Chevy Colorado & GMC Canyon banner

Opinions on a tonneau...

13K views 53 replies 29 participants last post by  garymikey1982 
#1 ·
I'm trying to decide on which tonneau to get, or if I even want one. But here are the 2 choices that I've narrowed it down to.

1. G4 Elite Fold-a-cover with the personal caddy toolbox.
Pro: Easy access to the tool box (I don't have undo the entire cover to get to it)
Con: the toolbox cuts down on bed space

2 The BakBox 2 tonneau
Pro: the toolbox is collapsible
Con: the tonneau has to be folded up to get to the box and when it folds up it blocks the rear window.

the other consideration is that i tend to get lazy and will just run my truck through a machine wash will either of those covers retain their weather seal?

Anyways, your thoughts please.


I was thinking about getting StorBoards [youTubeLink] but they're not big enough to stuff my tool tote in, and they're not that sexy looking.
 
See less See more
#3 ·
One of the reasons I chose the Extang Encore is the same reason you are looking at the fold-a-cover. That quick and easy access to the front of the bed is very convenient. I don't have a toolbox up there, but I do have a cross bar right below my gear on rails that gives me that front 1/4 of the bed for storage. Very happy with the choice for convenience alone. The only reason I went with the Extang over the fold-a-cover is because I need to remove the cover whenever I throw my bikes in the bed, and Extang was the easiest in that aspect. Otherwise I probably would have done the fold-a-cover.
 
#40 · (Edited)
Has anyone combined the BakBox toolbox with either the Extang or G4 fold a Cover? I'll most likely need a tool box, and I really like the fact that the BakBox fully collapses when not in use. Versus the G4 Personal Caddy which seems heavy and requires more for removing.

I mean we got trucks because they have beds. If not I would have got an SUV. I need to be able to have more access to the bed if necessary, so removing tool box / tonneau is pretty important I'd think.



I'm probably going to get a toolbox.

How much easier is the Extang to remove than the fold a cover? Approximately how long does it take you to remove it?
I do construction and have the Short Box Canyon, so I will probably need to remove both the toolbox and tonneau at times.

Here's my opinion on the G4 Elite with Personal Caddy. Overall, it's been great. With the bed access steps I can easily reach the bottom of the caddy more than half way across so getting anything out is very easy. The dual locking is awesome. It's like having a trunk.

I've always had caps on my trucks, so this is my first tonneau. I love it. As for the caddy, I love the concept. For me, my needs have changed a bit since I bought the truck in December. I have been hauling/moving so much stuff lately I've needed the extra room and have been taking the caddy in and out. I really hate having to remove the striker bolts every time I do it... I think for me, a removable toolbox that fits under the G4 would better suit my current needs at the moment. Although I feel the caddy is rather expensive for what it is (a simple metal box) I do really like it. I was tempted to hold off on the caddy and purchase it later, BUT I bought it at the same time to leverage the discount offered.


I did look at the BakBox, and I don't think that would fit my needs. I use the front access panel to get to caddy FAR more often than I open the back/tailgate panel. Having to fully open the tonneau every time would be annoying.
The G4 caddy does seem expensive for just being a simple metal box. I wish it was collapsable like bakbox. So has anyone tried the BakBox with the G4 Elite Tonneau? or would that even fit?

One big issue I have is I have the 5' short box bed so I have limitted bed space. The bed is the whole reason I bought a truck!
 
#4 ·
+ 1 on the G4 and toolbox. I really love mine. No leaks, but I don't go through commercial automated car washes. The toolbox is just high enough off of the bed floor so I can fit my Storm rifle case under it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: joeydiver
#5 ·
I'm trying to decide on which tonneau to get, or if I even want one.
Here's my opinion on the G4 Elite with Personal Caddy. Overall, it's been great. With the bed access steps I can easily reach the bottom of the caddy more than half way across so getting anything out is very easy. The dual locking is awesome. It's like having a trunk.

I've always had caps on my trucks, so this is my first tonneau. I love it. As for the caddy, I love the concept. For me, my needs have changed a bit since I bought the truck in December. I have been hauling/moving so much stuff lately I've needed the extra room and have been taking the caddy in and out. I really hate having to remove the striker bolts every time I do it... I think for me, a removable toolbox that fits under the G4 would better suit my current needs at the moment. Although I feel the caddy is rather expensive for what it is (a simple metal box) I do really like it. I was tempted to hold off on the caddy and purchase it later, BUT I bought it at the same time to leverage the discount offered.

I wish there was a latch on the passenger side as well. I often find myself on that side of the truck wanting to get into the caddy and have to walk around to the driver side to open it.

As for leaking, I have not installed the weatherstripping that was provided. In heavy rains or car washes it leaks a bit. Not enough to concern me. I'll get around to installing eventually, Just been crazy busy.

I did look at the BakBox, and I don't think that would fit my needs. I use the front access panel to get to caddy FAR more often than I open the back/tailgate panel. Having to fully open the tonneau every time would be annoying.

Other small annoyance for me, having to close the tailgate BEFORE closing the tonneau. I know some say they just slide their finger under the seal real quick, but mine fits so snug I can't get my finger in there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: yorkiemiki
#6 ·
Here's my opinion on the G4 Elite with Personal Caddy.....

Other small annoyance for me, having to close the tailgate BEFORE closing the tonneau. I know some say they just slide their finger under the seal real quick, but mine fits so snug I can't get my finger in there.
My rear panel has just enough upward play when latched to allow me to slightly lift the panel (while still locked) to clear the tailgate when closing. The rubber weatherstrip then drops down perfectly without rolling in. I simply lift the locked handle of the G4 and shut the tailgate. Works every time. Gasket seals well also.
 
  • Like
Reactions: yorkiemiki
#9 ·
Another vote for the G4. I bought mine directly from the factory and even talked with one of the owners. The first one came with a fork truck hole through the box with visible damage to the cover. A call later they rushed another cover to me the next day. Cover was easy to install on my Canyon. It is extremely strong and keeps the bed bone dry. I also have the removable factory rack and temporarily removing and reinstalling the G4 is a breeze. A very good investment.
 
#10 ·
I have an Extang "Full Tilt." It's a vinyl roll up that also opens (tilts) like a clam shell or lifts off. Love it. I don't like hard covers because I remove the cover too often and hard are heavy and a hassle to store. Nice looking, though. (By the way, some hard shell mfgs that offer factory paint do not offer all factory colors.) I've had Extangs for years. Never leak. Light weight. very easy to have full access to the whole bed.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Question for those with the G4 Elite and a 5.5' bed; What are your thoughts about generally losing the first 1/4 of your bed? I'm going back and forth between the G4 and a rebranded Bak fibermax.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both but distilled all issues down to these 4 key points.

Main benefit:
Fibermax folds against the back glass giving you ~100% bed availability. (carrying larger pieces of furnature)
G4 folds back quick and easy, allowing fast access to bed front. (quick grocery run)

Main detractor:
Fibermax vulnerable to "coat hanger" trick and, according to reviews, seems slightly more susceptible to leaks.
G4 sits on top of bed, which may interfere with something wanting use of the stake pockets.

EDIT:
Thinking about this even more, another concern is that of removability. I'm thinking of scenarios where something may be in the bed, and passed through the rear window. While it's relatively rare for that to occur, it has happened more than a handful of times in other vehicles and even more likely considering the short bed.
 
#16 ·
That's basically what I asked in my original post. Most don't seem to mind losing that portion of their bed. And honestly, I don't think I'll mind either. Now-a-days it's a rarity that I need to haul something that large. Actually I almost didn't get a truck because I'm in the office more than out now. But near 30 years of driving trucks I couldn't not do it. Anyways, if I need the full length of the bed I can make due or use a trailer easy enough. I'm not sure what you would pass through the rear window, but I would suggest to you, to break that habit and pick yourself up one of these [link].
 
#20 ·
I'm also getting the G4 Elite Fold-a-Cover from their factory website. I chose the 6 foot bed length for my 2016 Z71 CC, LB 4 x 4 but their website keeps asking me to verify the bed length before shipment. Anyone have the part number for the long bed they installed so I can compare it with my pending order. I selected the 6 foot cover noted for my truck and don't want to pay their $200 restock fee if it's the wrong size. I pick up my new truck in two days.
 
#22 ·
Did any of you guys consider Retrax. I had one on my old truck for 14 years and it performed great until the day I sold it. I am considering it for the Colorado, but wow it is expensive. How about Peragon, back in the day it was considered a very good cover but I don't see it coming up on these discussions much.
 
#25 ·
I have had caps on my last 3 trucks. I kinda think tonneaus are more stylish theses days, but the prices of the higher quality hard tonneaus are nuts. So I went with another cap.
 
#30 ·
Was deciding between the bf f1 and bak box or the elite g4 and caddy.

Dad has the f1 on his f150 and I like the lower profile, but for the amount of times I'll need to have the full space of the bed is rare and I don't feel like dealing with the installation of the drain hoses again/dealing with possible leaks where the rails sit in the bed.

TL;Dr ordered the g4 and caddy on wednesday. Should have it here by monday. Shipping was my only gripe. Paid an extra 94 bucks for that.
 
#31 ·
Here are some pics with the BAK Revolver X2 w/ BAK Box installed on a 2015 Crew Cab long bed.
 

Attachments

#33 · (Edited)
Looking for the best options for an "over the rail" style of folding hard cover.

It seems to me like many of the really flat designs that leave the bed rails exposed have a bigger potential for water leaks as the materials age. I like the idea of using the geometry of the cover to shed as much water as possible. These designs also appear to be pretty easy to remove completely if necessary as they don't require a lot of semi-permanent hardware to be installed.

Some of the ones I've been looking at:
- Rugged Hard Fold
- Extang Solid Fold 2.0
- American Hard Tri-Fold


Any thoughts on any of these?
 
#34 ·
What did you end up going with? I'm looking at the Extang Encore and the Fold A Cover G4 Elite for the over the rail and also looking at the Undercover Flex for a low profile one-- but yeah I've heard some leak

Does anyone know if the Extang or Fold a Cover is easier to remove? I need to remove it a lot to put bikes and large items in back. Which is also why I'm looking at undercover flex because it opens up 100% of bed
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top