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Just Click on each question to instantly go to that particular
answer…
LOCKING / SECURITY
Q. Do all of these
covers lock and secure the truck bed like the trunk of a
car?
Q. How can the cover
secure my truck bed when my truck does not have a tailgate
lock? Does the cover have a mechanism to lock the tailgate
and secure the cargo area?
OUR COVER VS. OTHERS
Q. I can buy a canvas
cover for half of your K-Cover price, and I can buy a fiberglass
cover for twice your price. Why should I buy this cover?
Q. I have looked
at retractable tonneau covers, why is yours better? Please
discuss the differences, advantages and disadvantages…
Q. What is the difference
between this cover and the Fold-A-Cover?
COVER CONSTRUCTION / COVER
CHARACTERISTICS
Q. What materials
is the cover made of? How are they constructed?
Q. You have hinges that
connect each panel together and I’ve never heard of a weatherproof
hinge? Where the panels meet and are separated by hinges,
how do you prevent water from getting into the truck bed?
Q. Is the surface
of the panels smooth or textured?
Q. What
colors are the covers made in?
Q. Is the cover paintable?
Q. How strong are the panels?
Q. If they are strong and
rigid, why can’t you stand on them?
Q. How thick is each panel?
Q. Describe the
side profile/low profile of the cover?
Q. How much
does the cover weigh? (when I remove it?)
Q. If I the cover
is damaged by hail (or for some other reason) can I get
the cover repaired?
WEATHER / WATER
RESISTANCE
Q. Is the cover waterproof?
Q. Thanks for being
so honest, but “how weather resistant” is the cover?
OPERATION / FUNCTION
OF THE COVER
Q. How easy is it to remove
the cover? Please describe.
Q. How much force does it take
to lift open the front and back panels?
Q. When the cover
is closed, does it improve my gas mileage while traveling?
Q. Can I travel
with the back panel(s) open?
Q. Can I travel with the front
panel open?
INSTALLATION
Q. How
long does it take to install the cover?
Q. I have sprayed-in
a bedliner that goes over the side rails. What do I need
to do before installing the cover?
Q I have a plastic
bedliner on my truck - does the bedliner have to be cut
off?
Q. Can you install
the cover over a sprayed-in bed liner that has been sprayed
over the rail?
Q. Do the factory installed plastic side rail covers and plastic tailgate protector on my truck need to be removed?
Q. Are any holes drilled
in the truck?
Q. What
cover is the easiest to install?
Q. If I install your
cover, can I keep my toolbox on the truck?
Q. When I completely remove
the cover, can I install my ladder rack/headache rack?
Q. I plan to
occasionally remove the cover and put a “slide-in camper”
into the truck bed. How far does your hardware project into
the truck bed?
5TH WHEELS: QUESTIONS FROM THOSE
WHO PULL ‘EM
Q. How does this
cover work with 5th Wheel Trailers?
Q. I need a cover
that adds no extra height to the side rails of my truck
because I am concerned about the clearance between the rails
and my 5th Wheel. When the cover is completely folded
up to behind the cab of my truck, how much height will your
gaskets add to the side rails?
OTHER GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q. Is your only main
location in Houston (Katy) Texas?
Q. What is the Warranty
on this cover?
Q. Do you have brochures
that you can send me?
Q. How is the cover
cleaned?
Q. Why shouldn’t
I wax the cover?
Q. If I don’t
wax it, what can I use to make the cover shine?
Q. Why don’t you make a
cover for the 1995.5 through 2004 Toyota Tacoma?
Q. What is your
best selling cover and why?
LOCKING / SECURITY
Q. Do all of these
covers lock and secure the truck bed like a trunk of
a car?
A. All of our covers are designed to lock and secure the top of the truck bed to protect all cargo when the cover is locked in conjunction with the customer provided locking tailgate (either provided by the factory on most trucks, or with an aftermarket tailgate lock, i.e. Pop’N Lock or Bully Tailgate Locks). In the case of Low profile automatic latch for 2nd and 3rd panels that is automatically engaged when the 4th (rearmost) panel is closed (all of this hardware is under the cover). This means that the 1st panel is locked and latched at the front corners of the truck bed, the 2nd and 3rd panels are automatically latched (and secured) to the truck bed when the 4th (rearmost) panel is closed, and the and the 4th panel is automatically latched at the rear corners of the truck bed. You simply lock the front panel and the back panel and now your cover is securely locked and your truck bed is secure! This is an extremely convenient, automatic latching system which provides for an extremely secure installation!
Q. How
can the cover secure my truck bed when my truck does
not have a tailgate lock? Does the cover have a mechanism
to lock the tailgate and secure the cargo area?
A. If your truck does not have a locking tailgate (like provided on many full size Fords, Toyotas and Nissans), you will need to purchase an aftermarket tailgate lock (i.e., Pop’ N Lock, Bully Tailgate Lock, etc.,) to be able to lock the tailgate shut and to secure your truck bed. These lock sets basically replace your existing tailgate handle and convert it into the equivalent of a factory installed locking tailgate. Changing these tailgate lock handles is the equivalent of changing a “door knob” in that you simply loosen the 2 bolts on the inside of the tailgate, remove your non-locking tailgate handle, and replace with one that locks. These install really easily without any drilling and you can buy these at any truck accessories store. Once the cover is closed (and latched), you just simply lock the cover, then lock up your tailgate handle and you now have a really secure trunk!
A BIG ADVANTAGE OF OUR COVER DESIGN: When you unlock and open your tailgate, you can swing open the tailgate and slide things into the truck bed without ever opening the cover (if you had a fiberglass cover, you would have to unlock the cover and raise a fairly heavy cover upwards a couple of inches just to open up the tailgate). Not so with this cover.
OUR COVER VS. OTHERS
Q.
I can buy a canvas cover for half of your K-Cover price,
and I can buy a fiberglass cover for twice your price. Why
should I buy this cover?
A. The first reason is that we provide the lowest-priced,
lockable hard cover on the market. As most canvas covers
do not lock (or if they do lock, they only provide minimal
security), our cover is the most reasonably priced secure
hard cover alternative. We have purposely positioned ourselves
to sit squarely between the cost of canvas covers and the
cost of fiberglass covers to be able to offer our cover
as a practical and cost effective alternative.
The second reason is that our cover offers the most flexibility
of any cover at any price! We provide virtually the same
flexibility and “usability” as any canvas cover, but with
the security of a hard shell tonneau cover. For instance,
the canvas cover is easily removed but it doesn’t lock or
secure your truck bed like a hard tonneau cover. The fiberglass
cover is very difficult to remove (at 125+ lbs. it takes
at least 2 people to remove it), but this cover does lock
securely. We offer a cover that can be easily folded, removed,
and locked securely.
Q.
I have looked at retractable tonneau covers, why is
yours better? Please discuss the differences, advantages
and disadvantages…
A. We have been in the same position and came real
close to buying a retractable cover in the past. I'll talk
about what I know about these retractable covers in a second.
The very first thing to consider when comparing covers is
that with our cover, no cargo space inside the bed is taken
whatsoever!
We get a lot of questions about “rolling/locking” and “retractable”
covers. As a potential buyer of this type of cover, and
having two friends that have had different versions of these
covers and have since replaced them with our cover (what
do you expect, they’re our friends!), this is what we have
learned.
a) Designed to Leak?: The biggest drawback for us (personally)
was that most of these roll/retractable covers are designed
to leak. The water collected is normally routed to two tubes
that go through holes that are drilled into the front of
the truck bed and direct the water out of the bed and towards
the ground. This means that you need to keep the collection
tubes clean and clear, otherwise water can back up and your
drainage goes straight into your bed. Another possible problem
arises when you get a large amount of snow and/or ice buildup
onto that cover. The additional weight can cause the composite
material to sag into the bed. Some people talk about "sprained"
rails and sagging material as the cover may not fit near
as tightly as it did prior to an episode like this.
b) Lost Bed Space: These cover designs employ a rolling
mechanism that takes up quite a bit of bed space next to
the cab of your truck. The spool for the composite cover
material is mounted just inside the bed behind the cab.
For people who haul lots of stuff (like we do), where the
spool sits is the preferred location (right against the
cab) to secure things while traveling, like big boxes, tools,
etc. This roller actually does take quite a bit of space
away which makes it a little more difficult to secure a
load. We don't encounter this problem as our cover does
not take up any bed space whatsoever.
c) Maintenance of Rolling and Retracting Covers: As with
any geared/rolling mechanism, these things normally work
only as well as they are maintained (lubed/greased). We
have heard many customers complain about having to grease
the rolling mechanism regularly as this can get somewhat
messy.
Q.
What is the difference between this cover and the Fold-A-Cover?
A. Below is a comparison of the Fold-A-Cover (F-A-C) to our cover. Their product is somewhat similar in form and function to our product. However there is a world of differences…the following should go a long way to helping explain the differences between the two.
When comparing Fold-A-Cover to our cover, keep in mind that our cover is the second generation of the original folding tonneau cover. The biggest improvements over that cover revolve around the removal of the surface mounted rails and the mounting of all of the latching and bracket hardware under the cover (so none of this is visible when the cover is closed). To explain this further, with our cover, you do not install additional side rails onto your pickup truck rails (WE HAVE NO RAIL SYSTEM). This cover sets right on top of your truck bed rails with all hinge and latch brackets located under the cover (on the inside rail surface in the truck bed). In the 4 panel configuration, the two rear hinges are locked by a sliding latch mechanism which secures to brackets that are mounted UNDERNEATH the cover. These brackets are mounted along the inside rail of your pickup and not on top of the rail, and are engaged by a rod which is depressed when it is completely closed. In other words, when the cover is closed (whether it is locked or not) you cannot open or lift up the middle hinges as they are now securely engaged in the ‘lock position’ by this depressed rod. This configuration gives us a much more low profile appearance without sharp corners or edges when compared to other similar folding tonneau covers. We utilize a patented latching system that automatically locks the middle two hinges down. Fold-a-Cover, in their original cover, uses top mounted sliding latches that hold the thumb tabs down which are very sharp. On their newest model, the LS, there is nothing holding down their cover at the 2nd and 3rd hinge points (our cover has an automatic latching system that automatically latches the 2nd and 3rd panel down which is patented) as we have this under the cover latching system patented. In the case of the Fold-A-Cover (F-A-C) this means that air gusts, when going by large trucks, raises the cover off of the rails. With both latching systems (or lack of them), there is an inherent amount of risk with panels that are not secured to the bed (not only from a security perspective, but from a safety perspective). When air pressure meets the side of the F-A-C, the cover has the ability to “Tee-Pee” in the middle and water and air gets under the cover, which at best, rain gets into your truck bed. At worse, the air has the potential to damage the cover. This may explain why some people experience vibrating with this cover. However, as ours is latched securely at strategic points along the entire length of the cover, we have not encountered any problems like this to date nor do we expect to (Thank God!).
In addition, The Fold-A-Cover (F-A-C) models secure the tailgate by having the last panel “overhang” the tailgate to prevent it from opening. However, to keep its low profile appearance, the overlap is maybe one-half inch. As it is virtually impossible to remove all “play” in the last panel, Fold-A-Cover users have complained to us that their tailgate “is not that secure” and that a stout yank has the potential of opening up the tailgate, making the cargo vulnerable.
In addition, our cover has a 4 point Automatic Latching that is much more low profile than the latching system they currently offer. Our latching system operates within about ¾” of space underneath the cover. Their latching system takes up approximately 3 inches of cargo space under the bed of the truck.
A few more points:
- F-A-C has no center latch
- F-A-C has no lift handles on the center panels
- F-A-C hinges are riveted between panels with small rivets – with their seal in between. These will come loose if the cover is slammed too hard and have a propensity to leak (you can basically “spring” the hinge). The rear panel can come loose and is susceptible to coming off. On our cover, the hinges are actually machined into the frame of each panel so there is no separate hinge. If our cover is slammed hard, you cannot “sprain the hinge” as it is part of the frame. As a result, it will not come loose or leak.
- To replace a seal on a F-A-C, you must drill out the rivets and remove the tape and seal and replace. This is a big job that takes hours and it is not easy to do. It should be sent back to the factory and this is very costly (shipping alone is very costly). You actually have to take the panels apart from one another. Our seals go over the top and can be replaces with the cover on the truck. No tools needed and put on I approx. 5 minutes at a fraction of the cost.
- F-A-C latch is made from plastic and aluminum. Ours is made of stainless steel and aluminum. The F-A-C has a plastic box which hangs down 2” with aluminum rods out in the open with no protection point on each side of the cover and can be easily damaged and cause failure of the latch. These rods have 2 pieces of plastic which mount to the rod an d must be adjusted in two directions each and can vibrate loose. Our latch hangs down only ¾”. These rods are stainless steal and are incased so they do not get damaged. There are no adjustments on this system and no plastic ends. You simply clamp the bracket on the truck and adjust the bracket up and down. You do not need the key every time, unless you lock the cover.
- To remove a F-A-C, you must remove screws, and brackets from underneath. With our cover, you do not remove anything. You simply loosen the two nuts, and loosen two screws out about 3/16”, and remove it completely and reinstall the same way. This procedure takes about one minute and is done without getting in the truck box.
- We have a patented dual seal system on the truck box so it is much more weather and water resistant.
- Our covers are fully assembled when shipped
- Our hinges, seals and latch systems are covered by the patents listed on the “Operation of the Cover” sticker mounted underneath the system.
- Not only that, their most secure system (the original cover) has a plastic rail system, and the rails are known to fade and warp as they are rigid plastic.
COVER CONSTRUCTION /
COVER CHARACTERISTICS
Q. What materials
is the cover made of? How are they constructed?
THE PANELS: The outside “skin” that makes up the broad surface
area of each panel is made of aluminum. This aluminum surface
is painted with a high-quality black automotive finish.
These aluminum surfaces are the ‘skin’ that covers the very
rigid EPS/styrofoam sheets (EPS is expanded polystyrene)
which is the core material. This styrofoam is "sandwiched"
between the two aluminum panels and then each panel is then
framed with extruded stainless steel pieces. These panels
are permanently hinged together with stainless steel piano
hinges.
This construction process makes them both very rigid and
light which makes the cover very easy to open ‘panel by
panel’ or to remove the cover. The cover itself (without
hardware) weighs anywhere from 30 to 43 lbs depending on
the cover. This means that our cover weighs approximately
1/3 of the weight of most fiberglass tonneau covers that
can weigh 125 lbs. or more.
THE HINGES AND FRAME AROUND EACH PANEL: The hinges are a
patented custome extruded aluminum piano hinge that connects
panels together and run the entire width of the truck bed.
. What makes these hinges special and why are they patented?
During the custom extruded aluminum process, we fabricate
the hinge and the frame on each panel to be only one piece
of solid metal without the need for a separate hinge that
would need to be riveted to the frame. This means that there
is no separate hinge connecting 2 panels together. Rather,
the hinge is actually part of the frame!!.
This
is better explained by example: When you install any hinge
(like a door hinge) to connect a door frame and the door
together, you have a total of 3 pieces: The door, the frame,
and the hinge. With our patented system, we utilize only
2 pieces: The door and the frame! In our case, we have custom
fabricated each side of the frame to mimic the fit and function
of an extremely strong piano hinge without an additional
part required to be attached. The 2 pieces are “fitted”
together and a hinge pin is installed. This means that there
is no separate hinge, the hinge is part of the frame! This
makes for an extremely strong and rigid cover as there is
no separate hinge to loosen up over time. This is an exclusive
feature of this cover!
All
frame and finished edges are also custom extruded aluminum
that is designed to frame each panel. This aluminum frame
and edge is then subjected to a “triple dipped”
(anodized) coating process in a satin black finish so you
need never need to worry about them in the weather. In addition,
all edges visable from all sides of the truck are sloped
to give the cover a very “low profile” appearance when viewed
from any angle.
Q. You have hinges
that connect each panel together and I’ve never heard
of a weatherproof hinge. Where the panels meet and are separated
by hinges, how do you prevent water from getting into the
truck bed?
A. I have never heard of weatherproof hinge either!
However, the way we prevent a potential leak at these points
is by keeping water from ever getting to the hinge in the
first place. We accomplish this by bridging each panel with
a very neatly placed, high quality, flexible rubber strip
that is permanently “glue-welded” to each panel’s edge to
bridge each gap between connecting panels. These strips
are about one inch wide, are in a matching matte black color,
and they run the entire width of the hinged panels. This
rubber strip channels water away from the small gap between
two panels, keeping the hinges (and the truck bed) high
and dry. This strip also gives and stretches when folded
to ensure that this area remains water resistant.
Q. Is the surface
of the panels smooth or textured?
A. Slightly textured - similar to the texture to
that is embossed into the vinyl top of a car. . We often
say that the panels mimic the look and feel of a refrigerator
door (the texture is a little different, but this is a great
analogy). The light pebble grain texture pattern is embossed
into the aluminum sheets (there is no vinyl whatsoever on
this cover!). The main reason for texturing these panels
is that as the surfaces are large flat areas and they do
cover the working area of your truck, this slight texture
helps to hide any scratches that may end up on the surface
of the cover due to handling (opening/closing/removing).
We could make these covers with no texture and as smooth
as glass, but it would be almost impossible to handle the
cover during installation, and then remove the cover over
and over and keep the cover looking good for a long period
of time without small scratches becoming more and more apparent
on the cover. If the surface of the cover was delivered
to you smooth, it would be almost as difficult as installing
a new hood on your car that has already been pre-painted
and not scratching it! The texture grain is minor enough
that the cover still looks factory installed, and at the
same time, it does a great job of making minor scratches
almost invisible.
Q. What
color are the covers made in?
A. Black Only. This cover comes in a high quality
black automotive finish on the aluminum panels and a matching
black powder coated finish on all stainless frame and hinge
parts. These finishes are designed to maintain their original
beauty for many years to come.
Q. Is the cover paintable?
A. Yes. However, as this cover has such a low profile
and it is black in color that is is extremely rare for a
customer to paint the cover. Our cover often has a lower
profile than virtually all soft tonneau covers, which often
require "bows" to be installed to prevent water
from puddling in the center of the cover.
Again, it is extremely rare
for a customer to paint the cover. However, if you choose
to paint the cover, please call K-Covers Tonneau Covers for proper surface
preparation instructions prior to painting.
To give you an idea about how rare it is to have someone
paint the cover, our manufacturing facility pushes out hundreds
of covers every month (all of them black) and has been delivering
that color since the company was founded. With all of the
covers we sell, we are aware of only two customers who have
painted the cover. Once you take a good look at the pictures
and/or after you install the cover, you will see why most
people do not go through the expense and hassle of painting
the cover. Early on, we actually thought that one day we
would have to offer covers that matched the paint of our
customer's trucks (like the large, bulky fiberglass covers).
As the request to custom paint the cover rarely happened,
along with our growing client base of clients who were very
happy with the installed black matte finish look of their
product just the way it was, we have scrapped our plans
to offer custom painted covers.
Q. How strong are the panels?
A. Very strong and rigid, but we do not recommend
standing on the cover. These covers are similar in rigidity
to that of an extremely strong igloo ice chest lid, but
skinned in aluminum and stainless. This cover easily holds 300 lbs of evenly distributed weight!
Q. If they are rigid,
why can’t you stand on them?
We get this question all the time. As these panels span
a large open area (your truck bed), we made the cover as
strong and as rigid as possible, but also as light as possible.
To make it strong enough to stand on, we would have had
to make it much heavier, which would defeats the purpose
of having an easy-to-remove cover. Also, as the finish on
the broad surface of the panels is an automotive finish,
you should treat that finish just as you would any other
painted surface of your truck. Whenever you feel like standing
in the bed of the truck, just fold the cover back and stand
in any area of the truck bed you like. By comparison, the
hood of your truck is strong, rigid, and painted - but you
would never stand on it! So it is the same with this cover.
Q.
How thick is each panel?
A. Each panel is approximately ¾ “ (three-fourths
of an inch) thick. When a 4 panel cover is folded and stacked
behind the cab of the truck, the total thickness is about
3 ½ inches. The extra ½ inch is due to the slight amount
of spacing designed between each cover when folded to prevent
them from rubbing each other while traveling with the cover
folded.
Q.
Describe the side profile/low profile of the cover?
A. When the cover is flat and locked down, the cover
adds only about one 1 inch of total height (vertical rise)
to your original truck rail level after installation. However,
all of the outer custom extruded aluminum frame edges are
sloped and contoured, so the thickness of the cover often
appears to be less than that when viewed from the side.
This gives it a much more low profile appearance than other
competitive folding covers on the market. Please look at
our extensive "Photo Gallery” and you will be able
to get a sense of our cover’s low profile from direct side
view photos. ALL of our covers have the same low profile
and thickness when the cover is flat and locked down, irrespective
of whether it is a 2 panel (like in the case of the Sport Trac) or the popular 4 panel cover for larger truck bed.
Q.
How much does the cover weigh? (when I remove it?)
A. Depending on the cover, the lightest cover weighs
about 30 lbs. and the heaviest weighs about 43 lbs. This
is the net weight of the cover when it is removed from the
truck. This means that our cover weighs approximately 1/3
of the weight of most fiberglass tonneau covers that can
weigh 125 lbs. or more.
Q. If I the cover
is damaged by hail (or for some other reason) can I
get the cover repaired?
A. Yes, but it would be too costly to do so. To ship
it back and forth to our shop will set you back probably
no less than $200.00 before any repairs begin. Then when
you add the hours for custom repair and replacement of parts,
you will pay more than if you ordered a brand new cover.
In the instance that your cover is damaged by hail, or some
other weather event, virtually all insurances cover this
type of damage under your personal auto insurance (Comprehensive
Coverage).
WEATHER / WATER
RESISTANCE
Q. Is the cover waterproof?
A. No. The cover is very water resistant when installed
properly. As you are sealing a large opening that was never
designed to seal shut, the very nature of tonneau covers
makes them virtually impossible to being “waterproof.” This
term means – “completely impervious to water” and implies
a seal similar to one you would get with a properly sealed
“Rubbermaid” storage container. As this is virtually impossible
to achieve under the best of conditions (irrespective of
which tonneau cover you purchase), we choose to be honest
with our customers – We do not guarantee the cover to be
100% waterproof.
Q. Thanks for being
so honest, but “how weather resistant” is the cover?
A. We get this question all of the time. In rain, sleet, snow, wind and virtually every weather condition, water will not get into the bed! The only way to get water into the bed is to try to force water in with a high pressure hose! The bottom line is that we have sold over 250,000 covers and we never get any customer complaints about water intrusion with this cover!
OPERATION/FUNCTION
OF THE COVER
Q. How easy is it to
remove the cover? Please describe.
A. To remove, simply fold the cover, loosen two small
stainless steel bolts, and lift the cover straight up and
off. The cover re-installs just as easily. The only difference
when re-installing the cover is that you must tighten a
small lock-nut to safely secure the bolts in place.
Q. How much force does it
take to lift open the front and back panels?
A. Not much. Our neighbor has a 4 panel cover
(which is the heaviest cover we make at about 43 lbs for
a full size pickup truck). This means that each panel only
weighs a little more than 10 pounds. Our neighbor is about
5' 5", 125 lbs and really has no trouble maneuvering
the cover around. To open the front panel and the back panel
alone is really easy (similar to opening a really big igloo
ice chest). It may take a half a dozen times of practice
to be able to fold the 4 panel cover all the way up to the
cab without any strain at all. Like anything else, once
you learn how to handle the cover to open and close it,
it becomes less awkward. The first time our neighbor opened
the cover, she opened it all the way with a little bit of
straining. By the 3rd or 4th time, she was handling it like
a pro. This feature makes this cover very popular with ladies
who own trucks as well as the wives of truck owners!
Q. When the cover
is closed, does it improve my gas mileage while traveling?
A. YES. We make no guarantees as to how much the cover will play in improving your gas mileage, but we have seen improvements of up to 11%. However, in highway driving, many of our customers have experienced as much as a 2-3 miles per gallon improvement. If you use the smaller number of 2 miles per gallon as the figure to calculate cost savings, the savings can add up.
For example, if your truck currently gets 16 mpg on the highway without the cover, and gets 18 mpg with the cover, you have improved your gas mileage by 12.5%. Assuming you drive 10,000 highway miles per year. At 16 mpg, you will buy 625 gallons of gas per year. If you save 12.5%, that means you will buy 78.1 gals. per year less. At $3.50 per gallon of gas, that is a savings of $273.73 per year or about $23/month (and this does not include the savings you might have in any non-highway or city driving). In this scenario, if you keep the truck for about 3 years or 36 months, the cover pays easily for itself! If you drive 20,000 highway miles per year, in this scenario, you would pay for the cover in 18 months!
Q. Can I travel
with the back panel(s) open?
A. Yes, but only when the back of the cover is open,
and not the front. If you travel with the cover open, you
must do so as prescribed in the Safety and Operating Procedures
(which are very straightforward). This procedure describes
that if you travel with the cover open, you flip the cover
from back to front. Once open, you must use the pre-mounted
strap and snap configuration that allows you to strap the
rear panel(s) down onto the top of the front panel. This
cover has been carefully designed to allow for safe travel
in this configuration while the cover is open. This patented
design also allows you to travel in this configuration without
any chance of panels rubbing together.
To elaborate, when you travel with the 2 panel cover open,
the back cover folds over onto the front panel and safely
secures the panel in that position with the pre-installed
straps. With the 4 panel cover, the cover must be folded
all the way towards the cab of the truck and secured in
that position with the straps. You
cannot travel with only the rearmost panel folded open as
there is no way to secure this panel to stay open (no straps/snaps).
Q. Can I travel with the
front panel open?
A. No. If you attempt to travel with the front panel
open and resting on the back panel, you will notice that
you have nothing to attach your straps to in order to secure
the cover. There is a very good reason for this. When you
travel, the flow of air goes over the hood, windshield,
and roof and then comes racing down the back glass of the
truck into the truck bed. The force of this air can be extremely
powerful and if you travel with the front panel laying on
top of the back panel, this powerful air flow will now travel
under the cover and will apply an enormous amount of upward
pressure to the cover. This is the same concept behind why
many people lower their tailgate to increase mileage on
long trips as this reduces the air resistance (drag) of
the air flowing into the truck bed while traveling.
INSTALLATION
To view YouTube Installation Video – Click Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk5Q8hcaAN4
A great number of pictures of installed hardware and details can be found on the “VIEW HARDWARE IMAGES” page.
NOTE: All installations are “DRILL-LESS” and either clamp on to the side rails of your truck, or if you have a Sport Trac, all hardware bolts to holes that are already existing on the truck. In the case of the Nissan TITAN with a Utili-Track or a Toyota Tacoma with the Deck Rail System, instead of clamping to the side rails, all hardware has been created to specifically bolt into that particular rail or track system so no modifications whatsoever need to be made to your truck to install this cover.
NOTE: Installation details on the Nissan TITAN Trucks with the Utili-Track can be found here.
NOTE: Installation details on the 05 thru Current Toyota TACOMA with the “Deck Rail System” (virtually identical to the Nissan TITAN installation, except the hardware has been specifically designed to bolt into the “Deck Rail” system offered on these trucks.
NOTE: All ’05 thru Current Nissan FRONTIERS - Your Utili-Track is much different from the TITAN in that there is just enough space below your side rail to install the cover normally. In this case, the hardware clamps just above the Utili-Trac without impeding or using any of the track at all!
Q.
How long does it take to install a cover?
A. The first cover takes approximately 15 Minutes!
Q.
I have a sprayed-in a bedliner that goes over the side
rails. What do I need to do before installing the cover.
A. If you have sprayed on bedliner, this is absolutely
no problem! Installation Instructions for this type of liner:
1) Clean rail surfaces really
well with denatured alcohol and make sure they are dry.
2) Press Gasket down firmly the entire length of the gasket
Q. I have a plastic
bedliner on my truck that covers the front and side
rails. Do I have to cut off the portion of the bedliner
that covers these rails?
A.
IF PLASTIC BEDLINER GOES UP AND OVER THE FRONT RAIL: If
you have a plastic bedliner that goes only over the front
rail…this is NO PROBLEM! You will not need to make
any adjustments to the plastic bedliner that goes over the
front rail.
FOR
THE PLASTIC BEDLINER PIECE THAT IS MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE
OF THE TAILGATE: If your truck comes with a factory installed
tailgate lock (most Fords, Toyotas, Nissan), you won’t
have to do anything. If you have a truck that does not have
a factory installed tailgate lock (Ii.e., Chevroley, Dodge),
the only thing you will have to do is notch the PLASTIC
bedliner piece on tailgate to mount rear lock catch onto
the tailgate (s space about ¾ inches tall and 1 ½
inches wide). For these
IF YOU
HAVE A TAILGATE PROTECTOR:
Tailgate protectors rarely present any problem for this
cover. If you have a factory installed tailgate protector,
these will not be a problem. If as a part of your bedliner
package or as an additional accessory to your truck, if
you have installed a tailgate protector, these are rarely
a problem also. With the tailgate closed, if the tailgate
protector adds more than 3/8” to the “top”
or edge of the tailgate, you will have to remove and/or
replace the tailgate protector. However, it is very reare
that a tailgate protector is thicker than 3/8”.
IF PLASTIC
BEDLINER OVER SIDE RAILS: Only choice is to trim the portion
of the bedliner that comes over the side rails so that it
goes up to, but not over the side rail.
These liners must be cut back
so not to interfere with the truck's original side rails.
To cut the liner’s rail covers off is a fairly simple and
straightforward process that allows the correct weather-resistant
and trim gasket placements on your truck rails. To ask you
to trim these plastic side rail covers off of your one-piece
liner is not a unique request. To ensure a weather resistant
barrier with any tonneau cover, most honest tonneau dealers
will tell you should remove the over-the-rail portion on
any plastic bedliner. If another hard tonneau cover salesperson
(irrespective of the brand) tells you otherwise…..buyer
beware! Let me explain further:
The big reason for this is that the over the side rail plastic
bedliners create a huge problem to all tonneau covers to
properly 'weatherproof' your truck bed with the cover on.
As you may have noticed on other trucks, time and environmental
variables cause these plastic rail cover portions to warp.
This creates the scenario of making the weather-resistant
seal on those plastic rail covers similar to trying to put
the lid on a warped Tupperware bowl. With our cover, the
gaskets are applied directly to the rail with a peel and
stick polymer adhesive (similar to the seal around your
windshield). The smooth, original-painted truck surface
is almost always required to provide for the best seal.
As mentioned above, to cut the liner is a fairly simple
process that requires you to slide the one-piece liner out
of the bed, then clamp a straight edge along the line where
you wish to cut the cover (right at or just below the rail,
not above it). From there, a jigsaw with a fine blade works
great and you simply follow the straight edge with the saw.
Any burs or rough edges can be smoothed out with a file
or sandpaper. Others are successful using the same straight
edge tactic from outside of the liner using a razor knife.
They remove the liner from the truck, and from outside of
the liner, they use a razor knife to cut the rail off. The
most preferred method is to use a jigsaw.
Q. Can you install
the cover over a sprayed-in bed liner that has already
been sprayed over the rail?
A. Absolutely, Read the specific instructions above.
Q.
Do the factory installed plastic side rail covers and tailgate protector need to be removed?
A. You simply mount the mounting rails “T-Rails” on top of these plastic side rail covers without any modifications whatsoever. As the cover sits slightly on top of the rails and the last panel has a seal that is designed to seal on the top of all factory installed tailgate protectors, the cover works with all factory installed tailgate protectors!
Q.
Are any holes drilled in the truck?
A. ABSOLUTELY NOT! THIS IS A COMPLETELY DRILL-LESS INSTALLATION!
Q.
What cover is the easiest to install?
A. Of all installations, the installation of the
Ford Explorer Sport Trac cover is probably the easiest as
this truck bed was specifically designed to accept a folding
hard cover. The main reason that this installation is the
easiest is that the most time-consuming aspect about the
installation revolves around carefully measuring and placing
the two rows of gaskets onto the truck rails to create the
weatherproof seal. As the Sport Trac was designed to accept
a cover, only one row of gaskets is required on the side
rails.
Q.
If I install your cover, can I keep my toolbox on the
truck?
A. That depends. If your toolbox is the conventional
type of toolbox that sits on top of the rails (like the
vast majority of the pickup truck tool boxes), you will
have to remove the toolbox to install the cover. However,
if you have a toolbox that sets down inside the pickup truck
bed and is below the rails of your truck, you can mount
the cover right over the toolbox without any problems.
Q.
When I completely remove the cover, can I install my
ladder rack/headache rack?
A. Yes: Simply install the gaskets as prescribed
in the instructions onto the side rail. Once installed,
if the gasket happens to cover a portion of the “stake
hole,” simply notch the gasket and remove so you have
access to the stake hole to be able to install your ladder.headache
rack.
Q. I plan
to occasionally remove the cover and put a “slide-in
camper” into the truck bed. How far does your hardware project
into the truck bed?
A. We have brackets that are placed at the cover
hinge points for locking and latching. The widest bracket
protrudes towards the center of the bed about 1 1/4"
on each side. If your slide-in camper provides for enough
clearance for this hardware, you should have no problem
getting your camper in and out of the truck without affecting
the installed pieces. However, you will have to be a little
more careful when you place this camper in and out of the
truck.
5TH WHEELS: QUESTIONS FROM
THOSE WHO PULL ‘EM
Q. How does this
cover work with 5th Wheel Trailers?
A. The 4 panel cover is the cover that is designed
to work best when pulling 5th Wheel Trailers as many of
our customers pull them. When you don't have your 5th wheel
connected, your truck bed is as secure as a trunk with easy
access to all areas of your truck bed. However, when you
want to hook up the fifth wheel, you simply fold the cover
up (just like the animation on our home page). Once folded,
you then secure it with the two security straps that are
already attached (but are out of the way and hidden until
you need them) and then you connect the fifth wheel as you
would normally. Once you get where you are going and disconnect
the trailer, simply unsnap the security straps, unfold the
cover, and lock it. In a matter of about 30 seconds, you
have a secure trunk again.
Q.
I need a cover that adds no extra height to the side
rails of my truck because I am concerned about the clearance
between the rails and my 5th Wheel. When the cover is completely
folded up to behind the cab of my truck, how much height
will your gaskets add to the side rails?
A. The thickness of the tallest gasket is about 3/8"
of an inch tall when installed (approximately). This gasket
resembles the shape of a Trip-L-Edge wiper that's mounted
upright. It sounds like if you get this close to your side
rails with your 5th Wheel, you are probably cutting your
tolerances a little too close for comfort anyhow...
OTHER GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q. Is your only main
location near Conroe, Texas?
A. Yes. It is our primary location in the U.S., but
that should be of no consequence as we sell more covers
out of state than we sell in all of Texas! The reason for
this is that shipping costs are pretty much the same from
our manufacturing plant to anywhere in the U.S. It should
be noted that from a price perspective, if you buy a cover
from us, we guarantee that you will get the best price.
If you happen to find a local retailer selling this cover,
you will likely pay considerably more purchasing this cover
locally.
As we sell so many covers in such large volumes, we truly
do pass the savings along (that's the only way we can guarantee
the lowest prices anywhere). As a result, local retailers
have a very difficult time matching our prices. In addition,
any local retailer would likely face greater shipping charges
as we ship in such large volumes we have the extremely low
freight charges. To ensure that we remain competitive, we
pass the shipping cost directly over to you without markup.
Also, when buying locally, you will probably pay another
$40.00 or so in local taxes that we do not charge our customers
when we ship anywhere outside of the State of Texas. As
savings are typically better when buying from us than when
buying locally, we will likely remain focused on selling
these covers from this primary location.
The biggest issue of not having local retailers in your
area is that it is very unlikely that you will be able to
see the cover “first hand” prior to purchase. That is why
we go through extraordinary lengths to give you the most
comprehensive FAQ page in the tonneau cover market, and
we provide you with a large picture gallery to be able to
evaluate the cover over the web. Then to ensure the highest
in customer satisfaction, we will spend with you as much
time as you need over the phone to answer all of your questions.
Q. What is the Warranty
on this cover?
A. Warranty provided is a one (1) year
limited warranty on parts. Please mail in the warranty form
as soon as you have installed your cover! Without receipt
of the form, your warranty will not be valid. The sole reason
for this is that the person who does the actual installation
must be the person to sign this warranty form certifying
that the cover has been installed EXACTLY as prescribed
in the installation instructions provided. The manufacturer
assumes no liability for a cover that was not installed
exactly as prescribed in the installation instructions.
Q. Do you have brochures
that you can send me?
A. We do, BUT you can see more pictures, larger pictures,
and find out much more about the cover by thoroughly combing
through the pages of this website. You will also notice
that we have an extensive Photo Gallery. Just click on each
small picture image and it will automatically enlarge that
image so you can view a much large picture on your monitor.
These pictures are often larger and of better quality than
any of the pictures in our brochures.
Q.
How is the cover cleaned?
A. With mild soap and water – Same as used on your
truck. However, Please do not wax the cover.
Q. Why shouldn’t
I wax the cover?
A. If you would like to shine up the cover, PLEASE
do not use paste or thick liquid wax that you pour from
a bottle! The reason for this is that there are a number
of seams and grooves where the metal panels meet that make
it very hard to remove wax. Personally, we have waxed covers
in the past and have been sorry about doing it as it has
created a great deal of work to get all of the wax out of
some very tight spaces.
Q. If I shouldn’t
wax the cover, what can I use to make the cover shine?
A. We recommend that after washing your truck that
you spray a light coat of spray (express wax). Our favorite
is the Turtle Wax Express Spray wax. A light coat, quickly
wiped off makes the cover shine and bead water for a long
time. This is what we use to polish the cover when showing
the cover at Truck Shows. This gives you the sheen you desire
without the problems associated with removing wax in corners
and grooves.
Q.
Why don’t you make a cover for the 1995.5 through 2004 Toyota Tacoma?
A. We have tried (AND TRIED, AND TRIED) to make a cover for the 1995.5 through 2004 Tacoma series of trucks, including the Double Cab as we get countless calls for people who want our cover for their truck.. However, the rails on this model of Tacomas provides very little flat horizontal surface area on top of the rails to successfully mount the cover and still make it weather resistant. We have attempted to make a cover for this truck as we get a lot of calls from customers who want to buy it. However, as hard as we have tried, we were unable to create an adequate weather-resistant seal.
Q.
What is your best selling cover and why?
A. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac is our best selling
cover and there is a very good reason for this. If you do
not purchase your Sport Trac with a factory installed cover,
most dealers charge anywhere from $1200 to $1600 to add
the Ford Cover onto the vehicle. Our cover is about $749.00
delivered, so that is half of the cost when compared to the factory cover! This is huge savings and a big incentive to
buy a cover for this vehicle from us. In addition, as our
cover is made of aluminum and stainless steel, many customers
actually prefer our cover over the factory installed Ford
Cover.
See our Photo
Gallery for more images |
