I’m hoping you guys can help me out in making my decision on a bed cover.

My goal can be best described as I want to make the bed of my new 2009 Ford F-150 Supercrew into a big trunk. I want it to be secure and dry for clothing if I take a trip or bags if I take the family shopping out of town.

So the question is would it be best to purchase a hard cover…..looking at the A.R.E. LSII…..or a roll top style……looking at the Truck Covers American Roll Cover.

Any and all suggestions would be great and If anyone has these covers can you give me pros and cons?

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

i had a snug top on my old F150 that was fiberglass. I really really liked it and even miss it now. Kept everything secure because of two locks and was pretty simple to get off when i needed to put something in the back that was larger. The only downside to this cover was it was painted and it got a lot of scratches and whatnot from its large surface area.

That being said, i plan on getting the Undercover Tonneau Cover for my 09. Its a hard plastic that can even be painted. Since i have a black truck the black plastic wont be an isssue for me. Another plus is that its only weighs about 55lbs, has dual locks and is water tight. I will be picking one up within the next couple months

 

I was solidly going with the fiberglass cover as well, but got interested in the Bakflip HD. Since I have the side box steps, it seemed like a better fit for me. I have had it for 3 weeks now, and the fit & function is better than I hoped. Very happy with the look and performance.

 

I too have the bakflip hd and am pleased with it. If you decide to go that route, pm me and I'll give you a good source.

 

A fixed hard cover means you can never load anything taller than 20", or whatever the dimension, in the bed. So, dumping landscape materials in the bed, or moving appliances would require taking the cover off which is usually not a quick process for most fiberglass covers like the ARE. That's why many people like other types. There are soft vinyl covers that roll or fold quickly, but are not very secure for $150-500. There are hard rolling covers like the American Roll Cover, Pace Edwards, Paragon, Retrax, etc. Some people have leaks, others not. They cost about the same as a fiberglass cover. There are so many options because everyone's needs and uses are different.

I had a vinyl snap-based cover for my first truck and a roll-up vinyl cover for my current truck. I want water tight and easy access, with security not as important. The undercover looks interesting for my next truck, but I have little reason to not choose a vinyl cover for my uses.

 

Love my Snuglid by Snugtop. If I need to carry something that doesn't fit I take it off (with an extra set of hands) or pull a trailer. 99% of the time it does all I need it to do and is very secure.

 

I've had fiberglass and the standard snap on tonneau covers. But I LOVE the tri-fold type. I currently have the Extang Tri-fecta and previously had the Lund Tri-Fold. Both are excellent.

The big advantage is that you can flip back 2 sections of the cover and secure it without removing the cover. And, if you need the whole cover removed, you can do that and put it in the back seat (if you have a SCREW) or even in the bed - which you CANNOT do with a hard fiberglass cover.

As for security, with the locking tailgate of the F-150, someone would have to use a knife to cut open the cover. But because its opaque, they would be guessing as to whether there was something valuable or it was empty. So I feel very secure.

 

It all depends on how you use your truck. I have an Access roll up soft cover. It's perfect for my needs. It is water resistant, but not water proof. I can roll it up in a few seconds when I haul our dirt bikes.
The painted fiberglass covers look the best and will be basically waterproof, but you have to remove them to haul anything large and you will have to be very careful not to scratch them. This will also require two people.
The plastic Undercover item will do the same job, but doesn't look quite as nice as the painted covers. The black textured finish does blend in with the black trim items such as the bed rail and bumper caps well. It also hides scratches so you don't have to be as carefull when removing it. It's also a lot lighter so it can be removed and installed by one person. Plus it's cheaper.
That about sums it up.

 

This morning I ordered a Bakflip HD based on the recommendation from a few here (thanks guys!). I'm looking forward to receiving it.

 

This is the same reason I am looking at this type too for when I haul my quad. But I also want it to keep things dry in the bed when I am not hauling. So are you telling me that it wont keep the bed dry or does the water seep thru in a heavy rain?

 

http://www.diamondbackcovers.com/products_tc.asp

 

wandell posted some good pros and cons about the hard covers above.

I've tried several hard covers such as fiberglass covers, Advance folding cover, RollnLock rolling cover. all have their pros and cons.

but I think the new Bakflip HD folding cover combines the best of both. It's hard and secure, sits flush with the bed rails so it looks good, and then folds up easily out of the way when you have to haul tall items. also you can remove the cover completely by undoing two bolts.

Again, as I posted on here before, anyone can email me through my profile and I'll hook you up with the source to buy the Bakflip cover at a discounted price.

 

You can buy a Ford branded version of the Bakflip HD. It's the same thing but it cost a lot more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEySZ0bLgAI

 

I have more water get in while washing my truck than during rain. Some water will seep in however. Very water resistant, but not waterproof.

 

Thats a pretty good video. Looks like a great cover as well. Thanks for posting it!