It was another Saturday night after having fished the ponds around the Fishhawk neighborhoods in Tampa with my buddies. We had six rods and four tackle boxes crammed inside the truck because of the rain, and we had about an hour drive left home. Needless to say there was a lot of bitchin’ and moaning about space. I decided to purchase a cover for the bed of my 2017 Duramax. After browsing the internet for a couple of hours and reading tons of reviews I decided on the American Tri-fold tonneau cover for my truck. It has hundreds of five star reviews on realtruck.com and is only a measly $279.00 which is easily on the lower side of the spectrum when it comes to price on tonneau covers. Many of the high quality covers can get up to $2000. Find out our thoughts about this budget tonneau cover below!
MY FINAL RULING ON THE American Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover
Overall, the American Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover is a good buy, that keeps your bed adequately dry while not breaking the bank. Are there higher quality products out there? Sure, but not many at this price point. The installation was easy, even doing it by myself. After driving with it for over a month I'm even noticing slight gains in MPGs, thanks to less wind resistance. If you're in the market for a budget tonneau cover, consider this tonneau cover from American Tonneau Company.
This product seems to be a decent product on all accounts. There are definitely higher quality tonneau covers with more heavy duty material and hardware, but this one gets the basic job done. Installation was easy and it's very similar to every other soft tri-fold tonneau cover I've ever owned. Over the last couple months the product has held up well to the elements and frequent use.
PERFORMANCE
The bed cover works. The Tri-Fold design quickly lets you open and enclose the bed. When you leave it open, there are two clips the hold the bed cover in place. I really like how you cannot open the bed cover without first opening the tailgate. This little bit of extra security could make a difference when keeping anything valuable in the bed! After having the bedcover on for months I have yet to have any significant leaks! I live in Central Florida too, where you can pretty much count on rain everyday during the Summer.
VALUE
At only $279, this tonneau cover is a bargain. The American tri-fold cover comes with a limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials or workmanship on the frame and all hardware. There is also a 10 year warranty on the vinyl fabric, guaranteeing you a dry, protected bed for years to come.
DESIGN
The tonneau cover, despite being very affordable, doesn't seem like a typical "cheap" product. It assembles easily by one person, and doesn't require any special tools. After installation, it sits firmly on top of your bed. The only issue I had was making sure I placed the adhesive tape in the right spots. It varies depending on make, model, and bed size. They do provide installation instructions with pictures that help, but it is still a hassle. The corners of the bed cover don't sit exactly flush yet, but I'm sure after gravity takes its toll and some use, the bed cover will sit flush.
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ABOUT Kamil
Founder of Diesel Resource and a complete diesel head. Has a little
bit of problem buying too many trucks. Learn more about him by checking out his truck.
