tried a solid fold....didnt like it.......ordered a Bakflip HD and although I have 2 Mechanics Licences.....Im being Tested!

First thing.....LOTS OF ALUM FILINGS........EVERYWHERE INCLUDING WITHIN SECTION SEALS/HINGES AND SOME STILL EMBEDDED IN MY HANDS!

Second.......You must trim your plastic Bedliner as there isnt enough clearance to allow rail to go fully forward and the shape of the way the liner is moulded wont allow rails to lay flat due to the fact drain fittings are touching bedliner curve.......No big deal to trim out as its a cheap bedliner anyway.?

Third.........Upon tightening down front screws I noticed seal is not uniform across front wall ......but Im still playing with it.......so Ill report back later
Side seals are bunched up from the shipping process and I wonder if they will go back to lating flat as they wont seal the way they are right now?

I really want this thing to work as I like the finish on the Bakflip HD so Im going to give it another whirl tomorrow hoping for a better fit?

Ill report back then
Pics avail in my profile

 

well...

1. ok that is a bakflip issue, they should try to do a better job of reducing those fillings/shavings. Mine didn't have any.

2 and 3. that is not bakflip's fault. The bedliner does curve up in the upper corners, so you have to trim it out to fit the Bakflip drain. I did on my truck no big deal (pic in my album). Also that top edge of the front bed wall is lower in height than the factory side bed rails. So any cover that you put on, there will be a slight gap along the front wall. All you need to do is place some weather stripping along the top of that front wall and you're set, that's what I did.

oh, and those side seals will lay flat after sitting in the sun, or you can use a hair dryer or heat gun on low setting.

I've had my HD for over a 1 year now and it's been working out great.

 

Ya......I agree with you VFX4.

Im hoping more of a tweaking process will make it right?....Ill get some weatherstripping and lay it across the front wall and have a closer look at the gaps where the tailgate closes and see what I can do there?

I really like the Quality of the Bakflip HD vs the Solid Fold so Ill find the patience that is required to make it right.

 

The aluminum chips has been one of the quality issues that Bakflip has had for awhile. If not removed they abrade the rubber hinges and scratch the painted surfaces. Be forewarned that if you point out issues on this product, you run the risk of being chastised and labeled a perfectionist.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/92...-the-ugly.html

 

While others have had nothing but great things to say about BakFlip, my patience is running thin too. I've had an awful leak since the day I purchased and I too feel like I'm testing the product for them. I installed new shims, extra weater stripping, silicone under the rail, repositioned and realigned more times than I can count and everything else.

And I have a piece of dbl sided sticky tape sticking out of the edge along the top. If it weren't for that, they seem to not mind the fact that water is pooling at the front of the bed (when I'm parked on a level surface) and drenching everything from strollers, suit cases, groceries, etc in the back of the bed.

I don't know what he does, but if its fixed this time their reputation with me is soley fixed from Julian (who said he would personally oversee a new cover for me and weather test himself). The retailer, warranty department and top exec's were less than helpful and certainly not sympathetic. And even when offered the chance to refund and walk away (no hard feelings) they refused to allow me to return the product because they wanted to prove they could get it right. I hope they do, all I want is a working product. My replacement should arrive this week.

 

Where did you buy it?

 

Yep, I agree with SteveVFX4, I installed mine last October. However I did not have any fillings to deal with nor did I have to add the extra seal in the front. I too was concerned with the seal since it did not lay perfectly flat on the bed. However when it was raining out one day I went out to see how well the seal was performing and I found that the seals and the hinges were keeping out a heavy rain. Even if the seal did not work on the side, the drains help to carry away any water that does enter beyond the seal. An earlier thread led me to use a hair dryer to help lay down the seal and it worked perfectly (Strictly cosmetic I believe). Be patience like you have been. You are a mechanic right? Parts are parts right?
Good Luck

 

Today i removed it again and installed the strip of foam seal that came with it. Im not sure if the seal was for the front of the box or not as it was tapered on the ends but it seemed to suffice for the job.

I had to slightly trim the Tailgate liner with an exacto knife as it barely came in contact with the bottom edge of the rails....no biggie there

I tweaked the position so that the front Bakflip seal is exactly on the front edge of the box with the most forward edge on the paint ahead of the box liner. It seems to be the right spot to allow water to roll right off and down the front of the box.

It seems to fit better now but the gaps where the tailgate closes still concern me. Living in Vancouver I will find out quickly where the leakage will be?
I dont have the man step so that may be a the single good reason for not having one?

Im still digging out alum filings/pieces using compressed air while folding the Bakflip at the same time........there is still pieces within the seals I must get out in the next day or two. I also had some sharp rivets that needed a little filing. I did manage to get the one out of my finger though!
Being a Licenced Heavy Truck Mechanic I am used to Truckers and how finiky they can be with parts/workmanship. As these Trucks are their homes and places of work I dont consider it complaining or bitching ...In most cases that Truck is their life! Will I call Bakflip and complain?.....probably only after ive exhausted every fix I can think of myself. This is a good quality product that still needs to evolve a little more.
My theory about the quality control is:
This guy who invented this is most likely a Guy just like you and me trying to live a dream and now it seems that He may be supplying the Ford Motor Company with the Bakflip so His little California shop is probably in overdrive trying to keep up to demand? So perhaps final inspection is quicker than it should be?.....Ill cut him a little slack for now.
Anyway......Im off to find more alum filings

 

I Installed my Bakflip last Saturday. No filings except for a couple of small pieces where they drilled the holes to attach the drain fittings. I did have the same problem as "ajaj" fitting the unit around my Ford drop-in bedliner. I mostly solved that problem by removing the drain fittings first. This allowed the rails to be positioned almost perfectly without cutting into the liner. For some reason after I put the front clamp on I was then able to reattach the drain fittings with no problem. I was still about 1/8" - 1/4" too long at the rear due to the thickness of the tailgate liner. Just had to trim out a small piece of plastic at each corner and everything fit up real nice. Haven't routed the drain tubes as yet or installed the front gasket, but in a heavy downpour last night I only had some minor water in the bed. I think taking care of those 2 things will keep things about as dry as any cover will.
I do have some issues with the rubber side seals buckling but I think, as others have stated, a few days sunshine and warmer temps should smooth them out.

 

Someone suggested the Hairdryer trick and i must say it worked perfectly...
seals flattened out before my eyes..........
anyway....back to alum filings........

New Pics in my profile of final install.......

 

Aren't you worried that your cover that was made to be an OEM perfect fit for your truck is being modified to fit on your truck? I'd be worried that my modifications to the cover would void the warranty. You should make sure BakFlip is cool with your changes before modifing anything too major (which I'm confident they'd be perfectly fine with).

 

I havnt modified the Bakflip at all other than file down some sharp rivet heads and trying to get rid of those pesky alum filings. I have modified the plastic bedliner to accomadate the Bakflip rails but Im ok with that. If I had a spray in liner instead this install woulda been a whole lot easier but for what I need this Truck for.... a plastic liner is fine.
I wouldnt call it a perfect fit but considering its a production line product......its close enough?......

 

Hi Ajaj,

Julian here from BAK Industries. Sorry to hear that your tonneau cover had not been adequately cleared of filings before packaging. Our factory has air blowing stations built into the assembly line process that are supposed to do a good job of clearing all burrs before being packaged. I'm not sure why yours had filings on it. Hopefully you'll have no real issue in wiping them away.

With respect to any seals not laying flat: All our rubber seals are EPDM synthetic rubber. Great stuff in terms of lasting a long time and not deteriorating over time. Unfortunately EPDM will take on the shape that it's subjected to (in the box) for a short while, but with heat, will always revert back to its original extruded shape. So, you can definitely expect your seals to lay as flat as a pancake very soon, if they haven't already done so. A hair dryer works wonders if it's to cold outside for the sun to do the trick.

Lastly, we have a tone of all different sorts of weather seals that we can ship to you at no charge if you need to further insulate your cab rail. Just give us a call at (818) 365-9000 and we'll send you all the weather seals you need immediately.

I really believe you're going to LOVE your BakFlip. It's an amazing tonneau cover that will definitely impress you over time.

Call me directly if you need anything at all. I'd be more than happy to assist you.

All the best,

Julian Maimin - COO
BAK Industries

 

Your experience, and others like it, are really making me have second thoughts about a BakFlip. I love the idea, but not so sure if it will work out. I CANNOT have a bed cover that leaks. I really don't like the look of the fiberglass ones on our model, but it may be the only reliable choice. I think that the Jason tonneau that I have on my 04 is a POS, but it has never once leaked.

 

After doing the hairdryer trick which seemed to work great im going to give it a water test today and give it a final once over before deciding the final fate of the Bakflip
Im leaning toward the Bakflip but the little birdie is telling me to get the Solid-fold for $200 less

I gotta give Julian credit for taking an interest in this post and backing up his products

Ill post my final decision later today.........

Stay Tuned