Soft or Hard Tonneau Cover?

[MER21]

I have the Tyger Soft Tri-fold on mine and it works great with my KB Voodoo PRO-X crossbars
https://www.kbvoodoo.com/jeep-gladiator

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[MajorUrsus]

I'll get crap for this, I'm sure, but I went with the Rough Country hard cover. It's easy to install and operate, and provides good protection for the stuff I generally keep in the bed. The reason I went with the hard cover instead of the soft cover was security. With a soft cover, someone just needs a sharp blade and then all of the things you have in the bed are accessible.

I eventually plan to put in a Decked drawer system, but the RC hard cover is getting the job done for now

 

[Jvazqu1980]

I have the Rugged Ridge hard rolling cover. I like it, it hasn’t really leaked except from the tailgate sides. The cons of it are that it gets super hot to roll in the summer and will burn your hands. Also unlike other cover you always have to open the tailgate to open the cover.

Do you need the mopar trail rails to install the rugged ridge rolling hard cover?

 

[texanjeeper]

Rough Country hard tri-fold for mine, I've been nothing but happy with it. No leaks, I do have some hail dings in it, but I kinda like the look.

 

[XraytecH]

Started with a MOPAR soft rolling cover but over time the fabric started to sag between the cross members. So I switch to a Bak Revolver x4s rolling hard cover.

 

[RJinPV]

Still trying to answer my initial question: I went to the Jeep Bash in Huntington Beach this weekend and got an opportunity to look at a number of covers the people had. This is where I am leaning:

• Mopar soft rolling cover: I actually liked the way it looks and the material seems very robust. It seems like it overhangs the rails sufficiently that it would still seal the bed if you installed the Elevate T slot bed rails on the bed caps. Of course, when you put a rack in the TSlots you would have to keep the cover rolled up. The owner said It doesn't lock at all (by design). It keeps out rain well but dust, not so much. You can't really lift the sides up and peek into the bed easily but anyone can walk up to it and open it if they wanted to. Other soft covers would need a pry bar or a knife. Maybe that's a blessing to not have your cover slashed by someone just looking....
• Diamond back cover: I liked the styling a lot. It's also a bank vault compared to other covers. I don't see a way to easily break in without tools and making a lot of noise. The owner said he really liked it and the covers actually remove very easily. The center brace removal is like other covers though. You need a wrench to uninstall it. It's on my short list even though it weighs 80lbs per Diamondback
• Truxedo X15 pro: I didn't see one but I got a look at it's vinyl cousin. I like the twill fabric look better than vinyl. It's on my short list.
• Access covers: I didn't like the vinyl covers and the finish of the corners. Took it off my list
• Tyger soft covers: There were a number of them at the meet. They had a better finish on the corners, compared to the Access covers. But again, vinyl is not my preference. I also try lean toward Made in USA, so I'd get an Access cover before a Tyger one.
• BAK Revolver X4S: I didn't see one there, which surprised me. I saw it's trifold siblings and the low profile styling was looking good. This one is still on my short list too.

Now I just need my Gladiator to roll off the production line....

 

[RJinPV]

Started with a MOPAR soft rolling cover but over time the fabric started to sag between the cross members. So I switch to a Bak Revolver x4s rolling hard cover.

You have two of the covers on my short list! The Mopar soft cover doesn't have any side rails, which I though was an elegant design. The Bak Revolver side rails probably intrude more than most others(?). Have they ever gotten in your way? Also, the locking pins look like they're made out of plastic. Is that correct?

 

[RJinPV]

I have the Rugged Ridge hard rolling cover. I like it, it hasn’t really leaked except from the tailgate sides. The cons of it are that it gets super hot to roll in the summer and will burn your hands. Also unlike other cover you always have to open the tailgate to open the cover.

I forgot to include this one on my short list too. I like the twill fabric look compared to the Bak Revolver. But the Bak Revolver has T slot's included, just in case I ever wanted a bed rack to carry my kayak. I'm waiting on getting my Gladiator first to decide on that need.

 

[RealTruck]

Do you need the mopar trail rails to install the rugged ridge rolling hard cover?

No you do not, will install with or without the Trail Rail

 

[Funwthmud]

Do you need the mopar trail rails to install the rugged ridge rolling hard cover?

If I’m not mistaken it comes with hardware to mount it either way. I have the trail rail and there was extra hardware

 

[RealTruck]

I forgot to include this one on my short list too. I like the twill fabric look compared to the Bak Revolver. But the Bak Revolver has T slot's included, just in case I ever wanted a bed rack to carry my kayak. I'm waiting on getting my Gladiator first to decide on that need.

While this might not have the t-slot rails like the X4s you can always utilize the TruXedo TS rails which are compatible with this cover and gives you the option for the t-slot system while having the cover you prefer

 

[Funwthmud]

I forgot to include this one on my short list too. I like the twill fabric look compared to the Bak Revolver. But the Bak Revolver has T slot's included, just in case I ever wanted a bed rack to carry my kayak. I'm waiting on getting my Gladiator first to decide on that need.

I’m waiting for Billie Bars to make a taller mount that will work with this one. I’m also debating buying a GoFast canopy.

 

[Funwthmud]

While this might not have the t-slot rails like the X4s you can always utilize the TruXedo TS rails which are compatible with this cover and gives you the option for the t-slot system while having the cover you prefer

I’ve never seen those TS rails before. Are those made to mount under a tonneau cover rail?

 

[gouacats]

You have two of the covers on my short list! The Mopar soft cover doesn't have any side rails, which I though was an elegant design. The Bak Revolver side rails probably intrude more than most others(?). Have they ever gotten in your way? Also, the locking pins look like they're made out of plastic. Is that correct?

One thought on this is that the bed of the Gladiator isn't very deep at 17". For example, a lot of the popular coolers are about this height (think Yeti, etc.). Having a bit more height may be an advantage for you versus a flush mount cover. For the record, I went with the Tyger T1 rollup cover, which I know you've eliminated; however, It was cheap, worked with my DIY trail rail, allowed me to still use my trail rail mounted bike rack when rolled up and gave me just a bit more height for my cooler and looks decent (at least to me).

 

[RealTruck]

I’ve never seen those TS rails before. Are those made to mount under a tonneau cover rail?

Correct, you would mount them first, then the rails for the tonneau cover
I know I know, this video shows a Maverick but pretty much what to expect

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