Out With The Old

  • sandmannd
    Posts: 928
    October 15, 2012 at 3:03 pm #1279221

    The “Old” is my 2000 Dodge Durago. I bought it salvaged from friends of mine in Bismarck that run a body shop. They buy salvaged vehicles, sell them for cheap and then fix them up for you. I’ve had it for almost eleven years. The body has been going down hill the last couple years. It’s been a great truck and I got my use out the old girl.

    So out with the old, in with the new (to me anyway).

    Traded the old girl in for a 2005 Dodge Dakota. Wanted full size but I can’t afford the payments on those with my wife just getting a new car this spring. This truck is very nice though. Body is in great condition. Gets better gas mileage than the old girl and has a tow package. Everything I needed.

    This is my first Pickup Truck. Question to those who have them is this, when buying a Tonneau Cover for the truck do you prefer the soft roll up or the hard fiberglass? I don’t plan on hauling anything so big that it won’t fit under the cover very often. With the soft, I know you can just roll it back to do so and with the hard I would have to take it off. I have found each used online for very good prices. I’m just trying to get advice on which is better and why.

    Also, does anyone have a place to get a bed liner that won’t break the bank?

    Randy Wieland
    Lebanon. WI
    Posts: 13478
    October 15, 2012 at 3:13 pm #1105260

    Cover – soft roll up. What you plan on and do are two totally different things!

    Bed liner – spray on liner!

    Brian Hoffies
    Land of 10,000 taxes, potholes & the politically correct.
    Posts: 6843
    October 15, 2012 at 3:24 pm #1105263

    You said yourself you don’t plan on hauling anything big or very often. Throw a old piece of carpet down and call it good. If you REALLY don’t intend on hauling anything then the hard cover I think looks nicer, but thats just my opinion.

    Steve Root
    South St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 5623
    October 15, 2012 at 3:52 pm #1105270

    Quote:

    Cover – soft roll up. What you plan on and do are two totally different things!

    Bed liner – spray on liner!

    X2. I had a 2000 Dakota for 12 years. Line-X spray in bed liner and a roll up Tonneau. Worked for me.

    Rootski

    hanson
    Posts: 728
    October 15, 2012 at 3:54 pm #1105271

    Soft Tonneau cover all the way and my vote is for the Access Cover. I had one on my GMC Sierra for 10 years and it was almost as good as new when I traded the truck.

    My new (to me) F-150 came with a soft cover as well… Truxedo low profile. Not a real big fan of the latching mechanism on the Truxedo over the Access Cover. It looks good and its on the truck so I’ll deal with it but would prefer to have an Access Cover.

    Whatever you do, do not get a tonneau cover with snaps and removable arched bow supports. I don’t even know if they make them this way anymore but good luck getting that cover snapped back down in the winter if its been rolled up for a few days.

    Congrats on the Truck!!

    walleyebuster5
    Central MN
    Posts: 3916
    October 15, 2012 at 4:08 pm #1105274

    I had a hard cover on my dakota for years and I loved it. Then I moved to a topper.

    As said above, what you plan to do and really do are 2 different things. The hard cover looks super sharp and serves a very nice purpose but I can see the upside of the roll up. If you are 100% sure that you’re never going to haul anything sizable in there then you’re okay with the hard top. If you think even a little bit that you may throw a lawnmower, atv or anything else then I’d go soft cover for sure. I did get a little sick of crawling in there to get something that’s packed away closer to the box. You have to be willing and nimble for it not to be a pain in the butt!

    c_hof
    New Richmond, WI
    Posts: 256
    October 15, 2012 at 4:39 pm #1105282

    I have a soft cover and love it. I don’t haul a lot either, but it sure is handy when you do have something large to haul. The other truck I was looking at when I bought mine had a hard cover. I am glad I decided not to get that one now.

    phishirman
    Madison, WI
    Posts: 1090
    October 15, 2012 at 6:41 pm #1105319

    I’ve owned both and currently have an Access soft cover on my truck. Not sure about the other brands, but during the winter I had to carry around a torch if I wanted to gain access to the bed since the lock was constantly frozen. For that reason alone, I’d never buy another hard cover. Love my Access…

    sandmannd
    Posts: 928
    October 15, 2012 at 6:43 pm #1105320

    Great advice folks, it’s much appreciated. I can see the upside to both for sure. I would say I’m leaning towards the soft but not sure. Hanson, I wouldn’t even think of a snap cover.

    Quote:

    I had a hard cover on my dakota for years and I loved it. Then I moved to a topper.

    As said above, what you plan to do and really do are 2 different things. The hard cover looks super sharp and serves a very nice purpose but I can see the upside of the roll up. If you are 100% sure that you’re never going to haul anything sizable in there then you’re okay with the hard top. If you think even a little bit that you may throw a lawnmower, atv or anything else then I’d go soft cover for sure. I did get a little sick of crawling in there to get something that’s packed away closer to the box. You have to be willing and nimble for it not to be a pain in the butt!

    This is all good info. I do have a 4×8 trailer for the wheeler and such and for hauling anything. With the roll up, if I get in a situation where there’s an impulse buy on something big I could see it coming in handy. How hard is it to remove the hard covers? Being nimble is not me, but that’s why I have a daughter!

    Zach Peterson
    Austin, Mn
    Posts: 295
    October 15, 2012 at 7:20 pm #1105330

    Quote:

    Cover – soft roll up. What you plan on and do are two totally different things!

    Bed liner – spray on liner!

    x3

    sandmannd
    Posts: 928
    October 15, 2012 at 7:46 pm #1105343

    One more question, would this be overkill for ice fishing?

    1hl&sinker
    On the St.Croix
    Posts: 2501
    October 15, 2012 at 11:46 pm #1105384

    Soft cover and NO Liner! You are wasting your money with any type of bed liner!! The light duty you suggest you are doing will not affect resale.

    Put it this way. You looked at the unprotected bed of the truck, which looks great to me, will you do more damage to this in the future? Loads of gravel will not harm that bed trust me. SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!

    DUDE! You just got into the truck club!!! Congrats!!!

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