Hard or Soft Tonneau Cover ?

[Tom57]

My Motto: Buy It Once So You Don't Have To Buy It Again
I couldn't make up my mind between a hard or soft Tonneau cover - they both come in tri-fold that I want
I can be a cheapskate and find a soft tri-fold for as low as $180 or I can spend $500+ for a hard tri-fold.
My issue is snow and ice load on the bed cover in the winter, I live in a high mountain snow belt where it's normal to get feet of snow and I just have issues of a foot of snow weight crashing down a soft bed cover, yes, I know it has a ridge on it where some snow can slide off but many times we get heavy snow mixed with rain that freezes that turns the snow pack stuck like a big snow ice cube.
My disavantages is I use my bed a lot for heavy hauling where I will need to remove the tonneau frequently and it will be heavier and much more effort to remove. But most of the time I'm not hauling.
The Amazon picture shows a man standing on top of the hard tonneau cover that supports 350 lbs, has anybody tested that on their own hard cover? ( I would rather buy the $500 one from Amazon than spend $1000+ for the brand name ones thinking they are the same )
and I believe the hard covers that sit on top of the side bed rails are stronger and better weather protection-sealing than the low profile level fit ones that use an added rail ?
I would love to read your opinions
Thank You

 

[zrock]

I started out with the soft cover and the following week i ordered a hard cover. I found the soft i lost to much bed space when i folded it up and it was to easy to get into. With the hard i only lose about 6" at most when i have it folded up and i can work with that and its much more secure. Mine is rated for about 500lbs and i have stood on it but it sure does not feel like it will hold me.. I would never purchase a soft again and i was lucky that i was able to sell it for what i payed for it. While i like my hard cover that will probably be similar to your find in quality i wish i would have spend the money and went and purchased name brand for $1500. We have those on our trucks and work and the saying is true you get what you pay for..

 

[CanuckRam1313]

If security is necessary, hard cover for sure.
If you're just looking to cover your bed, perhaps look at the soft cover.

I've had the soft cover on my previous Ram for 5-years and it worked great.
No issues with snow or ice. Spending ample time in the Ottawa Valley and Quebec in the dead of winter with heavy ice and snow buildups and never an issue.

I also like the soft cover because it is super easy to remove by myself and tuck it in the garage if I need the extra bed space.

As for weatherproof sealing of my soft cover; you can adjust the clampdown tension to ensure that the cover seals are firmly seated on the bed box. I go through no touch car washes and have a few drops to no water inside my bed. I can live with this.

The caveat to this, in my opinion, is that the OEM MOPAR branded soft cover has the cross bars that are arced, and this helps with rigidity/stability of the cover. Especially with heavy snow/ice loading.

My buddy has a soft cover on his Ram and it's aftermarket and noticeably different then mine is in terms of build and design as his cross bars are flat across. He has some dips in the soft cover material itself from heavy snow/ice loading.

 

[Mb7640]

I have a peragon cover for the past 3 years it works great. It does lock and it can be removed easily if you need to use the entire bed it will fit in the backseat if needed. Its easy to install if you get the no drill kit. It took me about 4 hours to install. Its definitely not cheap but worth it at least I think so. I can take pictures of mine if you are interested. Goodluck

 

[Jeepwalker]

I've had 12" or slightly more, heavy wet snow on mine a number times and it was just fine. Didn't cause any problems at all. I go out the next morning and push it off easily with a broom or snow pusher. That's another nice thing about a soft cover is if some snow melts and turns icy underneath, which tends to happen it breaks up easily (a few taps of the broom)...and slides right off. In fact, I've had several inches of ice...and it didn't cause issues. If it's really cold out (high teens or below) you are smarter to move it into the garage or let it warm up in the sun a bit before you roll it up. Otherwise the edges of the vinyl where it's thicker and has velcro, can crack if ya roll it up in very cold temps. But as long as you are wise about it, it hasn't been an issue. Mine for example (Truxedo brand), is 12yrs old and there are some winter cracks on the very edge, but none that cause useability issues ...or look unsightly. I'm sure it's got more than a few more yrs left in it.

If you have big dogs which are prone to jumping onto the top of the truck, a hard cover will probably be more durable.

What I don't like about some (most?) hard covers is how they fold up against the back window and obstruct your view completely. Or don't fold up enough and still cover part of the bed. Whereas a soft cover will roll up, literally in seconds tight against the back of the cab. And unrolls also in seconds..and easy to stretch & push down (re-attach) via the velcro strips.

In high winds, sometimes the soft cover will vibrate like a drum. Nothing obnoxious, but if I have to go on long trips, I usually roll it up. Whereas a hard cover usually doesn't. A soft cover like mine you can also buy a new cover from Truxedo if/when ya need, farly cheap. I might buy a new one for mine in a couple yrs. If you go soft cover you might ensure they sell just the cover separately.

Anyway, I think ultimately the soft cover is best for actual quick bed use, and the hard covers are better for looks, for those who don't use the bed as much. Best of luck deciding.

 

[Zoe Saldana]

I started out with the soft cover and the following week i ordered a hard cover. I found the soft i lost to much bed space when i folded it up and it was to easy to get into. With the hard i only lose about 6" at most when i have it folded up and i can work with that and its much more secure. Mine is rated for about 500lbs and i have stood on it but it sure does not feel like it will hold me.. I would never purchase a soft again and i was lucky that i was able to sell it for what i payed for it. While i like my hard cover that will probably be similar to your find in quality i wish i would have spend the money and went and purchased name brand for $1500. We have those on our trucks and work and the saying is true you get what you pay for..

What cover?
Bifold or trifoild?

 

[Zoe Saldana]

My Motto: Buy It Once So You Don't Have To Buy It Again
I couldn't make up my mind between a hard or soft Tonneau cover - they both come in tri-fold that I want
I can be a cheapskate and find a soft tri-fold for as low as $180 or I can spend $500+ for a hard tri-fold.
My issue is snow and ice load on the bed cover in the winter, I live in a high mountain snow belt where it's normal to get feet of snow and I just have issues of a foot of snow weight crashing down a soft bed cover, yes, I know it has a ridge on it where some snow can slide off but many times we get heavy snow mixed with rain that freezes that turns the snow pack stuck like a big snow ice cube.
My disavantages is I use my bed a lot for heavy hauling where I will need to remove the tonneau frequently and it will be heavier and much more effort to remove. But most of the time I'm not hauling.
The Amazon picture shows a man standing on top of the hard tonneau cover that supports 350 lbs, has anybody tested that on their own hard cover? ( I would rather buy the $500 one from Amazon than spend $1000+ for the brand name ones thinking they are the same )
and I believe the hard covers that sit on top of the side bed rails are stronger and better weather protection-sealing than the low profile level fit ones that use an added rail ?
I would love to read your opinions
Thank You

I have a soft cover for years - never regretted it - no weather issues - i.e. no water got in the bed or snow collapsing the cover.

Look at a trifold soft cover.

 

[20IndyRam]

I also have the OEM soft cover. As @CanuckRam1313 indicated, the support bars are arched to help with rain/snow runoff. We get 70+ inches of snow per year. Truck is parked in the garage, but I've had a significant snow load.

I also remove my cover on a regular basis. It comes down to 30lbs for a soft cover vs 60-70lbs for a hard cover. The soft cover is stupid simple to remove. I choose to get my exercise in a different manner.

 

[Marshall]

I have a Truxedo soft top for last 2 truck, current one is almost 10 yrs old and still fine, I was getting a loose side in the wind, but I tightened the adjusters up about a week ago and its fine now.
the Velcro is getting a bit weaker possibly. I have weather stripping on the tail gate, so stays dry
Rolls up easy and takes no space in the box.

At one time I had a roll up , it was a hard top, but you lost about 8 or 10 inch of box space at front. I like it other wise, but not easy to take out and it was almost 3x the price of the soft top.

As jeepwalker said, you can get new cover, I wonder about the side valcro, I have not checked.
my cover is exc yet, The truck is almost always in the garage.

 

[Tom57]

Thanks for the advice. Never owning a tonneau cover I love the advice.
I went with the MOSTPLUS 6.5 hard (fiberglass reinforced) cover
got it on sale for $399 - what sold me it can support 350 lbs on top

 

[Mbrigh3]

I had a Truxedo low pro for 6 years. It looked brand new until the day I sold it. I upgraded to a Bakflip x4s and honestly I miss the look of the truxedo. Yes its a hard cover that holds up to 400lbs but it really isnt that much more secure as all you need to do is pop the back open to get in. I paid 350 for the x4s I would have been upset for the new 1200 tag

 

[Tray Burge]

Go hard

 

[Black1500Ram]

My soft tonneau got cut which prompted the hard tri fold.

Think you’ll be happy with it!

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

I see you have already made your purchase but my $.02 is, hard cover. Added security, no flapping, and just look better IMO.

Anyone interested in a quality cover please feel free to message me for a quote. We offer most name brands