There are four main models that are tops in this category of a Tonneau Cover. We will give you our findings with advantages and disadvantages and best place to buy within this folding tonneau cover review.
Number 1 – of four is the Bakflip HD Tonneau Cover
Main Advantages:
Hard Cover - A Strong, hard aluminum tonneau with a baked on black powder coat finish.
Easy Install - Very easy and fast install. Usually within a half hour.
Lockable - When the cover is closed it automatically latches and the latches are hidden with the tailgate up.
Easy Access - Very easy access to your cargo area
Stake Holes - Stake holes are left revealed and useable
Bed Caps - Will accomodate most factory bed caps
Warranty - 3 year
Main Disadvantages:
Bed Caps - Will not accomodate aluminum treadplate bed caps (sealing problem with these caps)
Needs Tailgate Lock - The cover is locked with the tailgate closed but you need an addon tailgate lock to increase security.
Best Place To Buy – BAK BakFlip HD Tonneau Cover, BAK – Tonneau Covers – Folding Tonneau Covers
Number 2 of four is the Solid Fold Tonneau Cover.
Main Advantages:
Hard Tonneau – Being made of aircraft grade aluminum alloy makes this truck bed cover a very sturdy folding tonneau which is painted with a black textured poly-tex paint.
Ultra Strong - Compared to the soft folding truck bed covers this cover is constructed ultra strong.
Esay Install - Comes completly assembled for easy install. Extang boasts fastest and easiest install of any hard cover.
Convenience - Unlike many tonneau covers, the folding design allows simple, quick, super easy access to your cargo area.
Bed Caps - Fits with factory bed caps and most aftermarket vinyl bed caps
Warranty - 3 years
Main Disadvantages -
The tonneau does not come with a lock
The stake holes are covered and are unusable. (This is the only reason we dropped this cover to number 2)
Will not fit with aluminum bedcaps or over the rail bedliners without a few small cuts in bed liner for clamps.
Best Place To Buy –
Extang Solid Fold Tonneau Cover, Extang – Tonneau Covers – Folding Tonneau Covers
Number 3 of 4 is the Bakflip G2 Version
Main Advantages:
Tough Vinyl - The vinyl on this tonneau cover makes a hard, strong tonneau cover. Will stand a rougher usage than most covers will handle, and still keep its looks.
Easy Access - As with other folding truck covers in this folding tonneau cover review, easy access to your truck bed is what makes these covers so valuable.
Lockable - As with the HD tonneau, the cover latches when it is closed and is hidden with the tailgate closed.
Lower Price - This cover has the advantage of a lower price over the top two.
Stake Holes - The stake holes are usable with this tonneau installed
Warranty - 1 year
Disadvantages:
This cover has the same disadvantages as the Bakflip HD model.
Security – This cover locks when it is closed and the latch is hidden with the tailgate closed but it needs an addon tailgate lock for more security.
Best place to buy – BAK BakFlip Tonneau Cover – G2 Version BAKFlip Tonneau Cover without BAKRak Truck Rack 26404
Number 4 of 4 – Trifecta Tonneau Cover
Main Advantages:
Fast, Easy Install - Installs in a few minutes (Comes fully assembled)
Easy Access - The great thing about a folding tonneau cover is the quick, easy access to your cargo area.
Bed Caps - Will work with manufacturer vinyl bed caps and most aftermarket vinyl bed caps
Light Weight - Saves fuel, protects cargo and is still light in weight
Warranty - 10 Year tarp warranty and lifetime on the frame.
Cost - Less expensive than the hard folding tonneaus with all the benefits
Disadvantages:
Construction - This cover is not a hard cover, it is a soft cover with options of traditional vinyl or signature series vinyl backed canvas .
Aluminum Bed Caps - Will not work with aluminum rail caps
Stake Holes - The stake holes are not revealed so they cannot be used
Security - Locks with latches that are hidden when tailgate is closed but not as secure as the hard cover
Best place to buy - Extang Trifecta Folding Tonneau Cover, Extang Truck Bed Covers – Folding Tonneau Covers
This letter is to document that the Extang Solid Fold Tonneau installed on a Toyota Tacoma or Tundra Truck may come loose and fly off of the vehicle creating a Highway hazard and may even cause an accident resulting in injury or death. The design of the front attach point should be investigated. I believe the attach point design, which incorporates a slotted screw hole (slotted in direction of load), allowed the attachment bracket to travel which released the hold down tension and resulted in failure of the attachment.
In March of 2009, I purchased an Extang Solid Fold Tonneau (P/N 56905) for a 2007 Toyota Tacoma Truck (short bed) and had the distributor (TopperTown, Cocoa, Florida) install it. The Extang Solid Fold tonneau is constructed of 3 panels of aluminum honeycomb, hinged together, creating a tri-fold (see Figure 1). The Extang Solid Fold tonneau weighs about 50 pounds.
On August 6, 2009, I was traveling approximately 55 mph on North Courtenay Parkway (Route 3) on North Merritt Island, Florida when the tonneau came loose and flew off of the truck. Luckily there was no vehicle immediately behind me as this would have caused a horrible accident. The tonneau landed in the middle of the right lane and after waving off oncoming traffic, I was able to retrieve the tonneau and put it in the back of the truck.
I called the distributor (TopperTown, Cocoa, Florida) to inform them of the incident. They stated they had never experienced this type of problem and requested that I bring the vehicle in so that they could take a look at it. I then proceeded to TopperTown.
While waiting for the installer to take a look, I did a little troubleshooting of my own and uncovered what I believe is a serious design flaw in the attach point design.
There are four attach points that are used to secure the tonneau to the truck bed, two front (near the cab) and two rear (near the tailgate). The two front attach points are always supposed to be engaged. The rear attach points may or may not be engaged depending on the configuration of the tonneau. When the tonneau is in the unfolded configuration (and covers the full bed) all four attach points are engaged. When the tonneau is in the folded (or stowed) configuration it is secured to itself by straps and only the front attach points are engaged.
For the Tacoma truck, the attach point design consists of a bracket secured to the truck bed rail and an interface clamp installed on the tonneau. The bracket that attaches to the truck bed rail is designed with slotted screw holes and is attached to a threaded nut plate by two screws (see Figure 2).
At the front attach point the clamp on the tonneau is secured against the truck bed bracket by a wingnut (see Figure 3). As stated previously, the front attach points are always supposed to be engaged. For the rear attach point, the clamp on the tonneau is designed with a spring loaded handle so that it may be secured or unsecured as required by configuration (see Figure 4).
Therefore, the cause of the failure was the fact that the front truck bed brackets had loosened allowing them to travel upward toward the tonneau. The amount of travel (3/8”) resulted in there being no contact between the tonneau bracket and the truck bed bracket, and thus no hold down capability. Therefore, the tonneau was no longer being secured at the front attach points. This allowed the tonneau to lift, letting wind under the tonneau which ripped it from the rear attach points.
I strongly recommend that the design of the attach points be investigated and re-engineered before someone gets hurt
The comments made are not endorsed by the owner of this website. I will allow the comment because of the safety factor, but I have not investigated the claim. A question comes to mind. Was the solid fold installed correctly? Is it a manufacturing defect or an install error? I thank you for your comment and bringing this problem to the consumer attention. I wonder if other people have had the same problem or if it is an isolated incident? Other comments are welcome. All comments are welcome, good and bad are important!
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