Same thing happened to me just a few weeks ago on my 14 Ram 1500. It was on properly and the front support bolts pulled through the frame and flew off going done the interstate. Dodge is repairing the damage to my truck (damaged the rails, dented side of truck and bent side rails) under the 3 year warranty since it was a factory installed option. Doesn't matter if it was used, new or bought from a non Ram dealer. So hope Ram treated you the same and took care of your situation.

 

Quote: Doesn't matter if it was used, new or bought from a non Ram dealer




You must be smoking something to make this statement. This is an older thread and the OP never did come back and tell us all how Dodge took care of it, my guess would be because they didn't. He had a used vehicle that wasn't even bought from Dodge, and I'm sure there answer was sorry Charlie....cant warranty something when you aren't the original owner and we don't know who installed that cover last. I hope they cover yours but you have a completely different set of circumstances

 

I know its an old thread but bashing the guy is unneccesary. Read the 3yr/36month warranty. As long as it is still under both it doesnt matter how many owners or where it was purchased. I know Chrysler can/will fight it but their warranty says its covered. Also, depends on the dealer its taken to and what they say about it. Some dealers in this area wont even look at vehicle if it wasnt ourchased through them.

 

Quote: Some dealers in this area wont even look at vehicle if it wasnt ourchased through them.


Exactly....and I'd just about bet you my life that they didn't take care of his claim, because there is no way to determine who installed that cover last. No one is bashing him but some people think that if anything happens to anything on there vehicle the manufacturer is at fault and this is a clear case where he cant prove that it was installed improperly at the factory.....since he didn't even see the truck when it was brand new

 

Hi there, it's the OP.. I never claimed it was installed incorrectly; I believe it's a design flaw. This particular section of roadway has the worst crosswinds I've ever experienced, and traffic was going 80 MPH plus. Here's where it happened (Traveling Hwy 45 east at I-35)

I think the side of the cover lifted up and pressure increased until the clamps failed. I don't have those pieces anymore, but they were broken apart. The two clamp pieces attach to a plastic locking arm via spring tension - the pieces were separated from two of the four corners. If you wanted to take the clamping mechanism apart, you'd squeeze the ends of the clamp to remove it from the arm - and it doesn't take much effort to do it.

You are correct though that the dealer wouldn't cover me. I don't know if it was because I bought it used or not, although I'd like to believe it wasn't. (Note that I bought a FULLY loaded 4x4 Longhorn with 3,000 miles on it - 8-speed, air suspension, nav, sunroof, everything except trailer brakes - paid only $40,000, and the factory warranty conveys.) It wasn't worth the effort to escalate through Dodge because my insurance covered me as a comp claim (and covered the woman who "failed to avoid the tonneau cover / roadway debris"). Note that it took some convincing to get them to consider this a comp claim vs collision (which would impact my rates).

After deductible of $250, I got a total of $650 from insurance. I bought a new Tonno Pro cover and pocketed the difference. Also engineered a solid lock-down system for this new cover; it does not budge. I'll post pix if anyone is interested in that. The factory cover was a much heavier-duty piece compared to the Tonno Pro, though the Tonno Pro seems to be well-made. Irony is that I integrated one of the beams from the broken factory cover into the new one for added strength.

 

Actually the factory warranty conveys in entirety. Had I considered it worthwhile, I would've pursued it upwards and am certain that I would've prevailed. I just didn't see the point in spending the time and energy when my insurance covered it.

Regarding "who installed that cover last" - the installation process for installing a cover isn't complex enough to make this point valid. While it's possible it was installed incorrectly, it's not likely. It is a comparatively simple installation. What IS likely is that I'd become aware of an incorrectly installed cover after driving the truck for a week.

It was the combination of high speed and an unusually strong crosswind that I believe induced failure in the clamping mechanism.

 

So you say Dodge would have covered it, but you didn't feel it worthwhile to persue. I 'm not buying that and doubt your insurance would have paid if they figured it would be covered by someone else. I'm glad you got it fixed though. Remember this, no matter how easy something looks to you, there is always someone who can screw it up....pertaining to the install of the cover

 

Dodge took care of you because for the support bolts to pull through the frame rails, it was definitely installed improperly, or improper hardware used
They had no choice in this case, but to warranty it