Soft or Hard Tonneau Cover?

[RJinPV]

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).

Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't think of that. My Ram 1500 bed is >20" deep and I might miss that depth moving to a Gladiator. I'll have to check the height on my gear.

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[XraytecH]

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?

The locking pins are plastic and the rails do hang over the truck bed.

 

[RK_Jeeps]

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

@RealTruck - Will the TruXedo TS rail work with the Rugged Ridge Armis Rolling Hard Cover? I have the RR cover installed and have been looking for options to install a cargo rack. I like what @TRI-JAB has done with the FrontRunner legs with the RhinoRack but would prefer not to replace the cover with the BAK Revolver X4S (I don't think the X4S was available when I got my Armis cover in Feb 2021).

 

[Markpod7]

best bed cover ever! Little pricey but literally only water trickles in in corners where the bed closes(prob could put a small piece of weather strip and be totally dry)

 

[Timoleon]

I prefer the tri fold hard cover. I have been using Bak Flips for both of my Toyotas (Tundra and Tacoma's). They are nice because they fold flat with the bed of the truck (the don't stick up above the bed). But, they are pricey. When I wanted a cover for the wife's Overland, I went with a less expensive tri fold hard cover. Not a great fit (the corners over shoot the end of the bed by about .25 inches) but they keep people honest. That cost me half of what it would have cost for the Bak Flip. And it is easily removable. I could never go with a soft cover (and that goes for the Jeep top as well. I have seen what vandals do to convertibles and I hate the deductible requirement just to patch it up. Curious eyes are more inclined to cut through a soft top than play around with the mechanics of a hard top.

 

[RealTruck]

@RealTruck - Will the TruXedo TS rail work with the Rugged Ridge Armis Rolling Hard Cover? I have the RR cover installed and have been looking for options to install a cargo rack. I like what @TRI-JAB has done with the FrontRunner legs with the RhinoRack but would prefer not to replace the cover with the BAK Revolver X4S (I don't think the X4S was available when I got my Armis cover in Feb 2021).

Yes!
The TS rails will work with this cover

 

[legacy_etu]

I had the soft Mopar and really liked it but eventually switched to hard as the soft started to sag

Is there no way to add tension?

 

[johnparjr]

Is there no way to add tension?

There is not

 

[Camaroboi13]

Is there no way to add tension?

Buy another one?

To be honest, I bought the Amazon special for something like a hundred bucks. If it lasts two years before it’s saggy junk then I got my moneys worth out of it. For that price I can buy four of them for the cost of the cheapest Mopar unit.

It’s already been said, I’ll say it again. If a bad guy wants in, it doesn’t matter how much you spent on your cover.

 

[Sarge502]

Diamondback for the win. That is all.

 

[Mister Lamb]

I'd go hardcover for the same reason I'd get hood latches and locking gas caps. I unfortunately lack faith in fellow man. Quadratec came out with their own line. They have 4 variants to choose from at a decent price. Will probably buy one once mine gets too beat up

 

[whiteglad]

I had a hard cover on my 2020 from Tyger. This time I got an inexpensive amazon soft cover which is half the weight (30 vs, 60 lb) and thus easier to manipulate. I agree it is somewhat less secure than a hard cover. I try not to park in risky areas--we will see if it lasts.

 

[popsnbeer]

mopar soft rolling is the best IMO.

ive had the soft fold and the hard tri fold from MOPAR and the rolling soft was BY FAR the best.

no leaks, not once.

takes up absolutely no bed space when rolled back.

doesn't impede on the interior bed space with unnecessary extra hardware along the bed sides like other covers.

two bolts to put it on, and the same two to take it off. Makes it VERY easy to swap it on and off. I swap it for the bestop bed cover a couple times a year while camping.

It looks like it's this one from Mopar's website?

https://store.mopar.com/oem-parts/mopar-tonneau-cover-82216373ab

Any idea if there's a non-branded knock off that's half the price? I can't decide what topper shell I want, but need something to keep eyes off of baseball gear when putting around.

 

[Gren71]

It looks like it's this one from Mopar's website?

https://store.mopar.com/oem-parts/mopar-tonneau-cover-82216373ab

Any idea if there's a non-branded knock off that's half the price? I can't decide what topper shell I want, but need something to keep eyes off of baseball gear when putting around.

There are a few less expensive none mopar brands that have a "roll up" but theyre just not as good IMO.

If youre just looking for inexpensive and shorter term id go with the of the tyger ones that are around $200 on amazon. They look good and do the job.

There are also a couple roll ups for sale on the forum now.

 

[RJinPV]

I started this thread months ago to get input on which cover to get for my Gladiator. I decided on a Bestop soft rolling cover with the black twill fabric. My reasoning went this way:

• I wanted to minimize the weight of the cover. Evey pound cuts into towing and cargo capacity and city MPG. Soft covers weigh 40-50 lbs less than most hard covers.
• I wanted to maximize the bed height and I wanted to make sure I could still carry coolers and propane tanks when I need to.
• Security is a partial illusion with most hard covers. The only ones that seem resistant to a pry bar attack is the Diamondback cover, and the possibly the various hard retracting covers. The others can be popped open with a pry bar.
• I don't regularly carry expensive stuff in my bed. If I did then I would get a Diamondback.
• A locking soft rolling cover is likely to keep "honest people honest" because they can't peek inside.

I chose the Bestop cover because its fabric matches my Sunrider top, it locks, and it maximizes the bed height. My other choices:

1. My second choice was the Mopar soft rolling. It has no rails for added weight and its fabric also matches the Sunrider. It's more expensive, and it doesn't lock unless you add tiedowns, you need to buy rivnuts to bolt the roll in place for 2022/2023 models. It's a shame Mopar doesn't fix this. (EDIT: I just read the Mopar instructions and the rivnuts are now included in the kit. I don't remember this back in November. It looks like Mopar did finally fix this!)
2. The other soft rollup on the short list was the Rugged Ridge Armis cover. The Truxedo X15 is a good low profile cover but reduces bed height by a small amount.
3. The Tyger covers never made my list because I'm willing to pay a little more for better quality (buy once) and I avoid made in China stuff when there are better alternatives.

EDIT Number 2: The Mopar soft rolling cover fitment information is confusing. The installation instructions on the Allmoparparts website still, even today, has the old instructions without the rivnuts. That is why I thought rivnuts were not included. The official Mopar store has the updated instructions showing the Rivnuts are included. To top that off, back in November my dealer's parts department said the latest part number, 82216373AB, will not fit a 2022/23 Gladiator. They even double checked it after I explained the Mopar websites said it does. I wonder if the dealers ever received the correct information or if it was just the guy behind the counter. This confusion is another reason I wound up choosing the Bestop.

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