Trifold vs Retractable Tonneau Cover

I don’t have any experience with Tri- fold but I did recently but a Retrax PRO MX which looks great. With that said, few things I’m disappointed with that would definitely alter my decision to buy again
1. Cost of expensive
2. Loss of bed space with the box unit
3. Doesn’t retrac well in the winter

 

As someone who's used both I feel I have a good opinion.

I use the tri-fold for a year. Timmy the only benefit is that it's lower cost, and there's more space. That being said you still will lose space if you need to store something at the full bed length that's larger, like a dirt bike. I had a soft tonneau cover and wallet didn't make any noise, I was worried that the Arizona Sun would destroy it within a few years.

I've since moved on to a retrax Pro. I absolutely love it. If someone who's worked farmers markets and shops where we need to move a lot of inventory, it's so much more convenient to just roll it back and get what you need. I absolutely love The hardtop, I like that I can place gear on it temporarily, and really there's just a huge cool factor. I was able to get mine for lower cost and installed for free so that helped. That being said a hard top retractable was probably the same price as three soft top trifolds.

 

I opt'ed for the tri-fold- Bak flip MX4 to be exact on a 6.5 bed. A buddy of mine had a retractable cover, took the truck on a very mild off road adventure and sand or dirt got into the groves and never retracked the same. Nearly impossible to remove the debris between the crevices. So with that said, even if you don't off road often, i would suspect snow and ice would give you issues temporarily till it melted away.

 

I feel your pain! Our used 2015 DC came with. BAK rolling cover, which I believe is similar to the Sentry. Have liked it for the most part, especially after seeing my buddy use his folding cover—I don’t like those at all. Works pretty well for dirt bikes, but loading two still need spacer chocks.

After 7 years the BAK is wearing a bit…the cover on the locking mechanism is falling off, and the fabric is falling off. Looks like the new version (X4) and the Sentry have upgraded the system with rubber versus fabric.

 

Lots of good input here!

As stated above, our ‘15 DC has a BAK cover, which has been pretty good.

But on our 2021 CM I’d like to opt for a retractable. Leaning toward Retrax. I don’t foresee needing bike or cargo racks.

We do load dirt bikes, but generally trailer. Occasionally might load one bike in the pickup, so the canister space is not a huge issue (I hope!). Should be able to strap it diagonally and/or use a bed extender.

Can anyone comment on the Retrax polycarbonate vs aluminum? I don’t think I need payload on the cover. Any other downside to the poly?

Thanks to this thread I’ve been enlightened to Truck2Go. The pricing and features are attractive. Any thoughts on why the Retrax might be better.

 

I picked up the XR with t-slots specifically so I could mount bike racks above the sliding cover for protected bed storage, keeping the hitch free for trailering. Loving this setup.

I haven’t personally compared the poly Retrax but preferred the fit and finish and expected longevity of the aluminum.

 

I have had 4 of the retractable and in my 8’ bed truck you don’t lose much space, but in my 2018 tundra you lose very precious cargo room! That, and for years when i rolled down the back window it squeaked like crazy. It has 10 times the moving parts, and you loose the slot rail functionality when you go retractable (or I did on the last two for sure), and they definitely leak (bearings, weather striping, panel connections, etc. That said I love them, still have one on my Ford F-450, but my 2023 came with a Bakflip on my long bed 6.6’ tundra and it’s a lot more functional, and is about apples to apples on light loads, and there’s a little more to it when you flip all 4 panels (4 on the 6.6’ Tundra), but if you’re going that far, you get the room instead of the can. You also don’t wanna bump anything into the can, as it is durable but not build ford tough. Just trying to help.

 

Thanks Boatracer…I’m actually leaning toward a BAK roll again or even just a cheap roller to get me by. With this truck I’ll probably just have baseball crap in the back and an occasional dirt bike.

Saw a few different models at a shop. The retractables are sweet, but once I got eyes on that canister, it’s just too big for the CM short bed.

 

I've had both and prefer the retract simply because you can easily lock it in intermediate positions. The Bakflip type are either shut or full open... For instance when running some big gas cans for the mowers, it is so simple to lock the retract in the first stop to make room for the cans and it also keeps them from tipping over. The Backflip needs to be opened all the way and tied down and then the gas cans need to be secured which is all very inconvenient. On a 6.5 bed the canister doesn't take that much space, but might too much of a compromise on a short bed.

 

I’m leaning towards the Retrax or the roll N lock. I would prefer the revolver/hard roll-up style, but I’ve seen such bad reviews on how well they last. Retrax, because it utilizes the track system in the bed, but the canister is almost too big. I saw a roll N lock (A series) in person last week and that canister size might win me over. I’ve read through most of the related forums briefly over the last month or so. Does anyone have a definitive reason NOT to go with the roll n lock?

 

I'm looking at this option and can't quite get an answer to whether the mounting would interfere with Putco Molle panels in the bed. If you get a chance, a close up picture of the mounting inside the bed would be really helpful.

 

I've been running a Retrax for years. It has a canister that the cover rolls into, so you lose a little space, but it's rarely a factor. You can also still fit long items under the canister.

Built in tracks are an extra bonus.

 

I have had both as well. I liked the Bakflip 4 or my 2018 Tundra. Since then I have gotten a few things in the stable. I have a flatbed trailer I use for towing the toys, so I have plenty of hauling capability. So, when I decided to put the tanneau cover on, I went with the retractable. I love it. My Gladiator has the Mamoru tri fold that doesn't completely fold and it works good for that. The best part of that cover is that it completely lifts off quickly to have the entire bed (all 5 feet of it).

Retractable is the way to go with the 24 Tundra TRD OR.

 

without a doubt go with the RetraxoneXR or RetraxPro XR. The Truck2go/syneticUSA are cheap and require more drilling for more drain tubes. Whenever I was about to purchase one I was uncertain about the fitment with the deck rail system. I called Truck2go and had a less than desirable conversation with a representative. I felt like my concerns weren’t worth their time. I know people have good days and bad days, but he was really short with me and actually turned me away from a purchase. Retrax customer service is amazing! Very attentive and helpful. They actually sent me some extra tabs I had stripped to adjustment the fitment from left to right. Got a good deal on it through RealTruck with their forum discount code. Just chat with and they’ll hook it up. RetraxOneXR was approximately $1,300 after discount and was delivered 3 days later. No brainer.

 

Thanks for the insights. I will take a longer look at Retrax. What I want to accomplish is getting a roller that allows for installing a rack, and being able to retain the Putco Molle panels in the bed. I'll talk to Retrax and get their thoughts.

 

Just checked out the Putco Molle and if you have the cab/bulkhead panel, you may have to remove it. You loose the bulkhead deck rail, and the molle would not be of much use behind the canister. I wish I had installed the side molle’s before I did the cover.

 

I have had
- fiberglass tonneau, wife to short to push it up
- extang tri fold, froze like a bitch
- a roll up one, same thing, froze or would open on the highway. Also rattled like a bitch
- OEM or Bakflip gets my vote. Hasn’t froze, hasn’t opened while underway. Doesn’t leak and zero dust

 

My only gripe on this one in particular is the rattling noise when it's retracted,oh and one other thing is the drain nipples/ports are kinda cheesy,there plastic that lock in by friction and in real world play there gonna get slammed and break off and in cold weather this will come quicker,I plan on making a set out of brass maybe today is the day I'll make a set...

Good reading here with alot of honest testimony,Raylo you have a good valid point for the practicality of every day use that we forget about when making a purchase like this,good call.

Good luck OP on your purchase!

 

Thanks. The Molle's are very nice. I attached a couple pics. Do you see any issue with the install with how these Molle's are attached on the side? I am fine removing the bulkhead panel if that's in the way.

 

Made some new drainage ports VS the plastic ones.I will have to wait for rain or hit a autowash to find out if they hold.

 

Unless it is a REAL security issue save your money and get a Truxedo Truxport and be done with it. I had the bak revolver on a Tacoma because I thought I wanted the security of it. I never liked the rails hanging inboard of the bed. They were very flimsy at the tailgate. Sit in the sun a few hours and forget about touching it. Rolling it up took away several inches at the front of the bed so I had to put a piece of unistrut across the front to mimic the front bed rail for a dirtbike to rest against. The cover began separating from the aluminum after a year. Bak did send me a new one (great customer service) but I immediatly sold it as I had already moved to a soft cover. For the Tundra I went with the Truxedo. Frame is totally on bed rail and it rolls up small. You don't lose a bit of bed space.

 

don’t see any issues. The retrax will fit to your bed rails and won’t interfere with the molle. You’re going to be happy with the switch. Make sure to take your time with the last step of squaring the rails at the attachment points. This ensures that the cover moves smoothly and the tailgate opens freely while cover is closed. I got it as close as I could, but still had a slight hang to it. Took it up to H&H truck and it took 5 mins for them to tweak it and it is smooth as advertised. They only charged me $30 for a 1/4 hr. Just an FYI