Have narrowed the purchase down to a Platinum and will be buying next week. Now onto the bed cover. I like the tri-fold design and seem to see be most about Tonneau covers. Is that the way I should go or does anyone have a different recommendation? Thanks I’m advance.

 

I have a BakFlip MX4. It's a good cover.. looks great, easy to install, easy to fold up (tri-fold) out of the way. Only problem with it, it;s definitely not 100% waterproof. In a strong rain, I do get a bit of water finding its way in.

 

If a tri-fold cover is what you want and best suits your needs, go for it. Autoplicity is a vendor on here that sells different covers. I went with the BAKflip G2 from them as I've done on my last two trucks. Their customer service is awesome. You can inquire with them on the Vendor thread here. Some folk prefer a more heavy duty tri-fold, some like the roll up covers, etc. To each their own. Personal preference.

 

I researched several covers, tri-fold and roll-up, before deciding to get the Lomax. It installs without drilling and seals so nicely that the only time I get any water in the bed is via the sides and bottom of the tailgate when using the touchless car wash. Unlike some of the other tri-fold covers, you can easily remove it to use the whole bed. It's also solidly made and has a nice dark aluminum finish the same shade as the dark trim on the bed. There's a YouTube video of a pretty big guy walking on top of one without damaging it.

Got the Lomax from Truck Alterations. I PM'ed them and got a great forum discount for the Lomax and a BedRug XLT mat.

 

 

I went with Truck Alterations for my Bakflip VP love the soft look hard aluminum tri fold and security. I have an ultimate tailgate seal as well. not 100% waterproof but after a 4 inch rain yesterday i had maybe half a cup of water total in the bed and I sealed the bed to sides cracks. so it cant drain out.

 

I'm working with an XLT budget but I went with the Tonno Pro for ~200. I didn't care for the way the first one sat and they sent me a brand new one immediately. Sent back the old one on their dime. No water intrusion, tri fold, and light(saves me payload).

 

There are tons of covers available for your truck, so you have a wide selection. With that being said, there are some ways to maybe narrow down which model or style to look towards. Soft covers are great at keeping the bed dry, especially at the price. They're easy to install, utilizing a clamp design so they just hook under the bed rails. In the soft tri fold designs, you have a few different levels of quality, with the American Tri Fold for example, being a great cover at the price and the Extang Trifecta 2.0 being a premium, top of the line soft folding cover. Depending on the frequency of use, may help dictate which model to look towards. If you're in and out of the bed frequently, opening and closing the cover constantly, the Trifecta utilizes a wider frame with corner brackets, a thicker hinge design, and the upgraded clamps. I personally like how the tailgate clamps are spring loaded on the Trifecta, as you have something actively putting pressure against the bed to ensure the seals stay flat. The Trifecta also uses a fin seal versus a compression seal, so there are more barriers to prevent water from getting into the bed. It is designed to handle that increased use. With that being said, if you plan to use it infrequently and just want to keep the bed dry, something like the American would do an awesome job.

Moving towards hard covers, you have a few more options. There are typically two styles of hard folding covers, top mounts and flush mounts. A top mount cover would mount similarly to the soft tri folds discussed above. They utilize a four clamp design that doesn't require tools to install. The Extang Solid Fold 2.0, Gator Hybrid, American Hard Tri Fold, etc. all use this style of design. They're great if you don't need full bed access frequently, as they install quickly, easily, and do a great job of keeping water out as it naturally wants to roll off the rails. There are no rails that have to be installed on these covers, so once its removed the bed is completely open and they typically only take 5 minutes to remove. The other design is the flush mount style of hard folding covers. These are the most popular hard folding covers, like the Bakflip, Undercover Flex, LoMax, etc.. These will install a rail inside the bed utilizing c-clamps so you still don't have to do any drilling. This allows the cover to sit lower into the bed and in the cases of the Bakflip and Undercover units, prop up against the cab to gain full bed access without having to remove the cover. Plus, on these designs, if you need to gain complete bed access, you can separate the cover from the rails within about 2-3 minutes at the bulkhead. Hard covers provide security as well as water resistance, so if you keep valuables in the bed or just want to ensure its fully locked down, they're a great option.

There are a lot of great options out there and feel free to let me know if you have any questions between specific models and I would be happy to go over a little more in depth the differences.

 

 

I will second the Tonno Pro. I had one on my 2014 Silverado from new. Sold it to my coworker when I traded the truck, and it still looks the same today as when I bought it 4.5 years ago. The only reason I didn't get another one is because I found an Extang Solid Fold on craigslist for $300.