Truck Lids

[gm iprod]

I have just got a 1999 Dodge 2500 Long Bed. I need a tooneau cover. I like the look of the Fibreglass SnugLid, but they ain't cheap.

I have also taken a fancy to an aluminium diamond plate lid, also big dough.

There are a few others around, most are like the Xtang which is fabric over a frame and then they lift up.

1. Fabric or hard.

2. If Fabric roll up or Lift up on a frame.

3. If hard, Fibreglass or Alloy.

4. If fibreglass, WHO?? SnugLid, Gaylord?? Both of which seem to be the choice of those who don't mind spending good money on good gear.

Although a freind of mine says if I buy the one with the words Gay in it I may (WILL) get crap at the gunclub. Not because they are homophobic but because they just will, cause they can.

Second set of questions.

Spray in Liner or Drop in. I have also seen a Heavy Duty carpet type liner (same material as used on boats) that looks very tidy. Unlikely that we will use he truck for carry huge amounts of nasty crap. But possible.

GM

Thanks

[Matthew_Mink]

1 vote for the snuglid and bedliner, which is the marine grade carpet you refer to. I've had them for about 4 years on a 2001 SVT Lightning, and it has held up well and looks great. With the bedrug and the lid, it's like I've got a huge lockable trunk.

[tightloop]

I second MM....good combo....

[ong45]

I have a peragon , this one folds closed instead of rolling. check it out

James

http://www.peragon.com/

[cpty1]

Another vote for the lockable hard cover. I put an ARE on a 99 Silverado about 5 years ago. Best investment I ever made. They're expensive but well worth it. Probably raises resell value nearly as much as the purchase price anyway.

[John Heiter]

I like the RollBak's.

All the security and durability of a hard top but gets out of the way when you need it to like a cloth top.

RollBak

[TriggerT]

OK, I have thought about this topic A LOT as i have had a few different types of covers, and am looking into getting yet another type for the truck i just bought a few months ago. The VERY FIRST thing I would consider is the temp. range of where you live. Sound crazy? Think again. The fabric covers can be next to impossible to get on when they are cold. I liked that i could open the tailgate with the cover still on, but they also didn't offer any security for things in the bed. The hard cover I have now is nice for security, since it locks, and you cant open thr tailgate until the cover is lifted up. Low points are that when it is cold the shocks to lift it don't work that well, and if there is snow on top of the hard cover it is time to try and bench press it up. The other bad thing about the hard cover is when you need to take it off. I had to pick up a large 4'x5'x7' cargo container this past week, which meant I had to take the hard cover off. Not an easy job for one person.

Really think about what you will be hauling in the back of the truck, and how often you will need to put something larger than what the cover will allow in the back. If I lived in a warmer climate, I would go for the fabric cover that rolls up with a frame that is removable in a heart beat. If I was going to be putting medium size items in the back, that would need to be locked up and would fit under a hard top that could be locked that would be a good choice.

For me, I will hauling around large tools and other items. I am going to have to spring for a big as you can buy topper.

As for the liner, it again depends on what you are going to be putting in the back. Sometimes I like that fact that i can slide things out easily on the drop in liner. Othertimes I wish things wouldn't move as much, and would liek a spray in. Just depends. We have horses, so I need a linner I can hose out. It gets messy at times. Don't know much more about the pro's and con's on the linners, but I have heard that rusting can be more of a problem with the drop in's.

[Chriss Grube]

I had the ARE on the last truck. Great security. PITA if you really use your truck to haul anything. This time around I got the Advance Cover that folds in half. Locks secure, Folds in half so you can haul stuff and only have to loosen 2 bolts to remove. It weighs about 55 lbs. so you don't have to have 4 people to remove it.

[bgary]

I had a snuglid on mine (with bedliner), and if I were going to get another pickup truck I'd go the same way again.

It locks up as secure as anything, it is less "obvious" than the roll-ups or the fold-ups, and I never found it was inconvenient - if I needed it off the truck, it came off in about 30 seconds.

ObNote: When I had a "shell" (canopy with windows) on my pickup, it got broken into all the time. When I had a "lid" on my pickup, it was never touched.

Bruce

[gm iprod]

Very good advice.

I have previously looked at the Rollbak and the have just taken a good look at the Peragon. Both look well made and secure. Not unreasonable prices.

To get a SnugLid and a spray on liner is about $1200 installed and painted to match the truck. SnugLid $800 alone.

I don't have snow where I live, but they do where the truck is right now. But I will only be using the truck in Summer and then bring it back here. Occaisionally I may need to remove the cover and use it to move odd shaped goodies. But that should not be a major as anything that requires the lid off will also require help to get on and off, so I will have someone to help remove the lid (in theory).

I do like to carpet liner as it looks better than a sprayed in liner.

SnugLid is the nicest looking and definetley looks like they were made with the truck, not just an add on.

I will have to think some more.

[Nolan]

Go with the SnugLid and the BedRug carpet liner. The SnugLid comes off very easy, it's held on with 2 tabs at the front and a pair of pins through the gas shocks. 2 people can remove it in less than a minute. The BedRug is very durable, I've had mine in the truck for 5 years and it still looks almost new. Get the SnugLid with 2 locks then add a tailgate lock to your truck and it is very secure. If they can't see what's in there, the crooks won't take the time to bust in.

Nolan

[gm iprod]

Decision made.

SnugLid TC for the Long Bed Dodge. $799 including fitting. Painted to match truck, sort of. The truck has been repainted and there is no guarantee it will match the paint exactly. For what I will be doing I don't mind a slight mismatch, besides when I get this thing home, a man who works at a paint shop owes me bigtime. Sooooooo guess what.

Bed rug in the heavy marine carpet $275 + Freight ($25) + I can install.

Thanks for all the input. The net got a hiding checking this out.