Leer 700 hard tonneau cover removal & reinstallation
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All Star
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 975
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, TX
Leer 700 hard tonneau cover removal & reinstallation
I've had my Leer 700 for awhile now, but this week is only the second time I've removed to haul anything. The first was just a month after install to move a couple of mattresses. This time it was to haul a few couches back and forth between a couple of friends.
Overall the experience can be summed up in four words: Pain in the Butt!!!!
With the Leer you basically have to take the entire thing apart to get it off. There's no such thing as "quick disconnects." Heck, even the shocks have to be totally removed from the cover. Removal requires two people at least for most of the job. You'd think that you could get everything ready solo and then get another person to help you lift it off. But the weight of this thing is so heavy that when you remove just one shock, it'll come crashing down on your arm/hand/head very quickly.
While removal is a little over complicated, reinstallation is even worse. Since you have to take everything off, when you put it all back on the alignment is all out of whack. The first removal I did it took me every evening for a week tweeking it to get it back to normal latching. This time it took me two evenings so far, and it's still catching on the passenger side.
The real kicker is the two person requirement. While Leer doesn't state it, you really need someone with a little upper body strength to get the cover on and off. My poor wife is the only person I've got readily available, and even though she's probably stronger than average, lifting the cover still kicks her butt. Poor woman almost lost a hand the other night on this time's reinstallation.
As you can guess, I'm a little less than pleased with the process. With me leaving for the next 8 months, the potential the wife will need to haul something is pretty high. So, after thinking about it a bit, I'm going to get rid of it and probably go with a Bakflip or similar product.
Overall the experience can be summed up in four words: Pain in the Butt!!!!
With the Leer you basically have to take the entire thing apart to get it off. There's no such thing as "quick disconnects." Heck, even the shocks have to be totally removed from the cover. Removal requires two people at least for most of the job. You'd think that you could get everything ready solo and then get another person to help you lift it off. But the weight of this thing is so heavy that when you remove just one shock, it'll come crashing down on your arm/hand/head very quickly.
While removal is a little over complicated, reinstallation is even worse. Since you have to take everything off, when you put it all back on the alignment is all out of whack. The first removal I did it took me every evening for a week tweeking it to get it back to normal latching. This time it took me two evenings so far, and it's still catching on the passenger side.
The real kicker is the two person requirement. While Leer doesn't state it, you really need someone with a little upper body strength to get the cover on and off. My poor wife is the only person I've got readily available, and even though she's probably stronger than average, lifting the cover still kicks her butt. Poor woman almost lost a hand the other night on this time's reinstallation.
As you can guess, I'm a little less than pleased with the process. With me leaving for the next 8 months, the potential the wife will need to haul something is pretty high. So, after thinking about it a bit, I'm going to get rid of it and probably go with a Bakflip or similar product.
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: Virginia Beach,VA
The dealer that installed mine told me a different way to take it off.
1-lower tailgate and close cover and lock it.
2-put zipties through the latches to prevent them from accidentally coming undone.
3-make a reference mark on the bed rails where the covers rails sit.(I used a sharpie)
4-unbolt the clamps and remove them
5-lift off the whole closed cover
I had to take mine off for the first time about a month ago and yes it is a pain in the butt! I set mine in my drive way. The frame will support the rear of the cover but put a block of wood or something under the front or it will sit on the ground. When you put it back on just line it up to the reference marks.
1-lower tailgate and close cover and lock it.
2-put zipties through the latches to prevent them from accidentally coming undone.
3-make a reference mark on the bed rails where the covers rails sit.(I used a sharpie)
4-unbolt the clamps and remove them
5-lift off the whole closed cover
I had to take mine off for the first time about a month ago and yes it is a pain in the butt! I set mine in my drive way. The frame will support the rear of the cover but put a block of wood or something under the front or it will sit on the ground. When you put it back on just line it up to the reference marks.
