My next addition to my Tundra will be a tonneau cover. I have been checking them out online and there are many brands and styles to choose from. I prefer the look of the 1-piece hard cover but they are a little more than I want to spend and they seem to be cumbersome to remove if you need to load a large item in the bed. So I'm trying to decide between the roll-up and folding versions. I was wondering if there is an issue with the soft roll-up covers when it snows? Could snow and even heavy rain stretch it and make it sag? Also I would appreciate suggestions on a decent cover for $500 and below. Thanks.

~eddie

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2008 Silver Sky Metallic, DC, 5.7, 4x4 – tow package – Garage Pro nerf bars – Mamba 18” wheels – Stubby antenna – Eclipse AVN 5500 NAV with Sirius satellite radio, DVD, CD & MP3 – BedRug bedliner – Truxedo Lo Pro tonneau cover

Since my truck is not level, and since I park on a slight incline, my soft roll up cover does hold water. I think it will hold an inch of water at the most. But it's not really stretching the fabric. There are tensioners in the front corners that keep it tight and those can be adjusted if necessary. The bars that support the cover are flat and roll up with the cover. So the bars plus the spring tensioners only allow so much water to collect before it runs off. Now if I park on a flat surface, then the nose down stance of the truck runs almost all the water off the cover. Snow does collect on the cover same as the rest of the truck.

I have the Truxedo Lo Pro QT soft roll up cover and I think it's great. Easy to quickly remove if you need the 3-4" of space the rolled up cover takes up. Does a great job. I leave mine unrolled most of the time.

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2007 SR5 Crewmax 5.7L 4x4
Mods: nerf bars, Truxedo tonneau, radar detector power, fog lights, black billet grille, rear differential breather, parking sensors, Line-X, power tailgate lock, hood safety latch mod, one off driving lights behind grille, Pioneer NAV w/ OEM camera, Flowmaster 50 SUV dual/dual, blue LED dash lights, Volant CAI
All mod descriptions and pictures © 2007,2008 by Toxarch. They may be copied only for personal use and the mods may be done for non-profit only.

Thanks for the fast reply. You may have partly answered another question I just asked about leveling kits. I googled the Truxedo cover you mentioned and it has a lot of good reviews and is within my budget.

~eddie

Ironically, I just ordered the SnugTop SL Tonneau cover. It doesn't fit in your desired budget (I'm paying about $1200, tax included, installed). However, I felt it had the best look and utility for the money. I checked out many of the others and really liked this one. I'll post pics later. Good luck and let us know which tonneau you ultimately choose...

I checked it out on the web. It looks really sharp. It is pricey and you have to pay more to paint it. Only downside is that it would be cumbersome to remove if you had to put large items in your bed.

I purchased a Truxedo Lo Pro QT on ebay today at a good price. The Truxedo has a lot of very good reviews on several websites so it should be decent.

~eddie

I went with the A.R.E. LSII and am very happy with it. It's not supposed to be too difficult to remove. Only 4 clamps holding it on and weighs 90 lbs so two people can lift it right off. Cost was about $1000. I considered the Undercover, but for $650 didn't think the fit and look was as nice. I would have liked a little lower profile though.

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08 SR5 Crew Max 4x4 5.7 Desert Sand Mica- OEM black tube steps, 18"alloys, fog lights, bed liner, A.R.E. LSII tonneau, Homelink auto dimming mirror, Tow Mirrors (thanks Xplod)

I agree, for a hard cover, best bang for your buck is an Undercover at about $650. Lightweight, easily removable (come with hangers), has a 3 LED bedlight, can stand on it.

I say you buy a retractable cover, it costs A LOT, but i think its worth it. They have aluminum ones, too and you can have it motorized for a couple more hundred. Heres the link, they have a big variety. ENJOY!! Tonneau Covers

I have RETRAX and like it very much, 950 to my door.

Thanks for the advice guys. I decided to go with the Truxedo Lo Pro QT soft roll up cover that Toxarch suggested. It seems to be one of the best roll-up covers for the money considering so many good reviews. I found a brand new unopened box on ebay for 260.00 including shipping. That's a little more than half of what some shops are selling if for. I still prefer the look of the hard covers more but I also like being able to quickly remove the cover by myself. The Truxedo will serve the purpose I need for the time being. But who knows maybe in the future I'll try a fancy color matched hard cover. Thanks again.

eddie