Rolling bed cover

[CygnusSailor]

Has anyone used one of the rolling bed covers to cover the bed when you're not pulling the 5er? They look great and it appears that they only take up a small strip at the front of the bed. Is there any problem using one of these covers with a 5th wheel?

Thanks,

[KJPCalgary1]

I have used a hard, roll-top cover in each of my trucks for 15+ years of towing my 5th wheels - 2 separate trucks and 2 separate 5th wheels. They work great - it slides right over top of the 5th wheel hitch when not hooked-up. You can toss stuff in the back (i.e. BBQ, lawn chairs, coolers, etc.) and then lock it up over night. It also keeps fire wood dry. You just need to ensure that your hitch is not too high for the cover to roll over top of. Yes it does take up some room in the front of the truck box, but the benefits out weight the negatives in my opinion.



Good luck!



KJPCalgary1

[ThreePutt]

The roll up cover works real well. I have the trifold now although it is a nice cover it is not worth a darn if you have a 5th wheel. You can't see the hitch when you back up I had to put a mirror on the 5er in order to see the hitch.

[happycampers]

Bakliner makes a nice roll up cover... but its not cheap...That may be my next investment.
http://www.bakliner.com/rollbak/retractabletonneaucovers.html

[salda01]

I have a Retrax cover on my truck, and I'm very happy with it. My soul purpose was I wanted something lockable and more durable than vinyl to keep prying eyes out when the trailer wasn't hooked.

I installed it with my father in a little bit over an hour not including unpacking it. Retrax packaged both boxes very well. 20-30mins unpacking

No drilling required, at the time I think it was Pace Edwards roll-up that required drilling 2 holes.

It takes about 12" of bed space from the front, but it sits about 12" off the bed floor so you still can carry long boards if need.

I'm able to use a bungee cord to hold down the hitch handle when not towing to close the cover. Otherwise it scraps the handle and add friction when opening and closing.

In 3 Wisconsin winters the cover never ice up.

It's not cheap, but I would suggest you check them on the web, truck forums and your local dealer.

http://www.rolltopcover.com/

I just looked on their website and I see they offer a electric one and a integrated light which would be nice.


Edited by: salda01

[Dutch and Di]

We used the Pace Edwards for 13 years and when that finally wore out, we too went with the retrax rolltop. It works very well and we're happy with the system. It didn't take all that long to install. Diana

[Troubleshooter]

Howdy all. I also use one of the Retrax bed covers. The lexan top finally wore out (cracks) after seven years. As it was well out of warranty, I asked the manufacturer what could be done, and they sold me a new canister/cover assemlyat a very reasonable price (roughly 1/2 the cost of a new cover). This allowed me to re-use the side rails, front cover, and mounting brackets, saving beaucoup bucks. Disassembling the old cover andreplacing with the new canister would be about 1/2 hour job, although it was overnight for me as I took the opportunity to repaint the rails and front cover where they had faded a bit over the years. The manufacturer also sold me their updated lock assembly which incorporates a rubber cover. (The original style was exposed, and ice would occasioanlly accumulate to where you couldn't insert the key).



All in all, I've been pretty pleased with mine, and they have shown superb customer service.

[pegger]

If price is a strong consideration you might consider an Extang tuff tonno. We have been using ours for 6 year and it is still good. It does not have the security of the above units and works on the principle of out of sight out of mind.
As far as protecting the truck bed and contents from the environment when the 5th is not on, it serves the purpose.
One drawback it has is that in very cold weather it becomes very difficult to put on
See http://www.extangfactoryoutlet.com/extang-tuff-tonno.html

[Canucklehead]

We have a retractable canopy that works great in providing security, and versatility with the FW. The website is www.fastkap.com. They are based out of Kelowna BC.
Obviously it is not a rolling bed cover, but it does serve a similar purpose.
We have had ours for 6 years and it still looks new.