Bed cover options with toolbox tank

[sbaker]

Just wondering what the best tonneau cover options people have come up with that work with the RDS toolbox tanks. Those tanks come up really close to flush with the height of the rails. I had one of the cheap rollup covers and I don't want to go down that road again. I like the folding cover idea and I was looking at the fold-a-cover, but they have a little box that hangs down from both the front and rear panels that I'm pretty sure would hit the toolbox lid. The Bakflip is built to be close to flush with the rail height and I don't think it would fit with the tank either.

Anyone find anything that works? Anyone have a K-cover? I've even considered taking the toolbox lid off and getting the fold-a-cover.

The main thing is that it needs to be easy to open and close (no rollups) and easy access to fill the tank.

[FastCote]

Just wondering what the best tonneau cover options people have come up with ...

I am happy with my ARE tonneau. It is the standard, front hinge, style and it leaves enough room to get into the toolbox lid and to fill the 60 gallon oil tank. I am sure i have seen a newer style that raised straight up, but when I looked just now I could not find it.

[Marv]

Good post...I too have been thinking about bed cover options with the 60 gallon toolbox tank. I'd really prefer a roll up, maybe a fold up, so I can use my gooseneck hitch without removing my cover. A hard top, roll up that is lockable would be ideal.

I had a Lund roll-up, soft top cover on my Ranger before the F-250. It worked good, but I'm not sure how the same thing would mount up with the tank in there.

Anyone using a roll up style cover with the toolbox tank?

Thanks!

[Jack_Toepfer]

It sounds like it is too late for you guys, but I bought the tank without the toolbox on it. Since my truck sits to high, nobody can see the tank in the back. Also, when I want my tanneau cover on it there is no box to stop it, and I have a bunch of room.

[Marv]

That would be nice Jack, but I guess you're right - I'm out on that option. I actually like having the toolbox though...just wish I could use one of the nice, roll up type covers.

[sbaker]

The hard top rollups like retrax or roll-n-lock roll the top up into a canister that is up at the front of the bed. I think they usually come back around 12" from the front so you'd have to mount your tank farther back. I haven't seen any that have the canister up top, they all hang down into the bed.

A hard top like FastCote has might be the best option.

The options that I've been most interested in are folding like the Bakflip for Fold-a-Cover, but it seems like they would all interfere with the toolbox.

[FastCote]

I knew I saw a vertical lift version of my ARE cover, but apparently it was custom 'cause I can not seem to find it. Closest I came was this:

[Marv]

The hard top rollups like retrax or roll-n-lock roll the top up into a canister that is up at the front of the bed. I think they usually come back around 12" from the front so you'd have to mount your tank farther back. I haven't seen any that have the canister up top, they all hang down into the bed.

A hard top like FastCote has might be the best option.

The options that I've been most interested in are folding like the Bakflip for Fold-a-Cover, but it seems like they would all interfere with the toolbox.

Baker, that's what I was thinking too - that the hard top had some sort of box up front that the cover retracted into. And after looking again yesterday, I don't see any way I could ever make one work with the DFA tank. I've got a short bed, so space is limited between the front of the bed and the wheel wells.

The fold style caught my eye too, but after what you said, I have to agree, that I don't think the toolbox would be accessible with that style either.

I guess I'll look into something similar to what I had on my Ranger. It was a soft top, but had round support bars about every 16 inches or so. It rolled up on top of the bed, so not being able to put it behind the tank wouldn't be a problem. But, then again, I'm not sure I could even get the mounting brackets for it back behind there either.

A hinged hard top (about half the length of the bed), would probably work okay. Don't know if they even make such a thing though. Just hate to have to remove my cover each time I want to pull a gooseneck.

Hmm...

[Marv]

I knew I saw a vertical lift version of my ARE cover, but apparently it was custom 'cause I can not seem to find it. Closest I came was this:

Thanks Fast, I'll check out that pic this evening at home.

[sbaker]

Yeah, that's a nice cover. It's made by a company called TopUp. They are made to turn the bed of the truck into a camper. They come with vinyl walls and one model even has fold out bunks.

Nice cover, but it's really expensive. Best I've seen (actually the only place I've seen it) is here for $2800.

http://www.truckaddons.com/Catalog/s...pertonneau.htm

[sbaker]

A hinged hard top (about half the length of the bed), would probably work okay. Don't know if they even make such a thing though. Just hate to have to remove my cover each time I want to pull a gooseneck.

Hmm...

They do have some that hinge in the center. The problem with the covers I've seen is the latching mechanism up front extending down a little too far. I'm even considering cutting a hole in the top of the toolbox lid. I can get a grommet for any time that I don't have the bed cover on.

If I can't get a folding cover, I'll be getting a solid hinged cover like FastCote.

[Marv]

Yeah, that's a nice cover. It's made by a company called TopUp. They are made to turn the bed of the truck into a camper. They come with vinyl walls and one model even has fold out bunks.

Nice cover, but it's really expensive. Best I've seen (actually the only place I've seen it) is here for $2800.

http://www.truckaddons.com/Catalog/s...pertonneau.htm

That's pretty cool...I don't think I've ever seen those before.

But, for $2800, I think I'd have to pass! That's a lot of cash for a bed cover.

[Marv]

They do have some that hinge in the center. The problem with the covers I've seen is the latching mechanism up front extending down a little too far. I'm even considering cutting a hole in the top of the toolbox lid. I can get a grommet for any time that I don't have the bed cover on.

If I can't get a folding cover, I'll be getting a solid hinged cover like FastCote.

Baker, any chance you got a link to one of those?

Thanks!

[sbaker]

Baker, any chance you got a link to one of those?

Thanks!

Yes - if I were getting a hard top, I'd get one of these:


http://www.truckaddons.com/Catalog/s...eau_covers.htm

It won't look as nice as FastCote's, but it will do the job and it's a pretty good price. It's made to come off really quickly and they even have mounting points on the backside so you can hang it on a garage wall when not in use.

This might be the cover I wind up with if I can't get a folding cover that works. The folding is something I want because I like to climb up in the bed and stand up when I'm loading it. I also drive up to Canada sometimes to visit my parents and, sometimes, I would want to carry something tall back that I didn't plan on before I left. I'll just have to learn to work around that stuff.

[Marv]

Thanks Baker, I'll check those out!