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user 64117

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OEM hard two piece vs. Advanced Cover



What is the OEM made of?

the Advanced Cover is made Aluminum and stainless steel



the OEM is expensive and hard to get hold of a lightly used one? There seems to be more Adv Covers avail



Can anyone shed some light?

thanks

Dan G
 
I think they call the material the factory covers are made of a "composite material". I love mine. I like the center hinge feature, but the thing is a bear to take off and put on by yourself. It's heavy and the center hinge makes it awkward when taking the cover off. It seems to be durable, and so far mine hasn't leaked a drop.
 
Go with the hinged center OEM cover, IMHO.



It's just more versatile. I carried a washing machine one time, and a large stainless steel bbq grill another, each one standing up, and both times with the back 1/2 of the t-cover folded over the front and secured. that can be hard to do with a one-piece, I have to think.



TJR
 
The Advanced is hinged!! It is not one piece.

It is much lighter than factory and when taken off is very low profile. When folded, it has often stored under things I have been hauling. It has been a great cover. I like the look of the OEM, but the Advanced was easier for me to handle on my own and was much cheaper.
 
Both the OEM and Advance tonneau cover are center hinged.



The OEM cover is made of an outer shell of composite plastic and the inner shell appears to be some kind of fiberglass. They are very sturdy but heavy covers capable of holding 200 lbs, if one were inclined to stand on it.



The Advance cover is much lighter but not nearly as strong. The Advance cover is made of two thin sheets of pebble-grained aluminum with a 3/4" of styrofoam sandwiched in between.

There is an aluminum "C" channel frame that goes around the parimeter to hide the edges of the aluminum/styrofoam sandwich. The stainless steel is used only in a few of the exposed hardware pieces. The thin aluminum is prone to denting, and the black finish can scratch or wear off.



Both covers are good and my company (The LeverLift Company) makes lift assist kits for both covers.



...Rich
 
I just got the Advance Cover and love it.



Low profile, light, and center hinged. I really don't have a need to stand on my bed cover nor do I put heavy loads on top of it. I just wanted a hard shell that locks, looks good, and is easy to take on and off. Therefore, it suits my needs just fine.
 
My last post didn't show up...trying again.



Sorry, my bad, I thought the advance only came in one piece. Well then, get whatever suits you best for the price. I like my OEM and its not too heavy or awkward for me to take off by myself.



TJR
 
If you're handy, you can make your own. Cost is around $100 and about 6 hours of your time. In fact, I made mine the evening before I left for the Nat'l meet. The way I see it, I could make one a year and only after 6-7 years would it cost what an Advance or other type cover costs.
 
Jeff C,

thats a great project, that I may tackle. did you have to worry about pitch at all or is the factory holes off set for this already? thanks for the idea. I am already thinking about other material to use (like the Line-x paint), if it works well on wood or other materials?



Dan G
 
I spent several hours running around town to find the correct bolts and what not so it would fit in factory holes. What the project lists is what you need to do it that way. I made my new one covered in marine vinyl, and anyone at L'ville will tell you, if you couldn't see the underside, you wouldn't have known it was plywood.
 
Jeff,

thats awesome...hard work paid off...no better feeling than that.....gives me incentive to take my wood working tools out.



thanks again.

Dan G
 
Matt, click on the wrench next to my name. Here's the one I made this summer.

[Broken External Image]:
 
Jeff C, you should have posted a picture with the tonneau cover open.



Jeff's homemade tonneau cover is powered by 2 gas springs and mounting hardware designed and provided by the LeverLift Company.



PS Sorry for the shameless commercial:rolleyes:



...Rich Lunder

The LeverLift Company.
 
Jeff,

Your carpeted bed looks great and more than makes up for any imperfections on the underside of the cover.



...Rich
 
There are normally a couple OEM covers going on ebay. I have seen them go anywhere from $250 to $700. If you really want one just be patient and you can find a good deal on one.
 
Others posted about how much weight the factory tonneau can support. I am interested in what anyone might have hauled on top of the cover. I was wondering if I could secure a "jet sled" (large plastic sled) full of ice fishing supplies on top of the tonneau without worrying about it cracking or damaging it in any way.
 

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