Bakflip F1
 

Ey guys I'm about a week and a half away from buying the Bakflip f1. I was wondering who else got it or what others think of it?
Or even if people have some pics of theirs on their shortbed

Got it and love it. No leaks. No problems

Do you have any pics? I've seen a lot on the website but i want to see other trucks with it as well
Was it hard to install?

Sorry, I don't have any pics. It looks great. I have had a tuxedo lopro and a roll' n lock. The F1 is by far the best of them in my opinion.

I have the F1, my first one leaked around all the panels. The second one is much better and only leaks in one specific area under a rubber seal. At high speed, the panels appear to buffet some. The overall concept is very good. Bak is coming out with some much better designs soon.

Hm how bad does it leak? Does that mean that the installation is challenging because of just being precise with the rubber strips?

It installs in 15 min, very easy.

The leaks are from the assembly process, nothing that the end-user does during installation. The panels are made from a foam (Styrofoam cooler type) board sandwiched between an FRP board on top and aluminum underneath. The panels are clamped inside metal brackets like a window frame. Each panel is attached to the next with rubber hinges between them that allow "the folding". Where the rubber is clamped into the panel frame assemblies on a single panel is where my leak is. The panels aren't made to disassemble for repairs, or I'd have that sucker apart making it better.

If you do a search of other brands and types, you will find stories of leaking. The first F1 cover leaked pretty bad. Bak absolutely stood behind their product and sent out another one no questions and no fuss. The second cover sent to replace the first was actually made two months before the first cover. It doesn't leak as bad but there is one spot that it drips pretty good into the middle of the bed. We'll just have to keep the bags that can't get wet in a rubber maid bin or something.

Until Bak rolls out a cover that has no exterior hinges or joints (which should be in a few months), there is always a risk of leaking panels.

One of my concerns is that the self latching mechanism has too much play. It works like a deadlatch on a door knob. Have you ever noticed that when your bedroom or bathroom door is closed, you can grab the door handle and wiggle the door just a bit? it's the same concept. The panels lay flat, but at high speed, the vacuum bubble formed by air coming over the cab lifts the panels up slightly and buffets them.

The F1 is the best concept I've seen in a folding cover and I'll continue to use this one. It's not like the cover is leaking gallons of water, just a pretty good drip in heavy downpours. Would I buy another F1 should this one get destroyed or damaged? Nope. Not until something with a better design comes along (which should be soon). The wife wants me to buy an ARE LSX and be done with it. http://www.4are.com/product/lsx/

Thanks for the response champ. A lot of good info and advice. Well I think I should be fine with the f1 after reading that. And I'm glad to hear they stand by their warranty so if there are any problems I'll problem get a new one ASAP from BAK. Other than that I'm pumpd, I can't wait to get it.

I'll be getting the F1 when my truck arrives next week. 2 years in a row I've been travelling from Ontario Canada to Daytona hauling a trailer with my friends F 350 which has the F1 installed. We hit torrential rain both times on the way down. Just a few drops of water penetrated the cover. Liked the way it closed and secured once the tailgate was locked.

What new designs are you discussing? It might be worth the wait.