Chevy Avalanche Tonneau Cover
The Chevy Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade both have a multi panel tonneau cover that the trucks come with from the factory. The problem is however, that these tonneau covers are in my humble opinion, very poorly designed. Truth be told, if they didn't come factory equipped, I can't imagine anyone ever wanting to buy one. The OEM Chevy Avalanche tonneau cover, for those of you that have had the misfortune of owning one, would know how they tend to fade out pretty badly. This however is the least of the problem. The tonneau covers come in multiple pieces. So, if you want to load something in the back of your Chevy Avalanche, you literally need to separate and remove each tonneau cover panel which leaves you with more luggage to contend with in the back of your truck. Could someone please tell me which genius came up with that idea? With respect, it's no bloody wonder that GM stock ate it the way it did. With products like their Avalanche tonneau, they seem to have a long way to go to convince me that their accessories, never mind their trucks are up to snuff.
Chevy Avalanche Tonneau Cover
We at BAK Industries felt that we could do a much better job of a tonneau cover for the Chevy Avalanche. After all, we are the premier leaders in tonneau innovation, and given with what we had to work with on the Chevy Avalanche, we got to working on reinventing the Avalanche Tonneau cover. the result is the new BakFlip hard folding tonneau cover for the Chevy Avalanche, and if I may say so myself, we could teach GM engineers more than just a thing or two about what it takes to build a great tonneau cover.
The new BakFlip for the Chevy Avalanche is rock solid, being made from our BakFlip HD all aluminum panels. The tonneau cover allows full access to your truck bed, whenever you need access and flush mount, stylish security and aesthetics as well. The BakFlip will never fade like the OEM product and can be operated with ease and speed. The install is pretty cool as well and takes just about 20 minutes and can be done by yourself with ease.
BakFlip tonneau cover for Chevy Avalanche
We designed the Chevy Avalanche Tonneau cover to integrate with the trucks drainage system built for the original tonneau cover, however we saved a bunch of space by getting rid of the weird plastic trays on the inside of the bed. We also kept the OEM locking system, so locking your tailgate will render the new Chevy Avalanche tonneau cover completely secure!
You can check out the new cover at www.bakliner.com or call us at (818) 365-9000 and we'll send you more info. In the meantime, here's a look at a short install video for the Chevy Avalanche Tonneau cover by BAK Industries.
Tonneau Covers for contractors & construction
If you're a contractor, a builder, a plumber, an electrician or anyone that works in construction, you likely own a pickup truck and probably want to know what the best tonneau cover choice would be for your truck. In a sea of options, let's consider what's important to you:
Contractors tonneau cover
1. The ability to carry and lock up your tools in the back of your truck is probably very important. As such, a hard tonneau cover is a must, as a soft tonneau probably won't give you the security you need.
2. Water resistance is very important too. You don't want your expensive tools, plans, samples or gear getting damaged form the elements.
3. The ability to gain easy access to your truck bed is important. You don't want to move that wheelbarrow, saw, table, fridge, furniture or anything else that's large and have to now find a place to store a large monster of a tonneau cover. That's why a good folding tonneau cover or retractable tonneau cover would suit you better.
4. Consider that space in the back of your truck is precious, so be careful not to get a folding tonneau cover that takes up a quarter of your bed or even worse a third or half of your bed. Look at the new BakFlip folding tonneau covers. They will give you great security and full use of your whole truck bed when you need it, without having to remove it. retractable tonneau covers like the RollBak are very strong, but remember, they have a canister that the cover rolls into which can get in the way.
5. You probably have the need to use a rack every now and then. This point dramatically reduces your options for a good contractors tonneau cover, because if you consider the important features you need out of a tonneau cover, there are very few that cater to your precise requirements. Now what you need is a tonneau cover that gives full security against theft and the elements, full access to your truck bed and the ability to accommodate a contractors rack.
To my knowledge, the only such tonneau cover is the BakFlip Contractor Series (CS). This folding tonneau cover has a really trick contractors rack built into it that can slide and be removed in seconds. It is strong, American built and designed for the Ultimate Contractors rig. The BakFlip CS gives you options to add tie downs, lumber grips and other job solution tools to your tonneau cover as well.
BakFlip CS contractors tonneau cover
BAK Industries is also able to make a custom tonneau cover for you to work with a toolbox that you may have on your truck as well. check them out at www.bakliner.com or call them at (818) 365-9000.
Tonneau Covers for Nissan Frontier & Nissan Titan with the Utilitrack system
There are lots of tonneau covers that will work with the Nissan Utilitrack system. We have designed two models to work very well indeed with the Nissan Frontier and Nissan Titan model trucks. The RollBak all aluminum retractable tonneau cover will work with both the Nissan Titan and Nissan Frontier with Utilitrack systems. The BakFlip hard folding tonneau cover will also accommodate the use of the Utilitrack systems on Nissan trucks.
With this said, there are a few things you should know about both retractable and folding style tonneau covers when installed on a Nissan truck that has the track system built into it:
When you install a retractable tonneau cover like the RollBak on a Nissan truck with utilitracks, you will most certainly lose the use of the track that is against your bulkhead rail. That's because any retractable tonneau cover has a canister that the cover rolls into and this canister sits across the bed behind your cab. As such, you lose the value of the bulkhead Utilitrack. Other than this small issue, you should have great success using the RollBak with your Nissan truck. there is one other small tidbit of info that you should be aware of: The Nissan Titan's Utilitrack system is located really close to the edge of your inner rail of your truck bed. As such, you do not have a lot of room to clamp your tonneau cover rails to the sides of your truck bed. No fear though, as with any other tonneau / truck challenge, we have figured a way around this issue too - here's what you do: Simply use a #40 star headed bit to remove the bolts that hold the Utilitrack to the walls of your bed. Then flip the tracks upside down and reinsert the bolts again. What you will have done by following this simple step is gain about an inch or so of space in order for your clamps to work properly. You'll still have full use of your tie downs and rails. Better yet, you'll have full use of a really trick tonneau cover as well!
Retractable tonneau cover on Nissan with Utilitrack system
The same applies to installing a BakFlip folding cover on a Titan with a Utilitrack system in it. Fortunately, you do not need to flip your tracks on a Nissan Frontier, as the Frontier Utilitrack system is located far enough away from the inside lip of your truck rails to not present any problems.
Tonneau covers that work with the Backrack
Last month I was at the Keystone Automotive show in Dallas Texas and had the fortune of meeting Adrian Jayne, President of BackRack. They make a wonderful line of heavy duty headache racks for the commercial industry with an emphasis on quality.
BackRack
After meeting Adrian, we got to discussing the fact that for a while now, he had actively been trying to find a good quality tonneau cover to be able to seamlessly integrate with his no drill rack systems. Well, after taking a look at their racks and doing a little head scratching of my own, I felt that we were clearly up to the challenge and decided to create both a heavy duty retractable tonneau cover and an aluminum folding tonneau cover to fit with the Backrack.
At the moment we have just sent Adrian a RollBak retractable tonneau cover to test at his Canadian facility. We are awaiting feedback which i will post here accordingly. In the interim, here's a look at the preliminary BakFlip folding tonneau cover that is currently modified to work with the BackRack.
BakFlip tonneau cover installed with a Backrack
Ford tonneau covers
2009 and 2010 has seen Ford Motor Company slip right into what can only be called a true leadership role when it comes to both the products it is putting out as well as the accessories it has chosen to offer Ford truck owners. I was struck by their innovation on my last trip to Detroit where I met with the heads of their accessory department and discussed intimately all the cool things that they currently offer with their current array of accessory vendors. It would seem that they have finally reached a point where they recognize that they either offer significant value to their consumers, or they will simply lose out to the aftermarket as they have always done in the past.
One product that Ford seems to have embraced that has done exceedingly well is their new folding tonneau cover. The new Ford OEM folding tonneau cover is an all aluminum folding tonneau cover made for them by BAK Industries. It is very similar to the BakFlip tonneau cover, but includes some bells and whistles exclusive to the OEM version. The new Ford folding tonneau cover folds up all the way and sits snugly and flush in between the rails for ultimate style. The locking mechanism is securely located under the panels of the tonneau cover, which is a true quad fold tonneau cover that is there when you need it and gone when you don't. The key you drive your F150 or F250 truck with is the same key you use to secure and lock your tonneau cover, which is a brilliant idea too!
Where aftermarket tonneau covers provide only partial access to your truck bed, the Ford hard folding tonneau cover gives you complete freedom to use your truck like truck and still lock up your valuables when you need to use your truck bed as a trunk. It's this sort of vision that will most certainly allow Ford to continue to dominate the pickup world as it currently doing.
As the owner of BAK Industries, I can tell you that I couldn't be prouder to be working with a company like Ford on their tonneau cover program. Their trucks are built so well nowadays and so much thought and creativity is integrated into them, that the BAK folding tonneau was a perfect fit. The new folding tonneau cover works perfectly with their tailgate step, tie downs, bed extender, bed rails, bedliners and other OEM Ford truck bed products.
Aluminum Tonneau Covers
Aluminum tonneau covers come in may shapes and sizes and are generally considered much stronger than a conventional plastic tonneau cover or a soft vinyl style tonneau. There are however a variety of factors which one should consider when examining whether an aluminum tonneau cover is indeed the best choice for you. Herewith follow what I see as the pros and cons of settling on an aluminum tonneau cover for your truck.
Aluminum BakFlip Tonneau Cover
Aluminum tonneau covers do not expand and contract like plastic covers will. This is a very important fact that should not be taken lightly. Since aluminum will always maintain it's actual size, there will never be a time, whether its extremely hot or freezing cold where an aluminum tonneau cover will expand or contract. This means that an aluminum tonneau will not bow or sag like many tonneau covers do. They will not pool water in the winter and they will not bow up and cause latching and install problems because they suddenly seem to be bigger in summer.
Most aluminum tonneau covers are either powder coated or painted. A powder coated aluminum tonneau will maintain a much better overall look over time than will a painted aluminum tonneau cover. Always be sure to ask if the tonneau cover is painted or powder coated. At face value they may seem the same, however I can assure you that they are not!
A downfall in some aluminum tonneau covers is how hot they can get in the summer. If you live in California, Arizon, Nevada or Texas as an example, be aware that an aluminum tonneau cover, which is n most instances black, will get so hot that you can almost fry an egg on top of the tonneau. With that said, they do cool down as quickly as they heat up and you're likely not opening and closing the tonneau every minute of the day.
On the flip side, an aluminum tonneau cover is still metal, so if you live in a climate that's exposed to a lot of hail, be aware that an aluminum tonneau cover can ding. Unless you have a really solid aluminum tonneau cover like the RollBak all aluminum retractable tonneau, you can run into an issue where you're left with a few pock-marks from hail.
In my oipnion, aluminum retractable tonneau covers are way better than any kind of vinyl retractable tonneau. That's because they're just so much stronger, more secure and overall superior in function, aesthetics etc. There are some retractable tonneau covers like the Retrax, which is made of Lexan, however again, the Lexan will not weather like aluminum and will not look as good over time. Also, aluminum retractable tonneau covers are much, much stronger than Lexan. So the clear winner when it comes to retractables are indeed aluminum retractable tonneau covers.
RollBak aluminum retractable tonneau cover
When it comes to folding tonneau covers, there is a debate that exists as to whether the above sentiment is true or not. In my opinion, aluminum folding tonneaus are great, however the hail and the heat issues are ones that don't really float my boat. I think that the perfect folding tonneau cover is the BakFlip F1 because it combines aluminum for structural integrity and incorporates a fiberglass top surface for staying cool to the touch and eliminating expansion and contraction. At the same time, it will not ding in hail. So the winner of the folding tonneau cover as far as I'm concerned is both a combo of aluminum and fiberglass reinforced polymers.
BakFlip F1
Aluminum tonneau covers can also be painted, so if you're looking for a specially custom tonneau cover, consider aluminum as you'll end up with more or less what you want, beyond just functionality and features.
4 is better than 3
In the beginning, tonneau covers were nothing but cheesy tarps. Then came the advent of the one piece fiberglass tonneau cover that took the industry by storm. Their popularity still exists to this day in the way of ARE, Leer, Undercover, Snug Lid etc. However, having owned one of these before, I can tell you with certainty that while they look great, they are more of a pain than anything else. Let's face it, nobody really wants to remove a monstrosity like that everytime they need to use their truck beds.
So, as forward thinking Americans we figured out that if you split a tonneau in two, you get to use half your bed, while the other half is still covered. Hence came the bi-fold tonneau cover that while innovative, really never took off properly. Gaylords produced one with a "butterfly" feature (split down the middle), but this again was just not a very appealing option for those that had been burned by the one piece in their past.
Finally, the tri-fold tonneau cover popped it's head up and pretty much blew the lid off the industry. However these covers didn't really solve problems like wasting 1/3rd of your bed, or covering stake pocket holes etc. They were nice, but not that nice.
As with razor blades that started with a switch blade, then became two blades, then three, then four and now five, the tonneau cover has seen a similar type of metamorphosis. The one piece evolved to two, then three and is now available as a Quad-Fold in the way of the patented BAKFLIP TONNEAU COVER. The BakFlip, actually has 5 panels. 4 that fold and one tiny one that is stationary.
BakFlip Quad-Fold Tonneau Cover
Like anything in life, things keep getting better. In the instance of tonneau covers, 4 panels are better than 3.
Let me know what you think? BAK Industries is about to release a new tonneau cover that we feel will stir up some emotions. The new cover also has multiple panels. Join our twitter account or visit us here periodically to stay in touch with the tonneau leaders.
Quad-Fold Tonneau Covers
BAK Industries is the first company to ever make a Quad-Fold Tonneau Cover. The Quad Fold Tonneau, to be marketed under the name FoldBak Tonneau Covers will be released later this year. The FoldBak will be able to install in literally minutes and be as secure as a BakFlip F1 or RollBak G2 tonneau cover. Suffice it to say, it's a pretty damn strong tonneau cover. It will be able to withstand hundreds of pounds of weight on top of it and fold forward in increments to allow ultimate access, function and utility. One of the coolest thing about the new FoldBak Quad Fold Tonneau is that it incorporates the all new "Front to Bak" design, which means that as well as being able to fold forward, from the tailgate towards the cab, it can also fold "BAK"wards from the cab toward the tailgate. The panels incorporate BAK Industries patented slam latch design, secure concealed locking, sleek stealth aesthetics, ergonomically designed operation from either side of the truck, 2 minute install and a power 3 year warranty.
The FoldBak Quad-Fold tonneau cover can be removed just as easily as it can be installed, ships in the best packaging available anywhere and is made right here by BAK Industries in the USA.
Follow us on twitter on my personal account, jmaimin to stay abreast of the FoldBak tonneau cover's official release. Quad-Fold tonneau covers are finally here and guaranteed to change the way you will see and regard tonneau covers forever!
Tonno Covers
Tonneau covers, motorcycles and quad bikes
There's no question that when it comes to a weekend of fun, throwing your dirt-bike, motorcycle or quad in the back of your truck and heading up to the trails is just the best! What can totally ruin a weekend of fun like this is to return from agreat 2 ride, only to find that you ramps, tent and gear are no longer in the back of your truck. The problem with tonneau covers is that if they are the kind that can keep your cargo secure, i.e., hard, they generally need to be removed in order to get your bikes and gear in the back of your truck. As such, you run the risk of having your stuff stolen, unless you spend the time to load the inside of your truck with all your gear and then unload it again and eedless to say, none of us want to do that!
This age old problem was finally laid to rest w bed ith the advent of the patented BakFlip feature that allows you full access to your truck without removing your tonneau cover. The BakFlip does 3 cool things when it comes to dirtbiking which make it the absolute unrivaled king of tonneau covers for offroading:
1. It allows you to haul your bikes without removing your tonneau cover.
2. The BakFlip protects your cab from being damaged by pulling your bike into the back of your truck. You cannot imagine how many rear windows have been blown out buy doing just that.
3. You get to unload your bikes and lock up your gear under a solid, water tight, secure tonneau cover.
