Tonneau or not to Tonneau -- any efficiency improvements ?

[ullearn]

does Caps / toppers if level with the rough impact significantly efficiency?

trucks are moving bricks so losing a small % is meh

I am tempted by the fas-top tonneau & topper combo

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[RickLightning]

Are you familiar with the design of alot of Tonneaus on the market?

The tri-fold and quad-fold take less than 10 seconds to fold up and have access to the entire bed (or depending on the model, almost the entire bed). Really no hassle at all.

Actually, some designs offer more flexibility than others. One issue I have with many of them is that even folded/rolled, they block the very front of the bed. If I have say a refrigerator to move, I put it in the front corner of the bed, with two sides pinned against the truck, and then strap it in. The front of the bed is not able to be pushed against with many of the designs on the market today.

My 2013 has a now discontinued Extang Encore tri-fold. I can fold it to 1/3 size and use it, I can open just the front section (rarely do) with a key), and I can remove it from the truck in about 1 minute if I go slow. Many of the current products bolt in the front of the truck, so removing them is not easy, and then you have to realign things.

A few summers ago we loaded 2,200 sandbags over the summer, building a dike due to high lake water. I took the cover off, then put it on when I needed it. Worked great.

Many of the current designs still have a pull wire to open them. That really annoys me, when other designs by same company have a rotary knob.

I'm still undecided as to what I'm buying.

 

[BennyTheBeaver]

Actually, some designs offer more flexibility than others. One issue I have with many of them is that even folded/rolled, they block the very front of the bed. If I have say a refrigerator to move, I put it in the front corner of the bed, with two sides pinned against the truck, and then strap it in. The front of the bed is not able to be pushed against with many of the designs on the market today.

My 2013 has a now discontinued Extang Encore tri-fold. I can fold it to 1/3 size and use it, I can open just the front section (rarely do) with a key), and I can remove it from the truck in about 1 minute if I go slow. Many of the current products bolt in the front of the truck, so removing them is not easy, and then you have to realign things.

A few summers ago we loaded 2,200 sandbags over the summer, building a dike due to high lake water. I took the cover off, then put it on when I needed it. Worked great.

Many of the current designs still have a pull wire to open them. That really annoys me, when other designs by same company have a rotary knob.

I'm still undecided as to what I'm buying.

For my needs and budget, I tried a folding soft cover. It might work for some but the motion of the fabric while driving down the highway was very distracting so I returned it.

I ultimately went with a low profile hard tri-fold that gives me a little more than 2/3 full access. Yes, I don’t have full bed access. I needed a cover since I live in Oregon, and the full bed access ones were $300-$500 more. I analyzed my cost vs actual needs/usage and sacrificed the full bed access. Mine does have the pull wire you don't like. I, personally, like that pull wire because I can open the tonneau from either side of the truck with the tailgate down (as I need to be on the side to fold it when needed anyway). Everyone's use case is different.

Should I need to remove it, it takes less than a couple minutes. Just flip the mounting clamp/handles, and take off. Still don't see that as a hassle.

For people looking for a low profile with full bed access (they do exist) you can check out this:

https://extang.com/xceed/2022/ford/f-150-lightning

 

[Bokenator]

I bought this one:
https://realtruck.com/p/lomax-tonneau-cover/v/ford/f150-lightning/2023/

LoMax stands for Low profile, max security. Its definitely low profile, maybe sticks up a 1/4 inch from the bed rails. It is a locking tri-fold, but as previously stated, any determined human with half a brain could figure out how to get into one if given a coat hanger and any experience with tonneau covers. Or a sledge hammer and a bad attitude. That being said, the same thing could be said for your garage door or the front door of your house; locks only keep honest people out.

Santana Lee at Real Truck utilized the "Lightning forum discount" and was able to get it to me for $765 + taxes for the matte black one. I believe it retails for about $990.

It's a tri-fold, and only gives you access to about 2/3 of the bed as it can't rotate up flush against the back window. When I needed to pick up mulch, I took it out in about 5 minutes (tailgate step was useful in getting easily in and out of the bed). Took about as long to put it back in. Probably weighs about 35-40lbs, so your 5'2" 120lb wife won't be able to remove it easily by herself, but I'm 6'5" and 260lbs and can take it out with no problems.

Advantages are the look and the concealment from prying eyes. If you can afford a Lightning, then you should get the Tonneau cover for the additional storage/trunk space. You like your frunk? Now multiply that space by 6 and make it accessible without all the beeping and buzzing. Unless you own a landscape company or haul stuff in your bed on a weekly basis, its a great place to store your kids sports equipment, golf clubs, camping equipment, power tools, Costco purchases, etc. Effectively turns your truck into an SUV that can be converted back into a truck in about 5 minutes. I purchased the Ford cargo net using my Ford Pass reward points to secure small things like groceries and keep them from sliding all over the bed.

My LoMax tonneau has never leaked (in the 2 months I've had it), but I garage park at home so YMMV. I wouldn't put a computer or your signed Last Will and Testament on the floor of your truck bed anyway, but hey - you do you!

 

[Jim Lewis]

How many of you folks use netting or tie-downs to keep stuff under your tonneau cover from sliding around? One of the reasons I got my truck is I have a lot of "stuff" in the house to get rid of. The contents of our daughters' rooms (they either finally say what they want us to truck to them, or it's going to the dump!). Same with a lot of other stuff in my house that's been sitting around for years: to Goodwill, to recycling, or to the dump. But with some of the bigger, heavier stuff, I can see some items doing a job on the truck bed (or me!) if it slides around on the final trip to meet its destiny or I, unfortunately, come to a sudden, unplanned stop.

BTW, @RickLightning, thanks for cluing me in that Bak makes Rev. The Bak MX4 is ~$250 cheaper on Amazon than the Ford Rev hard folding tonneau cover, has a 5-year warranty instead of 3, and seems to be sturdier as it supports 400 lbs vs. 300 lbs for the Rev. And Bak actually has a decent product materials description as opposed to ~zilch for the Rev on the Ford site. So I ordered the Bak MX4.

 

[RickLightning]

Rubber bed mat.

 

[BennyTheBeaver]

How many of you folks use netting or tie-downs to keep stuff under your tonneau cover from sliding around? One of the reasons I got my truck is I have a lot of "stuff" in the house to get rid of. The contents of our daughters' rooms (they either finally say what they want us to truck to them, or it's going to the dump!). Same with a lot of other stuff in my house that's been sitting around for years: to Goodwill, to recycling, or to the dump. But with some of the bigger, heavier stuff, I can see some items doing a job on the truck bed (or me!) if it slides around on the final trip to meet its destiny or I, unfortunately, come to a sudden, unplanned stop.

BTW, @RickLightning, thanks for cluing me in that Bak makes Rev. The Bak MX4 is ~$250 cheaper on Amazon than the Ford Rev hard folding tonneau cover, has a 5-year warranty instead of 3, and seems to be sturdier as it supports 400 lbs vs. 300 lbs for the Rev. And Bak actually has a decent product materials description as opposed to ~zilch for the Rev on the Ford site. So I ordered the Bak MX4.

I use nets/tie downs as needed. I have the spray in bedliner, so I'm less worried about the truck and more worried about things in the bed slamming against the side or into each other.

 

[Webbo85]

I use nets/tie downs as needed. I have the spray in bedliner, so I'm less worried about the truck and more worried about things in the bed slamming against the side or into each other.

I have the spray in bedliner and used my points to buy the ford rubber mat. The texture on the spray in bedliner is pretty coarse, so the mat protects things sitting on top and will minimize the slide. Then use straps as necessary.

 

[Jim Lewis]

the Rev hard folding just appears to have a 3/4 inch thick plastic board in the folding sections.

I'd suggest that your research is lacking if you think the solid tonneau is a plastic board..

@RickLightning. Hi, Rick. I think we're both right. In the following Bak YouTube video, a Bak spokesperson shows a cut-away of a hard panel. It appears to be an aluminum half-shell wrapping a hard plastic board. I'm not sure if he's holding the cutaway upside down. If not, the aluminum is the bottom tray holder, and the foam is most of the interior. Perhaps there's another surface coating that I didn't catch for the top surface?

The title rubric of the Bak video says, " The BAKFlip MX4 features heavy-duty aluminum matte finish panels that offer superior UV and scratch resistance, and an enhanced premium density foam core. "

Link to video at time cross-section is show:

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