Tonneau Covers - Hard Roll-Up?

[agmonaco]

I got the cover installed today and here is my review of it, along with some other observations.

This was our starting point (Ford drop-in liner and Truxedo Lo Pro soft rollup that's been partially removed already):

Here is what the bed on my 2020 Ranger looks like after only 4-5 years with a drop-in liner:

The first order of business was to install the BedRug replacement liner and the RealTruck swing case:

Next came the TLAPS hard rollup tonneau cover from eBay. The following pictures show the components and packaging, which all looked like quality items. The contents even included a 14/17mm wrench that wasn't a throw-away tool as so many of these things are.

The picture below shows the latching system. The latch itself is adjustable and seems to be a quality component. My former techs were impressed with the overall quality and felt it exceeded both Truxedo and BAK Industries.

Additional observations:

1. The weatherstripping along both sides of the cover is built into the grooves between slats rather than just taped to the top of the cover.
2. The rails have drains near the front.
3. The product comes with a very thick weatherstrip that, even when compressed, fills the space between the bulkhead and the bed rails.
4. The straps to secure the cover when rolled up have a carabiner style attachment to hook into the posts at the front of the cover and the eyelets that attach the straps to the cover are embedded securely into the strap material; you cannot get a fingernail under them.

I paid $569.00 for this cover (it's now up to $642) on eBay and consider it equivalent in design and build quality to any of the major brand covers. Of course, time will tell as to durability but the prognosis is favorable.

Nice Post.. Great cover for the price.

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[CTYankee]

Now that I'm using the cover regularly on the Ranger, I've found one item to highlight. Unlike the Truxedo Sentry hard rollup I had on the Maverick, I can close this one easily regardless of whether the tailgate is up or down. The Truxedo required the tailgate to be open before it would close properly.

I'm also impressed by the latch mechanism. It's a very positive close, leaving no question it's latched and both sides latch equally well. The Truxedo on the Maverick typically required that I press down on each corner to get both sides latched.

So far, the truck has gone through a car wash and heavy rain, with no apparent leaks beyond some dampness near the tailgate. All in all, I haven't found any fault with it nor I have I found anything that the major brands do better.

 

[shadow_munk]

I hope they come back in stock somewhere

 

[GreatLakesGolfer]

I received the update this morning on Ebay

What update? Does this work on the 2025?

 

[GreatLakesGolfer]

I hope they come back in stock somewhere

They’re back in stock on eBay. Looking to buy one for my ‘25, but want to confirm they’ll fit.

 

[PropGuy]

Yeah, they fit the 25s, the bed didn't change with the refresh. I have it on my 25 and it fits just fine.

 

[GreatLakesGolfer]

Yeah, they fit the 25s, the bed didn't change with the refresh. I have it on my 25 and it fits just fine.

Awesome! Thanks man.

 

[shadow_munk]

They’re back in stock on eBay. Looking to buy one for my ‘25, but want to confirm they’ll fit.

whats the link, the one i had is out of stock still

 

[GreatLakesGolfer]

whats the link, the one i had is out of stock still

I stand corrected. It showed delivery by next week, but then up above it was out of stock. I’ve reached out to confirm.

 

[PropGuy]

Just wanted to check with the other people who bought the TLAPS. Did you get a carabiner or clip to hold the straps onto the brackets on the top. I can roll it up and the straps end in a triangle ring to be clipped into the D brackets on the top side but there wasn't anything to clip with. If I have to provide my own that's fine, just not sure if I missed them or something.

 

[CTYankee]

I can roll it up and the straps end in a triangle ring to be clipped into the D brackets on the top side but there wasn't anything to clip with. If I have to provide my own that's fine, just not sure if I missed them or something.

The triangle piece has a carabiner-style spring arm on one side that clips into the D bracket. That's all you need.

 

[PropGuy]

Oh, I didn't look that closely at it. I'll check again.

 

[mcluvin]

Isn't the solid aluminum going to fry your hands when you touch it in the summer? Or am I missing something?

 

[ElNopalGris]

I’m leaning towards a hard roll up or a hard retractable cover around the same price point (i.e. the Gator). I think I’ve read all the threads here and I’m still chewing this over! My sense is folks are pretty happy with most everything, be it Ford or BAK or an eBay/amazon off-brand alternative.

I value security and need something that will keep whatever I have safe. But I also want to preserve the space in the bed for truck stuff + bikes, so ease of installation and overall footprint are considerations.

I’m also wondering now if the tonneau is easily installed, does that mean it’s also easily removed (stolen!) by someone with bad intentions?

 

[Maverick123]

...
I value security and need something that will keep whatever I have safe. But I also want to preserve the space in the bed for truck stuff + bikes, so ease of installation and overall footprint are considerations.

I’m also wondering now if the tonneau is easily installed, does that mean it’s also easily removed (stolen!) by someone with bad intentions?

I have the OEM hard roll up and you need to open the tailgate to open it so that isn't a problem

It also locks in every single slat, it's a good design

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