Selecting a retractable tonneau

[TSchevy]

Thought I’d reach out for some opinions on retractable tonneau covers.  I am eyeballing the Retrax Pro XR (https://retrax.com/retraxpro-xr) because I like having the option for T rail accessories.  If you have an opinion, or any suggestions, please share em.  These things are pricey, and I’d like to know more than I can find on the product websites or in scripted YouTube reviews...  

[GA_RST]

I have the Retrax One MX and it’s nice. I like the low profile look.




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[TSchevy]

2 hours ago, GA_LTZ said:

I have the Retrax One MX and it’s nice. I like the low profile look.




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Looks great.  Functionality perfect?  Any gripes, like water issues?

[GA_RST]

Looks great.  Functionality perfect?  Any gripes, like water issues?

Thanks, yeah the functionality is perfect. So far my only “gripe” is it sometimes takes a little more effort to slide it open but 9/10 times it slides right open. It has to do with the ball bearings getting “broken in” I believe.

No water issues that I know of. I’ve driven through rain and my bed was dry. there are drain tubes so the water drains out of the canister and out of my bed.

It actually increased my MPG. On a highway trip I got 23 mpg due to the increase aerodynamics since the wind isn’t caught in the bed. I love it!


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[KuiMonster]

I just installed the gator trax. It’s been one day but so far it’s been nice. It gets tight towards the end but the instructions do say it’s part of the break in process. I installed it by myself without any issues and took me maybe an hour. Most time was measuring and Measuring again once it was on. Hopefully it’ll increase my mpg on the highways. Just filled it up so will see in two weeks when it’s refill time. I got 13.9 idc and 12.7 On my own calculation.  Quite a big difference. Hopefully the truck is off and not the gas pump...

Edited June 9, 2020 by KuiMonster

[hcop33]

I have the retrax pro XR and absolutely love it. I do use the t-rail and have the Yakima jetstream crossbars on it. I've gotten plenty of compliments on my truck. The retractable cover gives it a different look as well.

 

As far as water, there will always be some water leaking through but not a whole lot. I notice it more when I wash my truck but when it rains, it's not as much.

[TSchevy]

On 6/9/2020 at 5:44 PM, hcop33 said:

I have the retrax pro XR and absolutely love it. I do use the t-rail and have the Yakima jetstream crossbars on it. I've gotten plenty of compliments on my truck. The retractable cover gives it a different look as well.

 

As far as water, there will always be some water leaking through but not a whole lot. I notice it more when I wash my truck but when it rains, it's not as much.

Any chance you could post a few photos?  The photos online look so generic...

[Stand By]

Anybody up north have any input on how the retractables fair in the winter? I assume you mostly leave them frozen in place. Wondering ice building up and damaging any interior components.  

[2liter]

With discounts you can get the Embark LS through GM accessories for 20% off. Had one installed last week. Same cover as the Retrax RS. These covers have a better mounting system then their original covers. I had a gator trax on my 16 really liked the functionality but the rail didn’t stay tight to the bed and the passenger side would retract back about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch. The RS has a latch point to help with that.  They have the poly one now which is about $400 cheaper then the aluminum if you are not going to put anything directly on the cover.

[lt1z]

I just installed a Retrax Pro MX on my AT4. Works and looks great so far and seals nicely against the multi pro tailgate. Not cheap but looks like it will hold up well

[ice_nyne]

I have the gator recoil and it’s good for what it is. Lower price point than what you are considering. I’ll try to post some pics.


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[DirtyAndy]

I have a Retrax MX and I like it. The passenger side retracts just a bit on its own. Manual says to slide that rail back a tiny bit to compensate. Just haven’t done it. Otherwise, I really like it.

[2020SierraDenali]

Yesterday I ordered a Retrax Powertrax MX Pro 90481 or whatever it is for the Denali. I don't need the extra mounting provisions for extra stuff, so the MX will work for what I need. Plus it's matte black, which I like. I waffled on getting the electric or the manual version. I finally decided because of the 3 year warranty, and generally positive reviews on it, I'd try the power version. Considering the wife is kind of vertically challenged, she would appreciate the electric version. It's not going to be a work truck, so I'm banking the electric version will get me by for what I need. If I were going to use it every single day, I'd probably have got the manual version.

 

Plus, I was able to use the 10% discount it made me feel a little better about dropping large $$ on a bed cover. Which every bit helps. At about $2500 delivered and I have to install it, I'm hoping it's the last cover I got to buy. Doesn't look too difficult to install, though. One thing I did read about on a couple of occasions the stick on Retrax emblem possibly is a "self-removing" emblem and can fall off and get lost in the canister. We shall see.

 

Not a huge fan of losing a little bed space for the canister, but it's not a total loss. If it were a full size bed it probably would be more tolerable, obviously, but I think once I get used to it, it'll be ok. I don't normally use the entire bed space anyway, but now that I'm getting a Retrax, I'll suddenly need the entire space. But if worse came to worse, it doesn't seem like a huge PITA should I absolutely need to remove the unit from the truck temporarily should I really need that space.

 

Although, I am concerned about a couple of things about it and didn't think about them until today. Not deal killers, but stuff I probably should have thought of yesterday morning to consider before I ordered it. Like, after the warranty period, can you buy parts to fix it if it breaks? First, if the motor messes up or lose power to the unit, apparently you're just screwed as there doesn't seem to be a method of manually closing or opening the unit if you couldn't get the motor to move. Second, is there an override somewhere on the unit to locally operate the motor or is it entirely remote operated? Or a brake release lever? It would be kind of nice to have a hard-wired controller inside the truck or a way to mount one using switched power or something. I don't know. Probably leave a remote in the locked security box in the console. I don't need another fob hanging on my key fob. I didn't think about these things before I ordered it. Let's hope that I'm not disappointed with this expensive AF Retrax product or I guess everyone will hear about it.

 

I had a quad backflip on the 2010 and it was a very good cover for what it was. I added a couple more little seals in the front to make it pretty much water tight. However, the rubber bits between the panels underneath were simply glued in, and using it over the years along with the hot SC sun in the summer which allowed the glue to soften and the rubber seals underneath to pull loose, wad up a bit when trying to put the cover down again. I also did not like the idea of the way it folded up and blocked the rear glass when hauling bigger loads. Otherwise, it was a very durable and good cover.

 

These are some things to consider when thinking about which cover to buy, especially a Retrax unit. 

[TSchevy]

20 hours ago, 2020SierraDenali said:

Yesterday I ordered a Retrax Powertrax MX Pro 90481 or whatever it is for the Denali. I don't need the extra mounting provisions for extra stuff, so the MX will work for what I need. Plus it's matte black, which I like. I waffled on getting the electric or the manual version. I finally decided because of the 3 year warranty, and generally positive reviews on it, I'd try the power version. Considering the wife is kind of vertically challenged, she would appreciate the electric version. It's not going to be a work truck, so I'm banking the electric version will get me by for what I need. If I were going to use it every single day, I'd probably have got the manual version.

 

Plus, I was able to use the 10% discount it made me feel a little better about dropping large $$ on a bed cover. Which every bit helps. At about $2500 delivered and I have to install it, I'm hoping it's the last cover I got to buy. Doesn't look too difficult to install, though. One thing I did read about on a couple of occasions the stick on Retrax emblem possibly is a "self-removing" emblem and can fall off and get lost in the canister. We shall see.

 

Not a huge fan of losing a little bed space for the canister, but it's not a total loss. If it were a full size bed it probably would be more tolerable, obviously, but I think once I get used to it, it'll be ok. I don't normally use the entire bed space anyway, but now that I'm getting a Retrax, I'll suddenly need the entire space. But if worse came to worse, it doesn't seem like a huge PITA should I absolutely need to remove the unit from the truck temporarily should I really need that space.

 

Although, I am concerned about a couple of things about it and didn't think about them until today. Not deal killers, but stuff I probably should have thought of yesterday morning to consider before I ordered it. Like, after the warranty period, can you buy parts to fix it if it breaks? First, if the motor messes up or lose power to the unit, apparently you're just screwed as there doesn't seem to be a method of manually closing or opening the unit if you couldn't get the motor to move. Second, is there an override somewhere on the unit to locally operate the motor or is it entirely remote operated? Or a brake release lever? It would be kind of nice to have a hard-wired controller inside the truck or a way to mount one using switched power or something. I don't know. Probably leave a remote in the locked security box in the console. I don't need another fob hanging on my key fob. I didn't think about these things before I ordered it. Let's hope that I'm not disappointed with this expensive AF Retrax product or I guess everyone will hear about it.

 

I had a quad backflip on the 2010 and it was a very good cover for what it was. I added a couple more little seals in the front to make it pretty much water tight. However, the rubber bits between the panels underneath were simply glued in, and using it over the years along with the hot SC sun in the summer which allowed the glue to soften and the rubber seals underneath to pull loose, wad up a bit when trying to put the cover down again. I also did not like the idea of the way it folded up and blocked the rear glass when hauling bigger loads. Otherwise, it was a very durable and good cover.

 

These are some things to consider when thinking about which cover to buy, especially a Retrax unit. 

All valid concerns!! All of those questions has me looking to the long term reviews of the electronic covers. I imagine the customer support is pretty good behind those covers, given the big expense and the relative newness. Wouldn’t think they would want to risk the bad press is such a competitive marketplace. 
 

Have you, or can you, program the remote to a homelink button like a garage opener?  
 

[TSchevy]

Finally pulling the trigger on a cover. One question if anyone can help. 
Does anyone know the difference between the RetraxPRO XR and the Advantage Embark LS?

I have a $500 credit to burn at the dealer, but want the Retrax cover...the similarities are unbelievable, all the way to the dollar.

 

Appreciate any thoughts.