I have a 2001 RAM 1500 5.9L club cab. My gas mileage is bad, and I'm sure everyone's is. I was considering a bed cover. However, I am not looking to pay $600 - $1000 or more to cover the bed.

I was looking at the Extang FullTilt and Berlin Hinged Tonno-Covers. Anyone had experiences (good or bad) with these covers? Or have any other suggestions?

 

yeah, open your tailgate. sorry but i hate how those covers look. happy shopping. 2001 1500 4x4 monster

 

I posted a response to a similar question like 2-3 days ago....If you want a tonneau cover.....you had better first ask yourself is this something I may need to take off quite often.....I had a fiberglass bed cover on my 01 Dakota.....and it was a pain to haul anything cuz I had to take it off....

You might want to look into a bedcover that either rolls up...or folds up.....so you can still utilize your bed and not have any hassle.....a bed cover like the picture below would be a good one...

http://www.kcovers.com/hardware-images/index.htm


[IMG]local://upfiles/19085/2578C3B0200340A5A1FA96699EDFDD68.jpg[/IMG]

 

Before anyone says anything, I KNOW this is a RAM forum and that its a DAKOTA picture......I was merely using that photo as an example. Just didnt want any confusion! Thanks

 

I drove mine for a month or two w/ no cover when I first bought it. I put a soft tonno on it and picked up 25ish miles a tankful. Not too shabby. Its an Extang Black Max that I ordered from TruckXpressions. (they advertise on this site) It cost 250 or so ( maybe a little higher), was about $50 less than the local accessory store, and I had it in two days. The only down side is that once it gets below 60 or so degrees outside it is very difficult to put on, unless you can get inside a garage. The snaps and the bows are adjustable so you can keep the canvas tight in different temps. The rails are foam backed so they dont scratch your paint either. Overall I think this was a very good investment.
I live in PA, which is an "up or off" state. I cant drive around with the tailgate down. Also, this is a work truck, so gate down isnt really an option anyway. You just have to decide how often you need access to the bed. And really, if you think about it, a camper top limits your access too. Everything is just a compromise to one degree or another. My two cents.

 

my truck had a fiberglass tonneau on it when i bought it and i loove it. i think it looks awesome. and as for hauling, it tilts up high enough that even with my short box im able to move sofas and dressers no problem. sometimes 2 or 3 at a time...

 

I have the Extang Full-tilt on my Ram. Best thing I've bought for my truck yet. You can roll it up like a normal soft tonneau, or flip it up like a hard lid for easy access. One person can also remove it in under a minute, which is awesome.

 

I would have to recommend sportmaster brand tonneau covers to anyone.

http://www.sportmasters.com/

I have the slant side snap cover which is a full snap cover. They also make a hinged snap cover and full roll up cover. The website the is manufacturer's website and does not give prices. I have looked at other cover including extang and have yet to see anything as good as the sportmaster. The snaps are metal and have set screws to keep them from moving at all while the cover is unsnap therefore allowing resnapping to be very easy. My family currently has three of the covers and we are going to get two more for other trucks. I got my full snap cover for $200 plus tax. It was hard to find this price but a good accessories place can do it.

 

I got a EXTANG with the tupperware lip, no snaps. It's a moderately priced solution to the bed cover problem. Been through 3 N.W. Indiana winters, looks like new with little upkeep. I had a fiberglass cap on it prior. No offense meant, if you need a cap thats fine. The cap made my SB SC 2WD look like a big station wagon. So I sold it to a guy that had his cap and tail gate stolen at the same time.

 

I drove my 97 ram for about 2 months and bought a used Extang Black Max cover off ebay for $35, yes had everything with it and looked like new. I wont run with out it now, helped gas mileage, and seems just smoother driving on the highway. I wont go with out it at all now.

Yes you can put the tailgate down, but the you worry about some idiot hitting it in a parking lot, or your stuff falling out the back when your driving.

Just my thought, but go with a soft cover, easier to remove if you need to haul anything, and does just as good of a job for mileage and a hard cover and a fraction of the cost. Just my .02