I need some help....I have a 2001 f150 extended cab flareside with a bedliner and I am looking for a Tonneau cover. I am looking for options such as a black frame, rear corners that don't curl up and easy to remove bows. There are so many manufactures for this product and I am looking for a good one for this application. Saddleman makes one with their flip lock(which I think is better than snaps or velcro) technology but the rails are silver and not black(I could paint them but the paint will end up chipping off). Any suggestions on tonneau covers?

Thanks
Scott

 

Scott,
Late last year I deliberated for weeks on the same issue (except mine’s a styleside). After doing a ton of research on this page and others, I decided on the Downey SST. The frame and hardware are black, the bows are very easy to remove, and the cover comes off and goes back on quite easily. The Downey snaps are also very nice in that they snap into a channel so there’s no lining up to do. I chose Downey over other brands because the tarp seemed sturdier. Originally I wanted a snapless, but I have yet to see a snapless soft tonneau whose corners don’t curl up, and several retailers I spoke with said the same thing. The corners on the Downey have never curled at all, even in single-digit temps in Kansas this winter. The only real downsides to the Downey that I’ve seen in the four months or so that I’ve had it are that it flaps a bit even at moderate speeds (I had hoped for a tighter look), and you can’t roll it up and leave it attached to the bed as you can with an Extang, for example. On the plus side, I drove for several hours in a rainstorm with the bed loaded with luggage, etc., and not a drop of water got into the bed. All in all I am entirely satisfied with the purchase and would definitely go Downey again in the future. Do a search (when it’s working again) on this site and you’ll find TONS of posts on the issue. Good luck!

 

I have had the Extang Platinum Classic tonno for over two years and it still looks like new (and I'm in Florida). Check out Extang's BlackMax http://www.extang.com/blackmaxindex.html

The snaps are adjustable for cooler and warmer weather and the bows have two settings for height.

Here are some pictures of mine:

 

That is a good looking bedcover. I had the Sportmaster Slant-Side, it looked great, worked great, never leaked, and was everything I ever wanted in a bedcover. I highly recommend them, it fit great, was easy to remove and to put back on. Whatever you like, though.