What is the best bed cover for a Ram truck?

The question just popped up today, from a guy named Glenn who is buying his first Ram truck. He wants to put a bed cover on it immediately. “I think I only need an 'entry level' cover and I have been looking at the TonnoPro Soft Tri-Fold cover. Are there any "Beware" stories about ANY covers? Things to watch out for, etc?”

Ram fans are quick to help out with two pages of suggestions on the forum. AJ, a 2016 Longhorn owner from Oklahoma, has had plenty of experience. He says, “Over the years I've had the hard fiberglass covers that were painted to match, and while they look okay - most of them anyway - they really limit what you can do with your bed. If you need to haul anything higher than the bed sides like an oven or refrigerator, the cover has to come off. When it's time to trade, you have to get the same size bed and possibly have the cover repainted if you want to re-use it. I'm now using a soft roll-up tonneau - the Extang Revolution- and like it because it will roll up compactly, yet still has cross bows integrated into the cover to make shed water and keep it taut.”

Fit is extremely important, to make sure it protects the bed, but also doesn’t hurt the finish on your brand new truck. “Make sure when you mount it, the front edge is at least 2-1/2 inches from the cab. You'd be amazed how much the bed moves while driving. My friend from work has a 2014 Black Edition Express 1500 with a Mopar tonneau cover, and when he took it off and put it back on, it was too close to the cab, rubbing a line in the clear coat on the back of the cab.”

The best part about these owner forums is that the people are nice and genuinely helpful. “It's easy to not know exactly what's being said if you've never messed with a tonneau cover. My gripe against the fiberglass/solid ones is that they hinge from the front and if you put something tall in the back, you can't secure them and they look dorky. The only recourse is to remove it temporarily and that's a real pain. The Extangs weren't that bad, my first one was right at $500 and the second was actually on sale for $400. The soft covers will never block your vision or rub your cab when stowed.”

This owner from Nebraska found one he really likes. “I have an Undercover Classic that keeps bed dry, looks great, locks securely and it could support the weight of 6-8 people standing on it. Locks up like a vault. If you never plan to haul appliances it is unbeatable, but as stated above, you can only haul something that will fit under it.”

Two owners who have had trucks for years highly recommend this one. “3 trucks (2) Truxedo Lo Pro 2 covers, never had a problem with either, easy to install, easy to adjust cover tension, easy to roll up, strong enough to hold the snow.”

There was one strong warning posted, concerning the use of bed covers. It is an important reminder for any type of truck. “Beware that any cargo still needs to be retrained under the tonneau cover. The tonneau cover does not "tie-down' the cargo.” In other words, make sure that the cargo is secured because the covers are not strong enough to hold it in, in case of sudden stops or starts.