Tonneau cover a must?

[JsnMrd]

I sent my order and after seeing Ford's version of a hard cover roll up Tonneau cover, I'm kinda thinking of removing it.

The reason I chose it in the beginning was to protect the truck bed from getting dirty. But I chose the spray in bed liner. So my question now, how durable the spray in bed liner would be? Can it withstand rain, extreme hot weather?

Having the tonneau taken out would be significant in keeping my order close to stock, thus being cost effective from my stand point. Will I be missing out not having it factory installed? I know after market like Truxedo will have something similar almost the same price and without installation.

Or maybe not have it at all? I'm not planning on keeping anything on the bed that would require constant cover. The soft cover in my opinion doesn't warrant the price tag.

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[Jukebox Nero]

I ordered a hard roll-up as well, and my main concern with it is the visibility, since seeing the Velocity Blue with it. I will likely keep it rolled out unless hauling something tall, then the visibility is moot.

The main reason I opted for the hard roll-up is that I live in an area that gets copious amounts of snow and If I haul something, I want the bed to be dry when I do so. Additionally, if we make a trip to the home improvement store and decide to go to lunch on the way home, I can lock the bed up without much concern for pilfering.

To get back to your main question, spray-in liners are plenty durable for most standard hauling. You can scrape a shovel across them many times before you start seeing any wear to the surface. With the spray-in liner I had in my work truck (a Chevy), after hauling some nasty stuff, a hose and scrubbing push broom we're usually enough to get most of the muck out. For the times when it needed a bit more, I used a pressure washer.

If using a pressure washer, just take care not to focus on any chipped areas too much as it can start flaking a bit, based on how the liner was applied, I'm sure.

 

[BigB]

You really don’t need a tonneau cover. Spray in bed liners are pretty durable and made to handle different weather conditions. It may fade in a few years but it should last a long time. You can always add a cover later, most are incredibly easy to install/remove.

 

[Snax]

Over time, Tonneau covers will also fade and degrade in the sun. But I suppose that it's easier to replace a cover than it is to replace a bed liner when it deteriorates. I'm not getting a cover because I figure that the truck will start looking old about the time the bed begins to fade, and I can live with that.

 

[JsnMrd]

Thank you! That 's pretty much the answer I'm looking for!

I know other's they leave their tool boxes, equipments, etc in the truck bed 24/7 and thus warrants a cover from prying eyes.

My usage would be quite different. It'll be mostly empty and only be using it for Costco runs, camping gears seasonally, and occasionally hauling things.

Initially I thought it didn't block the rear view a whole lot but after seeing videos and few pics of the official one from Ford, made me realized what I really want it for

 

[JsnMrd]

How about keeping dirt and debris off the bed? I never had a truck but I figure dried leaves, bird poops, and dust is also a consideration for a cover. But then again, it's probably much easier to clean the bed than the cover itself.

How about Ford 360? Is that worth it/necessary? My wife's has a car with all the bells and whistles and cutting edge safety technology which doubles as our family car. Since I'm ordering the base XL, should I just really keep it basic? The price is what attracted me to the Mavarick and the more I lower the price the more I find it attractive!

 

[Art_Vandelay]

Having owned a truck I personally find a tonneau cover necessary. It helps keep debris from collecting in the bed whether it be snow, leaves, bird crap or whatever. It will also protect whatever you choose to keep in your bed from being stolen or rained upon. If you have never owned a truck you might think that you won’t keep anything back there on a day-to-day basis but I can tell you that will likely change once you have the truck. I myself am not going to order a Tonnele cover from Ford. I would rather wait and purchase a cover from the aftermarket. I will have more options and it will likely be cheaper then buying directly from Ford. I have always used rolling soft covers because they are easy and don’t eat up bed space like a tri-fold cover when it’s open. Now with the advent of rolling hard covers, I will be looking for one of those and I recommend you do as well.

 

[BigB]

As far as cleaning the bed, I used to just lower the tailgate and hose mine out. A blower or broom will take care of the leaves or put the tailgate down and go for a drive lol.

 

[JsnMrd]

You think a retractable tonneau cover after market is possible in the future?

The one on the Santa Cruz is pretty slick and sturdy. It holds up to 250 lbs

 

[Jukebox Nero]

You think a retractable tonneau cover after market is possible in the future?

The one on the Santa Cruz is pretty slick and sturdy. It holds up to 250 lbs

I think those that slide into their little housing are pretty slick and would definitely want one of those if I wasn't dealing with a 4.5' bed. With the Maverick, I will need every available inch inside the bed to be open.

 

[JsnMrd]

I think those that slide into their little housing are pretty slick and would definitely want one of those if I wasn't dealing with a 4.5' bed. With the Maverick, I will need every available inch inside the bed to be open.

If you watch a video of the Santa Cruz you can see the housing is doesn't seem to eat up a lot of space.

 

[Art_Vandelay]

You think a retractable tonneau cover after market is possible in the future?

The one on the Santa Cruz is pretty slick and sturdy. It holds up to 250 lbs

Certainly but are you willing to lose a half foot of an already short 4.5ft bed? I’m not.

 

[Vulcan9988]

When i bought my used ranger it had a bed cover and i hated it, it was always in the way and even though it wouldve been nice to put groceries in while raining since mine is a single cab it wouldve all rolled around anyways. Since the truck has a second row plus storage under the seat, unless you need to keep something locked in the bed at all times that wont fit or cant go in the cab its not worth it imo. And if you do get one it realistically needs to be a hard top cause any decent knife will slice through the soft tops.

 

[Down]

You think a retractable tonneau cover after market is possible in the future?

Certainly but are you willing to lose a half foot of an already short 4.5ft bed? I’m not.

I've actually been trying to figure out how much bed space a hard roll up would block when retracted and had assumed around half a foot for it. If you'd guess a retractable would only eat up 6", how much are you guessing one would lose with the hard roll up?

 

[rutroo]

I've actually been trying to figure out how much bed space a hard roll up would block when retracted and had assumed around half a foot for it. If you'd guess a retractable would only eat up 6", how much are you guessing one would lose with the hard roll up?

It only takes up vertical space not bed depth space so unless your hauling stuff that's over the top of the side walls the folding or roll up shouldn't get in the way of anything your hauling. The 5.5 ft for the range hard roll up takes about 8 to 9 inches of space rolled up so id say 6 to 7 inches for 4.5 foot bed.

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