Tonneau bed cover options: Hard vs. Soft?

Hey guys,
Just bought my 1st Tacoma '21 TRDOR 4x4 DC (Super white) and I am looking into a bed cover. I would like to hear the preferences on Hard vs Soft? Any recommendations on a specific cover?

Thanks!!

 

Mostly comes down to security and cost.

I typically park in crowded parking lots when I'm shopping. So no one would try and slash my tonneau to steal anything. I usually don't have anything valuable back there anyway.

Because of this I went with the Extang Trifecta 2.0. A litter pricier for a soft tri-fold, but the quality was worth it. I got it on sale as well.

 

I needed a hard folding tonneau for security because I carry music gear worth a lot of $$, and tools and other things that are always in the back of the truck. I went with a Rugged premium HC3 and am very happy with it.

 

I've had both the hard and soft tri-fold tonneaus. My first two trucks had soft covers and I had absolutely no problem with them (Extang Trifecta). They are quick to remove and replace, and easy to store when not using. I never had anyone ever try to break in. With my last truck I decided to go with a hard cover Extang Exceed as I was having to park my truck in a more urban area with a higher likelihood of break-in. While the hard cover has been great, and is certainly more secure, I miss the ease of removing and replacing the cover when not needed. Additionally, since COVID hit, I have been working from home, and it now looks like it's going to be a permanent thing so I don't have my truck parked in a place where theft may be an issue. I probably won't change it out, but if I had it to do over again, I would probably just get a soft top. Although it's less secure, it's less money, and more convenient.

 

Just out of curiosity, what makes a soft cover easier to remove/replace and store? My hard folding cover is light enough to not be a struggle at all, and takes about 1 min to remove and maybe 3 or 4 min to put back on (just because I have to make sure it’s nice and lined up again before I tighten it down). And it seems to me hard and soft folding covers both take up about the same amount of space to store since the frame of a soft cover is the same size as a hard cover. Not trying to argue at all, but these things just don’t seem to make much of a difference when it comes to the actual panels of the cover being hard vs. soft.

 

I'm about to pull the trigger on a tonneau cover as well and have decided on the new Extang Xceed. I like the low profile design and matte finish, and wanted a hard cover. It has all the features I need, enough security, and I prefer the finished look vs. the look of a soft cover. I like the folding design vs. having to roll a cover up as well, and no chance of cutting or tearing.

 

With the Extang Exceed it is a low profile design that bolts to the front of the bed unlike the above the bed models. When you want to remove it, it takes me about 15 minutes to remove the bolts and drain hoses and about 20 minutes to reinstall and align. The other con with the hard low profile design is that you have to pull the bed slider rails and replace them with the tonneau rails, and then reposition the old rails below the tonneau rails. It doesn't seem like a big deal, except that it reduces the clearance on the bedsides a couple more inches and with the Tacoma bed already shallow, it makes it even worse when you are trying to mount things such as a jack mount or shovel mount. I was able to fashion my own with some flat iron I had kicking about my shop that work well, but it is still a tight fit. As far as storing is concerned, it doesn't fold up as compact as my old Trifecta and is much heavier.

The one great advantage with the hard top that I forgot to mention is that, with the Extang Exceed anyway, you can stand on top of the tonneau to place things on the roof rack (It is good for 500 lbs). It also works great for throwing an air mattress on to sleep out in the open on warm nights.

 

Makes sense with the low profile covers. My hard tri fold sits on top and latches to the factory bed rails (with supplied brackets), so it's super easy and fast to take on and off. I also have more vertical space in the bed since it doesn't sit below the bed sides. I believe mine is rated for about 350 lbs. of weight on top.

 

There's a bunch of info here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/tonneau-covers-caps-and-shells.198/

I have an Extang Encore hard trifold tonneau, which I love.

 

I am up in NYC. I don't exactly keep anything of value overnight in the bed but atleast i could without passersby just reaching in. So I like the idea of a cheaper soft cover. But the low profile hard covers look real nice. I'll probably end up getting a soft trifold to start.

 

Thanks for the link! I'll look it over.

 

Hard Tri-Fold is the way. I got the Bakflip F1 hard cover. It's been great. I keep a couple hundred dollars worth of gear in the bed at any given time. I've also moved using the entire bed with this cover and it was great.


Bakflip F1: ~$1K
https://www.summitracing.com/search.../tacoma/part-type/tonneau-covers?fr=part-type



This looks compelling for ~$300 cheaper and it's basically the same thing.


Rough Country equivalent: ~$700
https://www.roughcountry.com/toyota...0500c.html?find=2019-toyota-tacoma-4wd-740124

 

I just noticed the RC folder doesn't have the two "hood props" to keep the back section up against the back of the cab. That's a really nice thing to have while you're loading up the whole bed.

 

I have had everything but a camper shell thus far...and came real close to jumping on the RSI bandwagon... I just put a diamondback SE onto my 2020 OR SB. I wanted a hard cover for security and found the ability to haul materials on top of the cover and tie it down all too appealing (came from a full size truck to a Taco). In the past I have had soft covers which were great to keep eyes out of my bed and keep my gear dry. I put a small 32" aluminum bed box in the bed to secure anything I wanted to retain (full size truck), so it wasn't really a solid option with the micro truck bed I now have...

My runner up was a Roll-X (or newest version), it was the last cover I had on my F-150 for a good 2 years before my Taco. The aluminum "door" had vinyl on top so it gave it a clean soft cover look with the security of a hard cover. When it was rolled up, I lost 8" of bed length with a 6' bed. It was easy to remove and the bedrails were fairly narrow resulting in low impact to the accessible width of the bed. Plus they handled a lot of rough abuse being hit by everything from lumber to an excavator bucket.

Diamondback's outlet store will save a couple hundred for factory one-offs cosmetic variances. Or if you're near St. Louis, I have a lead on an HD cover for a 3rd Gen short bed with a tool tray for $1100.

 

I love my Extang Xceed. The flush mount loos tight. It seals up really good and easy as heck to open and secures in the full open position for almost complete bed access. In the very rare times I feel the need to remove the cover. I swapped out the front mount nuts with wing nuts, allowing me to pull it off on a moments notice in less than 5 minutes. Sure the rails take up 2 inches on each side, but I have never had a need to pull the side rails off.

 

If you're considering a hard cover, one of the best options out there are the iterations from Diamondback. Though they aren't cheap, their function can't be beat.

Happy to answer questions.

 

Another DB owner here - great choice.

 

I went with a Retrax and then put an @upTOPoverland Truss on it. Sweet set up. And yes - that’s an @MESO 3rd brake light.

 

Hard Tri-fold is a must if you are concerned about security! I have them OEM Tacoma trifold cover which can be found for sale on the forums, craigslist, or any other buy/sell app.

 

Diamond back cover +1.
Absolutely love mine. Expensive but built like a tank. I guarantee it's going to outlive the truck. I live downtown in a major city, park outside and carry a lot of valuable gear in the bed on a regular basis.
Opted for the diamondback cover for maximum security.
Being able to carry gear on top of it is nice too. When we're camping we routinely store firewood on top of the bed, or stack bins on top and strap them down.
Also it looks great lol