So, the question is Tonneau vs Camper Shell. And then types of tonneau. So annoying to try to figure out.

I've been searching for a bit and am pretty stuck.

I like the Diamonback tonneau covers. I also like the BakFlip. Both are nice for me bceause I can flip/remove them with relative ease for cargo hauling of almost any height. No weather protection is afforded to cargo when they're up.

On the flip-side, if I get a camper shell, for cargo that's not of great height, I can provide weather protection, though loading gets a bit more interesting.

What other considerations have I over looked? I know that there's got to be something. I'd also like to hear opinions on the specific types that y'all use or have had experience with. I don't plan to ever use a 5th wheel and the cargo that I haul is the normal random stuff that truck guys get to haul (friend's household goods, large outside sound speaker systems, etc).

Cheaper, as always, is better, but I'd rather not have to ever replace it or at least not sooner than 6 years or so.

 

I love my Undercover Tonneau bed cover. It's not foldable but can be removed in a couple of minutes for tall cargo. It's strong, me and three of my friends have at been standing on it at the same time (roughly 500-550lbs). looks great after two years constant exposure to the elements and me and others standing on it. Haven't weighed it, but feels about 50 or 60lbs in weight. I remove it every so often easily to haul my motorcycle or haul taller stuff. Was $599 installed when I purchased it.

 

x2 on the undercover. can easily be removed and replaced by myself, and gets even easier with the help of one more person. have stood on it to wax the cab roof many times, thrown many different objects on top - and it still looks brand new after 2-3 years (not garage kept). i use a truck tent when camping and can haul everything protected from the weather, and then remove it to pitch the tent on the box/bed.

every truck i own from now on will have an undercover.

jason

 

I went with a fiberglass tonneau cover from Leer - visibility is better than a camper shell. The hard cover is more secure for the cargo than a soft one (although neither would prevent someone determined to break in). Once installed, it can be easily removed and reinstalled because the metal frame stays in place, so no realignment problems. It does take at least 2 people because of the size and weight. When it is off the truck, I keep it on a couple of saw horses on the back patio where it is secure.

 

I also recommend the Undercover, not sure but I believe they have LWB model out now.

 

I have the Extang RT fold up cover. I had the Leer cover that opened with spring/hydraulic actuators. I was always hauling stuff that was taller than the bed height so was constantly tieing the lid down. Then one day found out the hard way that the cover fully open was 1/2" higher than the garage door opening. One nice thing about having a tonneau cover is the rear visibility and the back window stays much cleaner. With my old Suburban the rear window was always dirty especially in the winter.

 

Undercover here also.
I would not want to remove a camper shell for the 2 or 3 times a year I take the undercover off. (by myself in less than 5 minutes).

 

+1 on the Leer. I have had mine on for almost 4 years now. Still looks great and the color match was perfect.

 

Undercover here too, and when you take it off they provide two mounting holes and hooks so you can hang it on the wall or some other flat vertical surface. Mine gets stored against the side fence outside...

 

I've had an above the cab (A.R.E.) shell, a fiberglass tonneau and now a folding hard tonneau (Advance), and while they all have their advantages and disadvantages, it depends most on what you really need/want.

I sat down and figured out what I normally use the truck for, as well as the occasional unique tasks and decided on the product that, for me, made the most sense, both from a usefulness and of course a cost standpoint.

Here are some of the pros / cons I considered.

Hard camper/shell: more storage and secure, and can be slept in / high cost and lower visibility

Fiberglass tonneau: good looks and secure / heavy and unwieldy, and difficult to haul oversized items

Folding hard tonneau: reasonable price and can be easily removed / not as secure or durable as a single piece tonneau.

Good luck

 

if you can afford the Diamonback go for it you will not be dissapointed

 

Currently I have a Hawk Cap pictured below.

I personally prefer the Cap for the reason you have the biggest locking trunk out there and you can sleep in it and the few dozen times a year I need to pull it off its a 2 man job but no big deal. In the winter it is priceless having that much space that is always dry and out of the elements around here.

I also had a Roll N Lock cover on a Chevy and it was certainly better than a regular vinyl tonneau but pricy and you lost some bed space with the canister rolled up. IMO not worth the cost.

I also had a Extang Full Tilt that was cheap and worked well considering it was a vinyl tonneau. It has decent bed access could be removed by one person although you needed a extra set of hands to put back on not due to weight but akwardness. It could also be rolled up to provide extra height but it had the typical vinyl tonneau longevity issues as to be expected but price was right.

For me personally I like the Cap but as has been stated comes down to personal needs. If I can provide any other info. just ask.

 

Shortly after getting my truck, I had to deciede which bed cover I wanted.
After a lot of thought, I went with a roll up.
We plan on getting a fifth wheel trailer and it would be less hassle with a roll up.
I got one from Bak Industries but if I had to do it over, Id go with a Pace-Edwards.
Heres a pic of it.
http://dodgetruckworld.tenmagazines....ram/224699.jpg

 

Those look nice. How much?

 

I have an Extang Trifecta tonneau, which is a soft top tri-fold. I like the fact that I can fold it up toward the front of the bed and have room to hook up the horse trailer without completely removing the cover. Also, it mounts to the bed with only four built in clamps and requires no hardware to be installed on the truck bed itself.