and my vehicles are only hand washed.

 

From all the reviews I've read, no way on the Bakflip.  Now there are other brands that have a similar design.  As for yours, it just isn't my style.  

Ok, so silly question.  Why not open the tonneau and stand in the bed if all you are doing is washing the roof? 

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Just now, oldjeep said:

Ok, so silly question.  Why not open the tonneau and stand in the bed if all you are doing is washing the roof? 

Because its wet. :)  I dunno, because I'm simply used to walking on my covers.  As much crap as people on here give folks for the Avalanche and Escalade EXT, they really were great trucks.  

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3 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Ladies and gentlemen, a truck guy :rofl:

Honda Civic, Lambo or anywhere in between...don't abuse your paint.  The clear coat gets enough swirls without introducing more with brushes, automatic car washes, etc.  Why not take care of it with the right products?  A huge bag of microfiber towels (that will last you several years if you rinse and wash them) from Costco is like $20.  Just yank the tag and enjoy.

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2 minutes ago, Nitrousbird said:

Honda Civic, Lambo or anywhere in between...don't abuse your paint.  The clear coat gets enough swirls without introducing more with brushes, automatic car washes, etc.  Why not take care of it with the right products?  A huge bag of microfiber towels (that will last you several years if you rinse and wash them) from Costco is like $20.  Just yank the tag and enjoy.

My truck spent last week running down gravel roads in northern mn, the type of rag it gets wiped with isnt a big concern 😁

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ahopkins22LSV

Lol I drive dirt roads daily so that’s why I guess I don’t understand washing the roof. Plus are you worried you are going to run into shaq at Costco and he’s going to judge the cleanliness of your truck roof?

Trucks are meant to have character. :)

 

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Work trucks come in white for a reason. You can wash them with whatever you want and they still look good.

Really, who cares about the roof?   Are you the type of person to wax underneath your trailer bunks too? 

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10 hours ago, Ronnie said:

Maybe not exactly what you're looking for but I really like my Retrax ProMX cover.

Retrax cover.

Just put one on the 19' High Country. I like it the best out of the 3 brands I have. Been raining (flooding) here in Texas and the bed was nice and dry when we got to Dallas Friday, my Rollbak or the Pace Edwards don't seal near that good.

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So this may not check the boxes you are looking for, but I really like my Undercover Ridgelander tonneau. It is one piece, very durable, water proof and I really like the cross bars to stow skis or other gear. An added bonus is it seems very protective of gear and it locks securely to keep the box locked tight with the tailgate lock.  I have not seen any other pickup with this cover and it took me some time to find what I was looking for. I’ve been very pleased with this option!  

 

https://www.undercoverinfo.com/p-37120-undercover-ridgelander.html

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