Bed cover

[Exceed Fabrication]

Guys, I was doing some research on bed racks and tonneau covers recently, and I noticed that many members use tri-fold covers, or roll ups like Bak X4s.
Why do I rarely see Gladiators equipped with tonneau covers like Roll-N-Lock? Is it because of the price or do you simply think BAK or tri-fold lids are more practical?
I've seen a lot of people say that not being cover compatible would be a deal killer when they buy a bed rack, so if we develop our own bed rack, this will also be something we have to think about.
Most of the pickup trucks I see in China are equipped with covers similar to Roll-N-Lock, or hard tri-fold covers like Mopar. I have almost never seen anyone using a cover in the form of Bak.

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[Janster]

I recently removed the OEM soft trifold and had a hard tri-fold installed (Bakflip G2).

The nice thing about the tri-folds…..not only can you fold them up for partial access to the bed, but you can remove them completely allowing full access to the bed. I’ll never go back to ‘soft’ covers (the vinyl eventually deteriorate and it’s and not friendly in cold temps). The hard roll up covers have that ‘storage box’ at the cab which takes up cargo space.

We use our truck bed for hauling various things…being able to remove the cover completely is the important part (for us).

 

[1stXMan]

Price is definitely one point. The canister taking up bed space is another. The recoiling covers are really nice looking, but the Gladiator is too small if you want full access to your bed. I feel like the tracks and canisters are a negative for off roading and debris intrusion.

I really like the TopLift/Topflip design that's available in the Philippines and Thailand. I saw some interesting designs in Vietnam too. I've tried, but can't get their products here without big shipping fees.

There's the XTop from Belgium I think. Someone needs to develop something like this for the US. It's a load bearing cover that raises and lowers to accommodate taller items in the bed. It can be had with electric or hydraulic lifts or manual struts. I'd take the struts to save weight and cost.

My perfect cover would be a Tourtop that lifts 45 degrees and also vertically to create a canopy over the bed. It would be load bearing with T slots, lift out of the way, and be removable if I wanted to haul something large.

 

[DarthAWM]

Guys, I was doing some research on bed racks and tonneau covers recently, and I noticed that many members use tri-fold covers, or roll ups like Bak X4s.
Why do I rarely see Gladiators equipped with tonneau covers like Roll-N-Lock? Is it because of the price or do you simply think BAK or tri-fold lids are more practical?
I've seen a lot of people say that not being cover compatible would be a deal killer when they buy a bed rack, so if we develop our own bed rack, this will also be something we have to think about.
Most of the pickup trucks I see in China are equipped with covers similar to Roll-N-Lock, or hard tri-fold covers like Mopar. I have almost never seen anyone using a cover in the form of Bak.

Cost is a factor, sometimes the ability to remove the cover if you need all the bed opening is a factor. For me having an over the rail vs flush mount effects cargo that I regularly carry.

 

[Coldtoes]

Guys, I was doing some research on bed racks and tonneau covers recently, and I noticed that many members use tri-fold covers, or roll ups like Bak X4s.
Why do I rarely see Gladiators equipped with tonneau covers like Roll-N-Lock? Is it because of the price or do you simply think BAK or tri-fold lids are more practical?
I've seen a lot of people say that not being cover compatible would be a deal killer when they buy a bed rack, so if we develop our own bed rack, this will also be something we have to think about.
Most of the pickup trucks I see in China are equipped with covers similar to Roll-N-Lock, or hard tri-fold covers like Mopar. I have almost never seen anyone using a cover in the form of Bak.

I have a Bak X4s and love it. I really like the rolll-n-lock idea, but as others have said the canister at the end of the bed takes up a lot of limited cargo space. It is also rather heavy and not easily removed. The hard roll ups are easy to remove, but still very secure. I also like having a temporary surface to place things when opening the bed (like bags of stuff from a store).

I often carry plywood and a canister in the back would make my truck bed unable to do that. I love the idea, just not the compromise in space required. I also remove my Bak X4s and swap it for a Softtopper when going on road trips or longer off road trips. A auto-roll up top wouldn't be easy to swap out.

My personal opinion is that it isn't a product worth your investment in time and effort to develop. I'm sure some would buy it and be happy, but not enough to make it worth while.

 

[Cspence]

I love my roll n lock and haven't been bothered yet by the space the canister takes up. The convenience, fit and finish, secuity, and overall quality of the cover still impress me. Originally I wasn't considering it due to price, I was targeting the Bak X4S hopefully around that $1K mark. $1600-$1800 for the roll n lock was too rich for my blood. Knowng what I know now, I think would choose the Roll n lock, even at the higher cost. The only reason I ended up with it is due to an insane deal I got (partly due to a issue on Amazon) during Black Friday. Very happy so far...

 

[NGNERD]

For me, I love my factory mopar roll up, seems most companies do not want to design for that due to having to off set the mounts to accommodate for its width and probably lose load capacity / looks, but I am not doing a RTT, just want to put solar on top, but I am probably rare so I get it. So I am considering getting another cover. Roll n lock is a high price to deal with that strap getting snagged, so bak revolver is the choice , but most importantly there are no half height racks with panels on the sides and rear that are hinged for easy access to all cargo.

 

[1stXMan]

For me, I love my factory mopar roll up, seems most companies do not want to design for that due to having to off set the mounts to accommodate for its width and probably lose load capacity / looks, but I am not doing a RTT, just want to put solar on top, but I am probably rare so I get it. So I am considering getting another cover. Roll n lock is a high price to deal with that strap getting snagged, so bak revolver is the choice , but most importantly there are no half height racks with panels on the sides and rear that are hinged for easy access to all cargo.

American Adventure Labs has a product coming called the load bearing enclosure that is half height with a rear hinge hatch for bed access. It will accommodate a small rack.

https://americanadventurelab.com/product/jeep-jt-load-bearing-enclosure/

 

[pharmfrank]

I used a soft vinyl tonneau on my Dodge Dakotas for over 10 yrs, Sun, rain, snow and ice, eventually a heavy hail storm put some holes in it, then I patched with duct tape (this was before Gator tape) Now my 2020 Gladiator I went with a tri-fold Alloy tonnneau from Weather Tech, holds more weight
than the MoPar equivalent (or did at the time of purchase) Your choice depends on use and price

 

[NGNERD]

American Adventure Labs has a product coming called the load bearing enclosure that is half height with a rear hinge hatch for bed access. It will accommodate a small rack.

https://americanadventurelab.com/product/jeep-jt-load-bearing-enclosure/

Thank you, I really like this, but at this time they have no plans for the sides to have opening access panels like the rear, otherwise this one would have been purchased, love this otherwise, it would be perfect with the side access panels, thanks for the heads up.

 

[SSingh1975]

I've been using Tyger covers from Amazon for my last 3 trucks (gmc canyon, ford ranger and now my Glady). For $200, ya can't beat it...it's watertight, looks good, lasts forever and super light and can be removed in under 5 mins if ya need to haul larger stuff. I've hauled tons of camp gear for my trips and not a single issue. Ran it on my Ranger and now on my new oil burner.

Just keep in mind, the "soft" covers can easily be comprised with a knife so don't leave valuables in the tray. However, I've been all over CA and never had a single issue. I personally think all other $1k+ bed covers are just overpriced. Just this past weekend, we had to haul lumber and it literally took me 5 mins to remove the bed cover and once back home, dumped the lumber in my backyard and put the bed cover back in 5 mins. So easy even a caveman can afford it!.

 

[Exceed Fabrication]

I have a Bak X4s and love it. I really like the rolll-n-lock idea, but as others have said the canister at the end of the bed takes up a lot of limited cargo space. It is also rather heavy and not easily removed. The hard roll ups are easy to remove, but still very secure. I also like having a temporary surface to place things when opening the bed (like bags of stuff from a store).

I often carry plywood and a canister in the back would make my truck bed unable to do that. I love the idea, just not the compromise in space required. I also remove my Bak X4s and swap it for a Softtopper when going on road trips or longer off road trips. A auto-roll up top wouldn't be easy to swap out.

My personal opinion is that it isn't a product worth your investment in time and effort to develop. I'm sure some would buy it and be happy, but not enough to make it worth while.

I understand, 1. Ability to be quickly disassembled 2. Simple and easy to use 3. Acceptable cost.
I'm sorry that my expression caused you misunderstanding. I didn't want to develop a bed cover, but to develop a bed rack. It's just that I realized that many people are concerned about the compatibility issue between cover and rack.
Then I noticed that people prefer different types of bed covers, so I posted to ask, but thank you for your suggestion, it is helpful.

 

[Exceed Fabrication]

I noticed an interesting difference. In China, many people actually regard Wrangler and Gladiator as luxury cars, including F150, tundra, etc. When driving these cars on the road, they will be considered rich.
Of course they're not as luxurious as a G-wagon or a land rover, but they're definitely not something most people can afford.
The 'luxury car label' has affected the entire Chinese Wrangler/Gladiator modification market. I can hardly see anyone driving a JT to haul a whole load of wood or straw. Many people choose to turn their JL/JT into a tool for showing off.
I guess this is one of the reasons why 'Chinese modifications' choose to make the car look exaggerated (angry grill, RGB headlights, over-designed and over-priced parts, etc., you know...)
Because this is not considered a tool truck, I don't think anyone who can afford a JT would want to install a removable cover for hauling groceries. It is only a toy for a very small number of people.

 

[TheOpa]

I understand, 1. Ability to be quickly disassembled 2. Simple and easy to use 3. Acceptable cost.
I'm sorry that my expression caused you misunderstanding. I didn't want to develop a bed cover, but to develop a bed rack. It's just that I realized that many people are concerned about the compatibility issue between cover and rack.
Then I noticed that people prefer different types of bed covers, so I posted to ask, but thank you for your suggestion, it is helpful.

Hey Kelvin, I have the Bak X4s and that works best for my use case, which is mostly camping gear. I like the hard roll up because it does offer more lockable protection than a soft roll up. I also echo what others have mentioned about the retractable cover - I have concerns about off-road muck getting in the canister and being hard to remove, and because the Gladiator bed is so small already I don’t want to give up the space because I have a plastic bin system already sorted out that pretty much utilizes all of the limited space when the cover is closed.
For me, the best rack ideas utilize the full mounting rail and the tslots in my cover.

 

[Alc]

I have the rough country’s version of the roll-n-lock. After I saw the Bak 4S vinyl separating on my BIL truck I was out. I found the rough country and it has been great. I like the security since I park at the airport for work and the fit a finish are outstanding. The matte painted black also matches the black top of my JTR. It is 95% waterproof (nothing is 100%). It really doesn’t take up that much room in the bed and I just shove the freedom top bag under there so I always have that with me. Now for the bad: I hate that it doesn’t have tracks for roof rack add-ons like so many of the other truck roll-n-lock. I also hate the depth of the bed with ANY tonneau cover, you can’t fit a cooler/fridge under it unless it’s puny. If I had to do it all over again and seeing how few times I’ve removed the top, I’d probably just go for broke and get a smartcap. At least then i could put my dogs back there (didn’t have them before I bought my cover).

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