- First Name
- Derek
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2024
- Threads
- 4
- Messages
- 48
- Reaction score
- 70
- Location
- Seattle, WA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2024 XLT Hybrid - Cactus Gray
- Engine
- 2.5L Hybrid
- Thread starter
- #1
I installed this about two weeks ago and just got around to taking pictures so I thought I'd share my impressions of it. Especially since it's currently on sale at Amazon.
I liked the idea of a retractable with the t-slots to eventually add some Tuwa adjustable bed rails and a rooftop tent. I don't do a lot of deep overlander stuff but up in Washington there's plenty of places I can get the hybrid to that will make good use.
Installation definitely needs two people. Instructions are not the best, and there seems to be a fair amount of extra parts and stuff they didn't show when or where to use them. Took us about an hour to get the tonneau assembled and on the truck, but finding the right spot and getting it adjusted took at least another hour, and even then I had to go back and make some more adjustments a few days later when I realized that some of the adjustments I made to make the cover retract smoother caused the tracks to get out of alignment, leaving a gap that would allow the top to pop open and retract while driving, and also let a ton of water in. Now that it's adjusted, I'm liking it quite a bit.
One note, I did not attach the latch onto the tailgate to allow it to lock closed. I didn't want to bolt it on and with the tailgate locked and closed, you can't access the strap to disengage the side locks anyway. Plus, where I finally got it aligned on the bed where everything operated smoothly and I could get the weather seals set, I didn't have room for it.
Pros:
-Retractable, slides open smoothly and just pull the strap on close it.
-Has a midway latch that allows it to open part way and secure in that spot.
-front drain hoses are set up well to pop into the drain holes in the bed (similar tonneaus I saw people had to get creative to make the hoses drain properly)
-once adjusted, it seems to hold out water very well. The bomb cyclone hit and blew down sections of my fence, my neighbor had a tree fall on her house, but when I opened the tailgate to load supplies in the bed, it was bone dry.
- has t-slots to add rails, etc.
- hundreds, even thousands less than most other retractable tonneaus
-looks great in my opinion
Cons:
-wonky instructions
-kind of a pain to install (literally, my knuckles looked like hamburger by the time I was done) - some of this was probably just me, I was cold and wet when installing it so I was kind of rushing, but getting it fitted and adjusted was quite a task
-I don't like how the rain seals sit/fit. The one against the cab, it basically folds up against the back window. It creates a trench where lots of debris builds up (see the pictures) and covers a good 2" of the bottom part of the window. The way this seal is, it seems like the entire cover is supposed to be about an inch and a half further away from the cab, but doing so prevents the cover from closing, as the latch underneath would hit the tailgate before getting to the latch point. The side seals tuck underneath the tonneau rails and it was hard to get them to stay out when moving the whole thing into place. Luckily I had just installed window visors on my wife's car and it had the perfect tool for manipulating it out from underneath.
-in order to install the locking button latch clasp, you have to have the entire assembly another 1/4" closer to the cab of the truck. Doing so puts the rain seal straight vertical and the overall fit on the bed didn't look right to me. Between that and the need to screw it into the tailgate, I chose not to install it. As mentioned, it still locks into place and I don't believe it can be opened without opening the tailgate anyway. The latch is opened with the pull strap that sits in the bed while closed.
-rear drain hoses cover the top rear tiedowns (see picture). I tried to use the upper drain holes, but it still kind of blocked the tiedowns and it put the hose at a more severe angle and caused some kinks. So while the front are well done, the rear not so much.
EDIT to add, current price on Amazon as of 11/21/24 is $675
I liked the idea of a retractable with the t-slots to eventually add some Tuwa adjustable bed rails and a rooftop tent. I don't do a lot of deep overlander stuff but up in Washington there's plenty of places I can get the hybrid to that will make good use.
Installation definitely needs two people. Instructions are not the best, and there seems to be a fair amount of extra parts and stuff they didn't show when or where to use them. Took us about an hour to get the tonneau assembled and on the truck, but finding the right spot and getting it adjusted took at least another hour, and even then I had to go back and make some more adjustments a few days later when I realized that some of the adjustments I made to make the cover retract smoother caused the tracks to get out of alignment, leaving a gap that would allow the top to pop open and retract while driving, and also let a ton of water in. Now that it's adjusted, I'm liking it quite a bit.
One note, I did not attach the latch onto the tailgate to allow it to lock closed. I didn't want to bolt it on and with the tailgate locked and closed, you can't access the strap to disengage the side locks anyway. Plus, where I finally got it aligned on the bed where everything operated smoothly and I could get the weather seals set, I didn't have room for it.
Pros:
-Retractable, slides open smoothly and just pull the strap on close it.
-Has a midway latch that allows it to open part way and secure in that spot.
-front drain hoses are set up well to pop into the drain holes in the bed (similar tonneaus I saw people had to get creative to make the hoses drain properly)
-once adjusted, it seems to hold out water very well. The bomb cyclone hit and blew down sections of my fence, my neighbor had a tree fall on her house, but when I opened the tailgate to load supplies in the bed, it was bone dry.
- has t-slots to add rails, etc.
- hundreds, even thousands less than most other retractable tonneaus
-looks great in my opinion
Cons:
-wonky instructions
-kind of a pain to install (literally, my knuckles looked like hamburger by the time I was done) - some of this was probably just me, I was cold and wet when installing it so I was kind of rushing, but getting it fitted and adjusted was quite a task
-I don't like how the rain seals sit/fit. The one against the cab, it basically folds up against the back window. It creates a trench where lots of debris builds up (see the pictures) and covers a good 2" of the bottom part of the window. The way this seal is, it seems like the entire cover is supposed to be about an inch and a half further away from the cab, but doing so prevents the cover from closing, as the latch underneath would hit the tailgate before getting to the latch point. The side seals tuck underneath the tonneau rails and it was hard to get them to stay out when moving the whole thing into place. Luckily I had just installed window visors on my wife's car and it had the perfect tool for manipulating it out from underneath.
-in order to install the locking button latch clasp, you have to have the entire assembly another 1/4" closer to the cab of the truck. Doing so puts the rain seal straight vertical and the overall fit on the bed didn't look right to me. Between that and the need to screw it into the tailgate, I chose not to install it. As mentioned, it still locks into place and I don't believe it can be opened without opening the tailgate anyway. The latch is opened with the pull strap that sits in the bed while closed.
-rear drain hoses cover the top rear tiedowns (see picture). I tried to use the upper drain holes, but it still kind of blocked the tiedowns and it put the hose at a more severe angle and caused some kinks. So while the front are well done, the rear not so much.
EDIT to add, current price on Amazon as of 11/21/24 is $675
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