Find the Perfect Ford F-a hundred and fifty Tonneau Cover at Gexhaust.com
The first time I slammed a tonneau conceal shut on a Ford F-a hundred and fifty, the proprietor grinned and talked about, “That’s the sound of stuff staying dry.” He wasn’t fallacious. A suitable bed duvet turns your pickup right into a extra good, extra secure, and more beneficial-browsing system. If you’re shopping for a Ford F-a hundred and fifty tonneau disguise, Gexhaust.com is a solid position to start. The selection is wide, the fitment resources are easy, and you possibly can healthy a conceal to the way you actual use your truck in preference to settling for whatsoever is sitting on a mammoth-field shelf.
I’ve set up covers in driveway gravel and in fresh retailer bays, on vehicles that tow each and every weekend and on rigs that mostly run to the home shop. The excellent choice relies on mattress size, weather, how incessantly you load tall shipment, and no matter if you care more about defense or velocity. Let’s stroll simply by the concepts, exchange-offs, and a couple of courses found out the laborious manner.
What a tonneau conceal pretty does for an F-150
When workers say they would like a Ford pickup tonneau conceal, they frequently imply a mix of 4 things: climate coverage, safeguard, effectivity, and vogue. I’ve watched a delicate quilt shop a bed full of drywall compound all the way through a squall line over I-95, and I’ve viewed an aluminum panel shrug off a pile of firewood some weekend warrior tossed in with no asking. There’s additionally a measurable bump in toll road mpg whilst you near the mattress. On late-mannequin F-150s, a cowl can upload approximately five to 10 percentage on steady toll road drives. Your wide variety will range with speed, tire measurement, and even if you’re hauling a ladder rack, however the drag relief is factual.
Security is extra nuanced. A locking tonneau canopy paired with a locking tailgate affords you an enclosed, out-of-sight shipment area. That discourages opportunistic robbery. A found thief with methods is another tale, however a smartly-developed F-150 demanding tonneau cowl makes your mattress about as protected as an SUV shipment domain. With a soft roll-up tonneau, you trade a touch of safeguard for lighter weight and slash cost. Know your parking subject and pick out consequently.
Finally, a good-chosen F-a hundred and fifty bed duvet absolutely cleans up the truck’s traces. Whether your truck is a workhorse XL or a Platinum with polished wheels, the precise duvet seems like it belongs there.
Fitment basics: bed lengths, fashion years, and alternatives that matter
Before Ford pickup tonneau cover you add something in your cart at Gexhaust.com, degree your bed. Ford broadly speaking promises the F-a hundred and fifty in three lengths: a brief 5.5-foot bed, a 6.5-foot standard mattress, and an eight-foot long mattress. A tape degree from the inside of the bulkhead to the inside of the tailgate does the trick. Model year concerns simply because rail geometry, stake pocket destinations, and tailgate profiles modification at some point of generations. If you have a Pro Power Onboard inverter or a manufacturing unit bedliner, note that too. Most leading-edge covers account for spray-in liners, but drop-in liners mostly desire trimming at the front rail. If your truck has a bed software package with tie-downs or a BoxLink system, cost the product notes. Gexhaust’s fitment filters lend a hand slender this down easily.
If you tow a fifth-wheel or convey a considerable toolbox, check out low-profile folding tonneau cover recommendations that discontinue at the bulkhead or systems that combine with instrument chests. Some covers allow full bed entry with no putting off hardware, even as others eat an inch or two of vertical space. It sounds small except you’re looking to slide a fridge under a set of crossbars.
The predominant styles that can be purchased, and the way they consider in daily use
When you browse Tonneau Covers on the market, the selections tend to fall right into a handful of categories. Each kind has a personality. Here’s how they shake out after years of installs and consumer callbacks.
Soft roll-up tonneau cover: This is the lightest, simplest path to masking your bed. A Ford F-one hundred fifty delicate hide in roll-up shape mounts alongside the right rails, then seals with Velcro or a tensioned music. Opening takes seconds, and the entire unit in many instances weighs 25 to 35 pounds. It’s the easiest form to remove previously a extensive weekend assignment. In heavy rain, an excellent soft disguise remains tight and sheds water; in a snow fall, you’ll would like to sweep snow off beforehand it provides weight and stretches the fabric. Vinyl tonneau disguise ingredients have enhanced over time, resisting UV fade a ways superior than the historic chalky tarps. If you park in sizzling sunlight each day, search for marine-grade vinyl with a heavier denier rating and interior crossbars to withstand flutter.
Tri-fold and folding tonneau conceal: The Ford F-a hundred and fifty challenging duvet industry is dominated by means of folding versions, veritably tri-fold. Panels hinge ahead and stack behind the cab when you desire bed entry. They’re faster to open than roll-americaand more shield. Aluminum tonneau quilt panels with a polymer epidermis strike a vast stability: sturdy satisfactory to stand on in a pinch, pale satisfactory to put in solo whenever you’re careful. I as soon as established a group on a chum’s 6.5-foot mattress in less than an hour, including coffee breaks and a phone call approximately a lost clamp that turned out to be sitting at the spare tire. Watch for covers that let partial-fold using with integrated prop rods whenever you raise tall shipment occasionally.
Retractable tonneau quilt: Think of this as a rolling storage door in a canister close to the cab. A Ram retractable conceal on a the various truck impressed me with one-exceeded operation and a sparkling, low profile. On an F-a hundred and fifty, retractables paintings fantastically in Folding tonneau cover the event you wish widely used, speedy access with out lifting panels. The exchange-off is a lack of a foot or so of the front mattress ground in which the canister sits. If you haul full-size drywall sheets or a few grime motorcycles, measure two times. High-end retractables be offering lockable stops along the rails, which is helping once you prefer to shut the canopy towards a tall item like a toolbox.
One-piece tonneau duvet: Fiberglass tonneau conceal designs nevertheless have a faithful following. These lift as a unmarried lid, often with gasoline struts, and paint-healthy to the truck. The appear is slick and seamless. They’re the so much cozy in opposition to informal tampering and in most cases seal tightly in opposition to weather. The drawbacks are weight, check, and the desire for vertical clearance to open. They also restrict you should you customarily convey tall cargo. I advise these for individuals who prioritize fashion and protection over flexibility, particularly on showy builds or vans that broadly speaking live on pavement.
Hybrid and forte: You’ll find aluminum and composite folding covers that should be would becould very well be driven in part open at motorway speeds, roll-u.s.a.with built-in crossbars for faded plenty, and even powered retractables tied to key fobs. They settlement extra, but for some proprietors, the on a daily basis convenience earns every buck.
Weatherproofing and water administration without the hype
I get asked most commonly regardless of whether a water-proof tonneau quilt exists. The quick answer: no disguise makes a pickup mattress a submarine, yet an excellent one keeps equipment dry in 99 p.c. of real climate. The true trick is water administration. Look carefully at canopy rails. The splendid strategies combine gutters and channels to direction water alongside the perimeters and out thru drain tubes near the tailgate or bulkhead. On a retrac, you’ll most commonly route drain lines because of manufacturing unit grommets. On a folding unit, a compressible seal at the bulkhead and tailgate stops capillary leaks.
If your F-150 has a bedliner with a lip that curls over the rail, make certain clamp compatibility. Leak proceedings traditionally hint back to clamps which could’t bite cleanly by means of a liner lip, which helps to keep the rail from seating. One more aspect: tailgate caps with ridges can create a tiny gap that drips for the period of a downpour. A effortless foam shim on the underside of the duvet’s rear seal basically solves it.
Security, payload, and reality checks
Hard covers with internal latches guard against fast grabs if you happen to park at a trailhead or jobsite. A locking tonneau duvet that ties into the tailgate lock method you could possibly save instrument baggage, bags, or a digicam case with trust. I’ve ridden shotgun at the same time a contractor hopped right into a hardware keep, leaving 1000s in resources below an aluminum tri-fold. He under no circumstances fearful about it, but he did exchange the gas struts on his one-piece cowl every 4 years once they drained out.
A note on payload: a canopy weighs everywhere from 25 pounds for a soft roll-up to around eighty pounds for a tri-fold and 100 to one hundred thirty kilos for a fiberglass one-piece. Add a rack or crossbars and it's good to process a hundred and eighty kilos sooner than cargo. The F-150 has much of payload in most trims, but while you tow a heavy trailer with 1,000 pounds of tongue weight, each and every introduced pound in the back of the axle topics. Keep weight in intellect for those who’re already almost limits with own family, instruments, and hitch weight.
Daily usability: how sometimes you open the bed matters
If you load tall gifts as soon as a week or more, a folding tonneau canopy is your loved one. If you rarely haul whatever taller than a cooler, a one-piece or retractable form appears tidy and stays out of the manner. Roll-ups cut up the change: splendid get admission to and minimal obstruction, with the fabrics package deal sitting on the cab. On lengthy road trips, I’ve liked the approach a tri-fold might be opened two panels back to snatch a duffel with out exposing the whole mattress.
One certainty I percentage with new house owners: any cowl transformations how you p.c. the mattress. You begin questioning in layers, sliding totes in first, lighter equipment on leading, and heavy models toward the cab. Plan on a mattress mat for grip undercover tonneau if you run a onerous hide, due to the fact modern beds enable cargo slide less than braking. A $100 rubber mat saves a number of crawling.
Shopping at Gexhaust.com: making tools and tech work for you
The simplest direction is to enter your truck’s yr, bed duration, and trim into the website’s automobile selector. From there, filter through class: Hard tonneau conceal, Soft tonneau quilt, Roll-up tonneau disguise, Folding tonneau quilt, Retractable tonneau cover, Tri-fold tonneau hide, and One-piece tonneau disguise. Scan product images rigorously for rail profiles and latch types. I decide upon inner-cab latches on tri-folds that shall be reached from either edge. On retractables, verify how a lot mattress area the canister occupies and no matter if the rails take a seat above or within the mattress caps.
Read the deploy notes. Look for mentions of drill-loose clamps, compatibility with bed lighting fixtures, and whether or not stake wallet continue to be usable. If you’re walking a mattress rack or think you could add one, investigate for T-slot rails on the cover. That enables you to mount crossbars for motorcycles or kayaks above a weatherproof shipment vicinity.
Brand-agnostic lessons from other trucks
Even should you’re here for a Ford F-one hundred fifty tonneau cowl, it enables to work out styles throughout systems. On a Chevy Silverado tonneau disguise, I’ve determined identical clamp placements and tailgate seals to Ford. The GMC Sierra bed cowl market mirrors Silverado truck bed quilt selections, even though some Sierra trims get the several mattress caps that exchange clamp bite elements. On mid-measurement vehicles like a Chevy Colorado tonneau duvet or GMC Canyon mattress quilt, scale down mattress rail height occasionally influences how much the cover sits above the cab line, that you observe in crosswinds. A Colorado folding cover routinely weighs much less, however the hardware first-class determines flutter.
Toyota Tacoma tonneau canopy purchasers care deeply about bed part rail techniques. Tacomas most likely contain adjustable cleats. The top-rated Tacoma mattress quilt solutions combine with those rails other than forcing you to remove them. Likewise, a Toyota Tundra tonneau quilt would have to account for enormous mattress dimensions and many times a deck rail approach. A Tundra truck mattress duvet with solid water channels makes a distinction in heavy Pacific Northwest rain. On the two, a Tacoma complicated tonneau duvet or Tundra tender cover each has its situation, depending on terrain and robbery probability. For older Toyota pickup mattress duvet needs, ascertain square as opposed to rounded bed caps, otherwise you’ll fight fitment.
Ram vendors study their very own gospel. A Ram 1500 tonneau cowl quite often desires to paintings with the a possibility bed utility rails and tailgate support. The Dodge Ram bed disguise industry is crowded with either tight budget and top class possibilities. A Ram 2500 tonneau canopy can receive advantages from heavier hardware, for the reason that %%!%%4846c704-0.33-4139-9cc8-6291f9354a94%%!%%/four-ton ride motions are sharper whilst unloaded. For a Ram truck mattress disguise on a piece rig, a Ram 1500 arduous duvet with sturdy panel joints resists flex. A Dodge Ram cushy conceal continues to be a tight name for a quad cab that generally hauls camping out equipment. If you’re tempted via a powered Ram retractable hide, be straightforward approximately winter ice. Some powered items conflict if tracks aren’t cleared after freezing rain.
The rationale to say all this: a company that builds a decent Sierra cushy tonneau quilt or a Silverado laborious canopy commonly brings the related strengths to the F-one hundred fifty program. At Gexhaust.com, you’ll see these cross-platform reputations contemplated in evaluations and specs.
Materials and toughness: aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass, and the hardware that matters
Vinyl covers have come an extended approach. A good quality vinyl tonneau duvet now resists UV, remains bendy in chilly weather, and cleans up with slight cleaning soap. Still, vinyl ages swifter in wilderness sunlight, and when you drag lumber across it, you’ll gouge it. Aluminum panel covers are the workbench of the classification. They shrug off hail, tackle loaded roof racks when paired with T-slots, and retailer form over years of temperature cycles. Fiberglass is the king of glossy, paint-matched kind, and the stiffness is unmatched, but the weight and hinge load imply you must price range for periodic gasoline strut replacement.
What of us put out of your mind is hardware. Stainless clamps, covered hinge pins, and EPDM seals set apart the covers which might be nevertheless tight 5 years later. Look at nook cap design, too. Rounded caps journey purifier in crosswinds and are much less liable to whistling. If you GMC Sierra bed cover listen wind noise after deploy, money evenness of the edge rails and measure the clamp spacing. Nine instances out of ten, noise capability a rail is rather twisted.
Real-global set up notes from the shop and the driveway
Most present day covers mount drill-free because of clamps. A easy F-a hundred and fifty tri-fold goes on in 30 to 60 minutes. A retractable unit with canister and drain tubes may perhaps take two hours. A one-piece fiberglass canopy desires two employees and persistence. The trick with any deploy is alignment prior to tightening. Dry-fit the rails, shut the cover, and be sure gaps are even at the tailgate. If the latch hangs up, it generally ability the rails are pinched inboard by way of an eighth of an inch.
If your truck has a bedliner, loosen the lining’s entrance aspect to tuck the bulkhead seal behind it for more advantageous water control. On older trucks with a little bit bowed bedsides from years of hauling, upload a skinny foam shim under low spots so the seal stays steady. And avert a cushy rag at hand. Grit among a clamp and painted mattress cap scratches sooner than you’d think.
Living with a quilt by using seasons
Winter exposes shortcuts. Ice paperwork along seals, and a heavy, wet snow load assessments panel potential. Brush snow off gently with a foam instrument, no longer a stiff scraper. In freezing rain, faucet along the rails previously forcing latches. For spring mud, a retractable’s drain tubes avoid sludge out of the mattress if you park on an incline. In summer season, a black vinyl hide can hit sizzling temperatures in direct sunlight. Crack the duvet open for a minute prior to grabbing steel latches. A rapid wipe with UV protectant each month or two maintains surfaces supple.
After hurricane-season deluges inside the southeast, I’ve inspected beds that stayed practically dry apart from for a tablespoon of water near the tailgate. A new move-seal solved that. The homeowners who had the fewest subject matters have been the ones who washed their seals infrequently and checked clamp torque two times a yr. Two mins with a 10 mm socket saves hours of chasing squeaks.
When a quilt will become a part of a bigger system
Truck folks not often stop at one accent. If you intend to add a mattress rack, rooftop tent, or motorcycle carriers, prioritize covers with integrated T-slots or like minded facet rails. I’ve equipped rigs wherein a folding quilt sits less than a low rack, letting the proprietor lock apparatus below and raise kayaks above. On a Super Duty truck bed conceal, adding F-250 and F-350 rigs, the burden skill and rail stiffness be counted greater since owners most of the time run heavy components. The good judgment extends to the F-one hundred fifty. Treat the canopy as the root of a modular setup.
If you tow and desire mattress get admission to around a 5th-wheel hitch, a tri-fold that flips totally ahead and props up opposed to the cab is bigger than a retractable with a fixed canister. If you’re as a result of mattress-established toolboxes, degree heights to make sure that the canopy clears latches and lids. Some covers are toolbox-explicit, with shorter front-to-again dimensions that cease on the container.
Price, price, and while it will pay to spend more
Soft roll-ups stay the funds champs. They quilt the weight, enhance mpg, and seem easy for some hundred bucks. Folding exhausting covers sit inside the midsection of the payment unfold and deliver the most popular versatility according to greenback. Retractable and one-piece fiberglass covers occupy the top ranges, and their significance reveals up in convenience and aesthetics.
What I inform acquaintances is simple: purchase once, cry as soon as if you realize your use case. If your truck hauls spouse and children luggage, weekend gear, and the occasional abode shop run, a mid-quantity tri-fold will experience like a clever purchase for years. If you value the only-passed float of a retractable or the paint-matched seem of a fiberglass one-piece, you’ll smile each time you shut it. If your finances is tight, a smartly-made gentle quilt beats no hide, particularly for retaining cargo and slicing drag on lengthy drives.
A speedy evaluation photograph before you decide
- Soft roll-up: light, good value, quick to eradicate, tremendous weather resistance, moderate protection.
- Tri-fold difficult: strong, safeguard, immediate get right of entry to, partial-open riding, heavier than tender covers.
- Retractable: slick operation, lockable at durations, low profile, canister eats the front mattress area.
- One-piece fiberglass: foremost paint-matched appearance and safety, heavy, restricted tall-shipment flexibility.
- Hybrid aluminum/composite: balances weight and strength, repeatedly incorporates T-slot rails for racks.
Beyond the F-150: the equal shrewd frame of mind applies
Even if your driveway holds multiple truck, the similar decision approach travels. A Ranger mattress disguise behaves like a shrunken F-150 setup, with identical possible choices in Ford Ranger tonneau hide styles. Owners of bigger rigs delight in how a Super Duty truck mattress disguise interacts with stake pockets and heavy-duty tie-down factors, but the fundamentals don’t alternate. For GM vehicles, whether or not you store a GMC Sierra mattress conceal or a Silverado truck mattress quilt, be conscious of mattress rail geometry and accent compatibility. If you cut up time with a mid-dimension like a Colorado folding cowl or a Canyon setup, recollect that lighter hardware can flex extra on corrugated dirt roads.
It’s commonplace to determine mixed-driveway families. I’ve hooked up a Ram 1500 onerous conceal for the domestic hauler and a Dodge Ram delicate canopy on the fishing truck that in simple terms runs to the lake. I’ve additional a Toyota Tacoma tonneau disguise in which the proprietor wanted lockable garage for path equipment, and a Toyota Tundra tonneau disguise for a contractor who had to maintain stock dry between process web sites. Across the board, the perfect disguise made the truck simpler to are living with.
Ordering and installation with confidence
Gexhaust.com maintains it standard. Use the automobile selector, decide upon your trend, and study thru the product particulars and opinions that match your era. If you’re waffling between two models, seek installation PDFs connected at the web page. A speedy skim famous whether clamps are internal or leading mount, even if drain tubes are included, and the way the latches modify. Those small transformations emerge as widespread conveniences on day 200, no longer simply day one.
On birth, examine F-150 bed cover the box corners for weigh down damage previously you sign. If every thing seems to be clear, unbox on a blanket to offer protection to paint and vinyl. Lay out hardware, tally the clamps, and dry-suit rails until now tightening anything. If you hit a snag, so much brands have sturdy telephone strengthen, and Gexhaust can assist with area compatibility questions.
The payoff you observe on mile one
The first dual carriageway run after setting up a quilt feels extraordinary. Wind noise dips, the truck tracks with a hint greater calm, and also you discontinue glancing inside the mirror to see if a tarp strap enable pass. At the grocery shop, you toss bags within the bed and lock the tailgate without thinking. At the jobsite, you shut the canopy, and your instruments are out of sight. Those day-to-day little wins justify the time you spent selecting a Ford F-one hundred fifty tonneau hide that matches the method you're employed and commute.
Whether you lean in the direction of a tri-fold that swallows a week’s valued at of camping equipment, a retractable that glides shut with one hand, or a sleek one-piece that fits your paint, the good duvet turns an exceptional truck right into a tailored one. Start with mattress length and how you employ the truck, opt the kind that fits your activities, and let Gexhaust.com’s catalog help you to a perfect match. When you listen that sure click on as the latch engages and the rain starts to fall, you’ll recognize you bought it top.