JRDepew

Hello All,

I recently bought a 2018 F150 STX. My last truck had a full cap on it, but was getting rusty thanks to NY winters.

The cap was great, made transporting the dogs short distance easy. We only loaded them in the back when they got muddy playing at the park, which is ~5 miles from home. Any longer trips they get the whole back seat to themselves in a dog hammock.

Since the F150 is a much sportier looking truck than my 2011 silverado was, and since caps are insanely expensive new...I was thinking of going with a hard folding tonneau cover vs a cap. Something like the Bakflip MX4, or the Gator FX3. The problem with this would be transporting the dogs when they get muddy/wet. I was thinking since the tonneau folds up, I could also get an easily collapsible dog cage. Cage would stay in the truck at all times. When I needed to transport the dogs, I could open the tonneau, set the cage up, strap it in, and put the dogs in. Tonneau would stay open the whole time.

Does anyone have a setup like this? Suggestions on dog kennels that are safe and quick to setup and take down? I did a bunch of searching, but didn't find many specifics. Some kennels look great, but the price is insane. Others fold easily but don't appear to have the best mechanism for tying down...

Also, any recommendations on hard folding tonneau covers would be appreciated too...I did a lot of searching with that too and there is a wealth of information.

Thanks,
Joe

jeffinthebag

I saw nobody responded. I keep both my dogs (60 lbs each ) in the back seat area of the crew cab with the seats up. But I do use a tonneau covers for hard and soft tri folds. What your saying would work. But I would feel bad leaving them in the back in a cage in the cold especially while during (wind chill). But I have seen it done.

JRDepew

Thanks for the reply Jeff. We don't get much freezing weather down here in coastal SC where we moved...I should have mentioned that. It was hard to hold onto my old rusty truck when the vehicles down here are so clean, hence the new F150.

I am still looking into all this, and looking for a used cap as well. Not sure which way I will go...but either way the dogs are only in the bed for very short trips to and from the local parks. They get the back seat during road trips. They are border collies, and both shed massive amounts of fur.

The cap on the old truck was nice because it kept the sun off and still had lots of airflow via the sliding windows. If I do decide to get a cage for the back that I use when the tonneau is folded up it will protect them from the sun but still allow lots of airflow to keep them cool.

JRDepew

Forgot to mention that I was also looking into a Softopper, but have a hard time finding pictures of them on 2015+ F150's. They just don't seem to "fit" as well as a hard cap, but it is nice that they can fold up when not in use!

-Joe

Judgej

I have placed my order for a Undercover Ridgelander and should have it installed tomorrow. I am excited to get a cover for this truck, I miss my old cover that kept everything out of site.

tareed94

I've got the Bakflip MX4, and have had the same thoughts. The cover is great, absolutely no complaints. It does rattle a little bit but you only hear it on bumps when the radio is off and the windows are open. It easily holds me standing in the middle of it as well, and is rated to hold I 400 pounds evenly distributed if I remember correctly. The only crates I've seen that are easily collapsible are the wire crates. That's not going to tie down well, nor protect them in a wreck. Impact crates are rated for that, but they're super expensive. For the price of the Impacts, you'd be cheaper to buy the full cap brand new.

Truck Brigade

@JRDepew - Congrats on the new truck! Hard folding covers have been increasingly popular over the last couple of years and for good reason - They're sleek and stylish, easy to use, and offer excellent protection. I see you have mentioned the MX4 and the Gator FX3, so I'm assuming that you have done a little research. Both of those covers are great, however the BAK Mx4 is going to be considered the elite of the 2. It features a matte black finish, can support more weight across the top and it also has the upgraded tailgate seal (that allows you to operate the cover without having to open the tailgate).

Both of these covers can be folded up against the rear window and secured in place by using the provided prop rods. This feature only takes a few seconds to do and should provide you w/ full bed access to use a dog cage if desired. I have been selling BAKFlip covers for quite a few years and would be happy to assit with any questions you may have. When you're in the market be sure to let me know and we can check out some forum pricing for you.