Deciding between a hard roll up or a flip up tonneau

[cthlyte]

Have the Backflip revolver roll-up on my Maverick and I love it. I also have a backflip MX4 fold up on my F-150 and it's great too, biggest issue is losing the rear window and those sections get really heavy.

Overall I prefer the roll up unit just due to the ease of use and better visibility. I can still hold 300lbs on it evenly distributed.

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[asmuhl]

I have the Rough Country hard rollup cover and could not be happier. When rolled up, I still have a (limited) view out of the back.

 

[babytruk]

Have the Backflip revolver roll-up on my Maverick and I love it. I also have a backflip MX4 fold up on my F-150 and it's great too, biggest issue is losing the rear window and those sections get really heavy.

Overall I prefer the roll up unit just due to the ease of use and better visibility. I can still hold 300lbs on it evenly distributed.

I have the Ford branded BAK Revolver Roll-Up and love it, but for comparison to the Rough Country it’s in a different price range and IMO unfair to compare.

 

[Tbone289]

I lean folding over rolling, but there's something to be said for being about to see out the rear window (on those few occasions when you need to fully open it, but are carrying something that doesn't, itself, block your view).

Another option is to get a folding tonneau with a quick-release to completely remove it, rather than flipping it up to block the rear view. It takes me about 15 seconds to remove mine--pull a cord and off it comes. If I get in a situation where I'm away from home and haven't planned on having to remove it, it fits behind the front seats.

 

[Wahjahbvious]

Cool. Which one is that?

Another option is to get a folding tonneau with a quick-release to completely remove it, rather than flipping it up to block the rear view. It takes me about 15 seconds to remove mine--pull a cord and off it comes. If I get in a situation where I'm away from home and haven't planned on having to remove it, it fits behind the front seats.

 

[Tbone289]

Cool. Which one is that?

It's the LOMAX folding hard cover : https://shop.agricover.com/category/lomax

Weathertech also sells a rebranded LOMAX hard cover as their AlloyCover.

The benefits of this cover are it's all-metal gutterless low-profile construction, 400lb weight capacity while only weighing 40lbs, and quick-release removal.

 

[ListedGuru]

I have the Rough Country tri-fold flip up cover. Don't expect it to be 100% watertight. No knock on the cover but due to the design of the Maverick bed there will be some seeping at the bulkhead and on the sides where the trim pieces overlap. I plan on removing my rails and addressing this better soon. The cover is easy to open and remove if needed to avoid blocking the rear window. I have not driven with it flipped up but I did flip it up to load bags of mulch then lowered it back over them. A tailgate seal kit is a good addition. I order 1 from ESI on Amazon, sorry don;t have a link.

I know you mentioned not having a link to the tailgate seal kit you bought but did it really make a noticeable difference for you? I have a generic tri fold hard top and it's been fine but I do get a good bit of water coming in around the tail gate when I wash the truck. I can see the huge gaps present back there (design feature I guess, lol) but just wondering how well the seal kit worked compared it without it?

 

[Tbone289]

I know you mentioned not having a link to the tailgate seal kit you bought but did it really make a noticeable difference for you? I have a generic tri fold hard top and it's been fine but I do get a good bit of water coming in around the tail gate when I wash the truck. I can see the huge gaps present back there (design feature I guess, lol) but just wondering how well the seal kit worked compared it without it?

I have the ESI tailgate seal too and it dramatically reduced dust and water intrusion around the tailgate. It would require water at high pressure to get any past the seal:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWV7HJMZ

 

[Escapologist]

I was planning on a cheap roller with T slot rails originally. However, due to unit availability during the last Ford Employee pricing when I made my deal, I ended up with a preinstalled ford trifold... which after the wheeling and dealing only seemed to cost me about $600 over a truck without in a color I didn't want, while still way under MRSP.

After getting used to it, I quite like it. It folds up high and tight so doesn't obstruct lower bed space whereas a roller takes up a few inches below the rail. However, it would be unable to open with a low bed rack. The panels can be removed, leaving their rails in place, to do open bed and low bed rack configs.... then you could button it up again for winter or something.

Folder nixed my rack options vs T slot rails, but I am in the process of solving that with some shadetree engineering involving repurposing a rack for different trucks.

 

[Triangle6887]

I went with the Rough Country tri-fold cover. I found it was pretty easy to install. I didn't install the drain hoses and I still find that my bed stays pretty dry. The only time I notice a lot of water in the bed is if I go through a car wash, other than that I'd say it stays mostly dry. I would feel comfortable putting soft sided luggage or cardboard boxes in the covered bed and driving on a rainy day. If you decide to go with the RC tri-fold my only advice would be to make sure that the bulkhead seal is as straight as you can get it. I have a ~5" section where I deviated and now I can see just a tiny smidge of foam sticking out from under the cover against my back window. It's really not that big of a deal but because I know its there it bothers me.

 

[CaliMav68]

I put myself in the OP's place while reading this thread. I think we made his analysis paralysis worse! My vote is for the tri-fold. You'd need a pry bar to get into the thing. 4 years with mine. Flawless look and function.

 

[MavStangVa]

I know you mentioned not having a link to the tailgate seal kit you bought but did it really make a noticeable difference for you? I have a generic tri fold hard top and it's been fine but I do get a good bit of water coming in around the tail gate when I wash the truck. I can see the huge gaps present back there (design feature I guess, lol) but just wondering how well the seal kit worked compared it without it?

The main advantage is road spray and dust along the bottom of the tailgate get blocked. It also channels the water that runs off the cover to the tailgate side to drain instead of into the bed. Here's what the roll looked like.

 

[El Kabong]

OK - the tri-fold seems a better choice, as the truck lives outside in the woods so there will be a lot of pollen and tree stuff falling on it, so I suppose the trifold will be more robust than the rollup with many jointed sections.

Therefore I have ordered from Rough Country just now, along with their version of the tailgate seal kit.

I thank all for their input!

 

[armdillo]

EDIT: I bought the tri-fold, thanks for the input folks.

Welp, I have decision paralysis. I'm looking between two Rough Country bed covers, have eliminated the idea of the inexpensive soft or tri-folds. I know there are many threads on the topic, mea culpa for being indecisive.

Hard Roll Up Bed Cover @ $750
Hard Tri-Fold Flip Up Bed Cover @ $850

The price difference is not much of a concern as I see it as a long term buy.

I need mostly to keep random opportunists from grabbing stuff I might have in the bed when I'm in the city and to be able to haul stuff without having to remove the cover (so, the flip-up and roll up both fit that last need easily). I know with the less expensive tri-folds that don't flip they can easily be removed but if I have my dogs in the cab I won't really have a place to put the trifold if the bed is otherwise stuffed full.

I do live in a rainy part of the country so a slightly higher degree of rain protection is desired.

Opinions and experiences welcome.

pass on the rough country cover, i got the low profile right after I picked up my 2026 Maverick XLT.
the hinges are not the same, first one back from front is a double hinge set up, the 2nd is a single hinge. there in lies the issue, the rubber on both sides mine cracked within 2 days. I called RC and they had not answer or fix. They said R&D would check it out. Next suggestion was to remove and send back for replacement or refund - at my expense. Filed compliant with TrustPilot no response from RC.
Looks nice, but leaks in back too.

 

[jpj]

I went with the hard top roll up. Ease of use and function have been great.

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