Tonneau Cover w/ T-Slots: Retrax or Pace Edwards??

Hey all, looking to see if anyone else has had any personal experiences with either the Retrax XR or Pace Edwards Ultragroove Amortrek roll up Tonneau Covers?

The reason I ask, I have had issues with the header rail leaking after installing my Pace Edwards Ultragroove. I am trying to see if I should pursue other options or look into a Retrax? OR continue to try and make the Pace Edwards as leakproof as I can? I have read others have had similar issues with bed caps and other hard covers, I am in the process of trying their fixes but it takes time and I am getting frustrated.

I LOVE the T-Slots on the cover, makes for a super easy install of my bike rack or roof rack basket without having everything above the cab line. I also really like the rollup style tonneau and would like to stick to that style.

Any input or advice would be appreciated!

 

Did you or install get the rubber head rail caps/gaskets? They don't come with them unless you get truck with oem cover. They go in ends of head rail and seal to side rail caps. I still put a bead of black rtv there as well. Plus upper corners, under bedrails need to be sealed. There open if you crawl in with cover closed. You may not see this with cover box in way.

 

I have not, I tried to create my own unsuccessfully so far. I originally filled the gap with caulk and some weather strip foam, the caulk never set in a month due to the thick application. Scraped that away and tried again with butyl tape (applied under the header bar and along the top of the cover) and it still leaks. I also put foam weather stripping under the bed rails but they weren't leaking that I know of, seems to strictly be the front of the bed/header rail. I saw in one of the threads that someone created the rubber plugs with some foam, so I may try that before I fork over $60 and trim my bed rails, I would like to avoid trimming my bed rails. The Retrax comes with small foam blocks and the Pace Edwards came with nothing... Some others in the thread are trying the plugs and making foam versions and I am waiting to see if they have luck. I may purchase some foam and a roll of bed cap rubber weather stripping and then place butyl tape where its needed. After that I may give up...

 

If you look between cab and bed up outer corners of bed you will see opening as well. I had to seal those areas from inside bed, with foam and butyl tape. I have Bakflip MX4. But have had PE in past. On another truck, just takes time and patience to figure out how to completely seal these things. None are a 100% all take tweeking. I like PE, but here in frozen north I would get to much freeze up in cover storage box for it to work. I had to install heat tape and plug it in to thaw it out, so cover would open.

 

Big yikes on having the cover freezing up... Thankfully I don't think that will be an issue where I am located. But yeah, I know exactly the areas you are talking about, I currently have lots of tape there. Another issue, is without moving the entire bed cover back, its hard to pinpoint exactly where it is leaking from.

Right now I have a hot mess of butyl tape, I even applied it under the header bar and around the edges. Please don't judge, my first application of butyl tape

 

I use the truxedo truxport (budget friendly) and havent had a single issue. pretty impressed for $300 ish.

 

I lowered the head rail on the front of bed. Put a bead of butyl under lip of cover so not exposed. Right above that rubber gap filler between bed and cab. You can stick your finger into bed. Water runs in right there. Blows in going down road. Only way I could seal mine was from inside.looks like your head is still sitting higher than side rails, which is normal from Toyota. I moved it down.

 

Another user mentioned the same thing! Going to see if the butyl tape works this week during a rain event, it was considerably warmer this week so I was able to push the tape further into some of the gaps and make it a little more uniform. The header bar has a flat run of the butyl tape under it so it may need to be removed in order for me to lower it. If the tape doesn't work again this week, I will give the rubber bed cap seal and some foam a try but will require me to remove the bed cover again. Seems like I have been chasing this forever... Appreciate the help and input!

I would've gone with a soft rollup but really wanted the t-slots. I'm glad you're happy with your purchase, I am still on the fence... ugh. Thanks!

 

10 years and counting, not a single issue! Solid purchase!

 

I've been looking at the Retrax XR as an option. Does anyone have measurements of storage height with the cover closed. I want to make sure my cooler will fit under the cover. Thanks!