Bed Cover Questions

[wnytaxman]

My Lariat 2.7 L is supposed to be built next week. I didn't order the factory bed cover so I have some questions about bed covers. Are lockable bed covers necessary or does the tailgate lock secure the cover as well for those covers without a separate lock? I will probably opt for a roll up style cover like the one I had years ago on an F150. Any suggestions for brands or models? My mechanical skills are about what you would expect from a retired CPA so I may have the cover installed once I find what works best for me.

Sponsored

 

[Rda2w]

It depends how secure you want it. A hard cover with a twist lock is probably the most secure. Everything else is just a deterrence to slow down someone that really wants into the bed.

 

[wnytaxman]

It depends how secure you want it. A hard cover with a twist lock is probably the most secure. Everything else is just a deterrence to slow down someone that really wants into the bed.

I'm aware that any security measure can be defeated if someone has the desire to do so. I'm mostly interested in just standard security such as being in a parking lot during the day or perhaps at a motel at night. We don't keep anything of extreme value in the truck bed, but there's always the Yahoo who wants what others have and I'm looking to just discourage them.

I wasn't sure if most hard covers were secured into the locked tailgate or if they could be opened if the tailgate was locked. If I can save a few bucks not buying the locking cover then that's a good thing.

 

[Ag3ntC00p3r]

Hard shell would be the most secure.
Sliding covers with key lock mechanism would be next best for security.
Biggest issue with these is they can be difficult to quickly remove if needed.

Soft roll-up covers usually have two issues. First, someone can easily just take a blade to it and get in. Second, if the release mechanism is a pull cord, they can be bypassed with a coat hanger wire by feeding it under the cover and catching the cord.

I'm using a cheap tri-fold cover right now and it uses flip latches under the cover so surprisingly defeats issue two above, but it would be easy to cut into. I'll be upgrading to a BAKFlip X4TS in about a month. It has fabric covered metal slats that can help mitigate the first issue above. My primary reason for the upgrade is the integrated T-Slots for easy to mount and remove racks.

Sponsored