tonneau cover

hey everyone.... just ordered my new ridgeline rts yesterday... can't wait till it arrives .... was wondering if anyone has any leads on gettting a tonneau bed cover..... dealer doesn't have one.... thanks :cool:

Honda is supposed to start shipping theirs around the middle of this month. It ships direct to the dealer from Honda's manufacture so it may take longer than most parts to get to the dealer.

-Trevor

Golf12dude,

I had called American Honda about this 2 weeks ago, when they were said to have dropped the cover. My wife just called me to say they called back today with an update. You can pre-order tonneau covers now, they will start to ship on the 16th of this month. On the 16th he said you could live order, which I guess means that is when it will be added to the Build Your Honda Page.


hey everyone.... just ordered my new ridgeline rts yesterday... can't wait till it arrives .... was wondering if anyone has any leads on gettting a tonneau bed cover..... dealer doesn't have one.... thanks :cool:

I looked at the directions for the tonneau cover and it appeared to be more complex than I would imagine. Is this typical, or will an aftermarket provider develop something easier to utilize. My thought that is in a snowly climate like MT, you would need the cover to make the in-bed trunk more useable. i.e. because if you get 6 inches of snow in the bed of your truck, you will end up getting it in the trunk.

hey everyone .... i did some resreach and found a internet parts dealer that had one for 1,033 bucks uninstalled and it looks like something u can't install yourself.... does that sound a little expensive or is it just me..... has anyone gotten a quote from a dealer for one installed ..... thanks :cool:

I wanna get one of these I think they look good on thetruck

Got a quote fro my dealer for $1595.00 installed. I am ordering one with mine.

I thought I wanted this cover, but after living with the truck there already seem to be alot of secure storage. I'm still thinking about it.

I agree that there is plenty of storage. I picked mine up four days ago and that trunk is just amazing. All the crap that ends up in the bed or behind the driver's seat goes neatly in the trunk where it belongs.

I even checked the claim about the golf bag and it really fits! Mine are extended clubs and I pull the driver out of the bag just in case, but it's a nice secure way to have the clubs handy. I just don't see a need for the cover, other than for cosmetic reasons.

BAK industries (www.bakliner.com) is working on a model for the Ridgeline right now. I spoke with them this week and they expect to have on in as little as two weeks. It looks great. It is a retractable / roll-up design that will allow the bed to be secure and weather tight. It looks A LOT EASIER to install than the Honda unit and you do not have to give up the front half of the bed. They have a great video that you can see on their web site. See other posts under "Accessories" for more info. I did a lot of research on the web and they are the only one so far that potentially has something for us. I expect to order one of the first units that they make for the Ridgeline. I will post comments and pictures (under the Accessories " heading). My dealer could not locate and dealer trade for the model the I want so it is on order. It is expected to be delivered in early May. In the meantime, if you search for "Tonneau" in Google, there are lots of tonneau coners out there. Before you order one, be aware of the limited clearance that the trunk lid has when it is open. It is only about 1/2 inch. Also, because the Ridgeline bed is different than a standard pickup truck bed the tonneau mounting methods will need to be creative.

For the golf bag thoery, is it only standard golf bag with a stand or staff bags? does that also include your golf shoes bag and long drivers? I usually take my driver out of my bag, gotta protect my Tmade R7xt driver.

I got a reply from Bak industries (Rollbak) will be released around April 21 per a email from the company today (3/31). They are estimating it to be about $797 per unit.

I had ordered one an then canceled the order based on what I read here that it is not an easy thing to remove to carry larger items. I guess I will wait.

What they should do is make the side mirrors electrically retractable. Getting into s standard garage door is tricky with an inch to spare on each side with the mirrors out.

I have the tonneau cover on my black RTL. Has anyone tried to remove theirs, I was wondering about the degree of difficulty and length of time. Is it a two man job or can I do it myself?

Thanks Bob

Here is one that you can check out. They are in the process of development of one for the Ridge. From what I've read and install factor plus the features my personal opinion I say no to the Honda one (Honda you can do better)
http://www.rolltopcover.com/
hey everyone.... just ordered my new ridgeline rts yesterday... can't wait till it arrives .... was wondering if anyone has any leads on gettting a tonneau bed cover..... dealer doesn't have one.... thanks :cool:

http://www.aztrucks.com/category.asp?product=231

i would like to get the hard 4 section hard folding cover so that when all four sections are folded, i can use it as a table or seat.

I saw the cover on the chevy avalanche and I think it is great.

http://www.truck-bed-covers.com/folding_hard_tonneau_covers.htm

I e-mailed the company (advance cover) and they say they are considering the Ridgeline.

ridgeline 2 section cover will not let me load a pallet when I pick up stuff at home depot. One reason I got the truck is so I can load pallets directly from Home Depot so I don't have to manually load on the cart and then load on the truck.

I have the Honda cover, though I didn't really want it. I wouldn't have bought it had I known what I know now, but I got caught up in the moment. I did get a discount that was more than the list price of the cover, so arguably I got it for free, though a part of me feels like I got a discount off a higher amount. :confused: Anyway, I'm not going to let it ruin my life and despite it shortcomings the cover does have some uses.


I will say the design seems rushed (or Version 1.0), with several poor attributes. Not being able to fold it out of the way is the biggest one, followed by not being water tight. Frankly, it never even occurred to me it would have such problems, but it's my fault as I didn't check it out beforehand. I'm surprised Honda would make such compromised design.


Regarding removal, it's not that bad – despite the length of the following paragraph !...

There are 4 brackets under the fixed part of the cover that connect it to the rail system the cover lays on. Two brackets are under the hinge and easy to get to. A nut driver works best. However, the back two brackets require crawling under the cover. I recommend unscrewing the bolt from the cover to the bracket and just loosening the bolt from the rail to bracket. The latter will allow the brackets to slide. The front of the cover (next to the cab) catches on a lip of the front rail. To remove it, you must push the whole cover upwards from the bottom (I do so with my extended foot will sitting on the bed :eek: ), then slide the whole cover back an inch towards the tail gate until the front catch clears the lip. Slide the cover back on its rails a foot or two. The brackets must be loosened so they don't get in the way. The cover is liftable by one person but it us unwieldy, particularly if you want to avoid scratching the paint or the so-called "indestructible" (but easily scuffed) bed liner. Once you get it clear of the truck, it's not too bad to carry while folded. Two people would make this all a snap.

Then you have to find a place to put it. Currently I lean mine on a garage wall laying on its long side like a piece of plywood. Unfortunately, the sides are foam or rubber so I think letting it sit that way for long periods (weeks / months) will compress or damage the rubber.

Regarding the 4 bolts, the hard-to-reach front two seem redundant, so I've quit bolting them upon re-installation. The front lip catches the cover rather securely and the tie down brackets above the cover should prevent it lifting up. Security shouldn't be compromised much since the rear lock is so insubstantial and the weakest link by far. Suffice to say the cover shouldn't be used to protect anything valuable.

A few mods should make it better:

-- I plan to replace the rear bracket bolts with wing nuts or something to make tools unneeded.
-- The cover has several exposed bolts on the under side, and I think I'll cover them with duct tape or something to reduce scratching opportunities (both to the truck and hands).
-- I may put a handle or two on the underside so there's something to grab on to.
-- I hope to make some sort of wall bracket to hang the cover on so it doesn’t have to lay on its weather stripping.

Wow! Thanks for the detailed account. Honda should thank you for the market research. I definitely will not even consider getting Honda cover. I know Advance cover is water tight, at least advertised that way.

You are right about v1.0 cover. So is the spare tire.

I was told by the Honda rep when I tok my car in that the cover is suppose to be water proof. It's not??

thanks for the info ... you saved me money

If I recall correctly, there was a slip of paper included with the cover's owners "manual" that said the cover was not waterproof. I think I've lost that little bit of errata but I'll look for it.

If you look at the design of the cover it's obvious it can't be entirely water proof - no foam/rubber sealing mechanism can prevent water sitting on the seals from getting through. That said, the cover will certainly deflect most water and what you'll have is some seepage that depending on the angle of the bed and the location of your cargo may or may not be a problem. I've looked in the bed after rain and there are small rivers and puddles. In order for the cover to be completely water proof it would have to sit on top of the side rails as the single piece covers you see out there for other trucks. My sales guy also said the cover was waterproof but then I found that slip of paper a few days later. I prefer to think he didn't know what he was talking about rather than deception. The slip of errata indicates some confusion within Honda.

Clearly the cover is intended to be like that on the Avalanche. I don't know if that cover is considered waterproof or how removable it is.

The Honda cover is best appreciated for its esthetics rather than function. Too bad some of us didn’t know that beforehand, but worse things happen (sorry, in a philosophically mellow [no worries] mood today :cool: ).

Thanks for the informative info!! :p
But my question is now posed to American Honda Motors.
Why call it a cover if it's not going to cover anything?? Isn't a cover suppose to protect?? And if it isn't water proof, why would a Honda Rep tell me it was??

I have the Honda cover, though I didn't really want it. I wouldn't have bought it had I known what I know now, but I got caught up in the moment. I did get a discount that was more than the list price of the cover, so arguably I got it for free, though a part of me feels like I got a discount off a higher amount. :confused: Anyway, I'm not going to let it ruin my life and despite it shortcomings the cover does have some uses.


I will say the design seems rushed (or Version 1.0), with several poor attributes. Not being able to fold it out of the way is the biggest one, followed by not being water tight. Frankly, it never even occurred to me it would have such problems, but it's my fault as I didn't check it out beforehand. I'm surprised Honda would make such compromised design.


Regarding removal, it's not that bad – despite the length of the following paragraph !...

There are 4 brackets under the fixed part of the cover that connect it to the rail system the cover lays on. Two brackets are under the hinge and easy to get to. A nut driver works best. However, the back two brackets require crawling under the cover. I recommend unscrewing the bolt from the cover to the bracket and just loosening the bolt from the rail to bracket. The latter will allow the brackets to slide. The front of the cover (next to the cab) catches on a lip of the front rail. To remove it, you must push the whole cover upwards from the bottom (I do so with my extended foot will sitting on the bed :eek: ), then slide the whole cover back an inch towards the tail gate until the front catch clears the lip. Slide the cover back on its rails a foot or two. The brackets must be loosened so they don't get in the way. The cover is liftable by one person but it us unwieldy, particularly if you want to avoid scratching the paint or the so-called "indestructible" (but easily scuffed) bed liner. Once you get it clear of the truck, it's not too bad to carry while folded. Two people would make this all a snap.

Then you have to find a place to put it. Currently I lean mine on a garage wall laying on its long side like a piece of plywood. Unfortunately, the sides are foam or rubber so I think letting it sit that way for long periods (weeks / months) will compress or damage the rubber.

Regarding the 4 bolts, the hard-to-reach front two seem redundant, so I've quit bolting them upon re-installation. The front lip catches the cover rather securely and the tie down brackets above the cover should prevent it lifting up. Security shouldn't be compromised much since the rear lock is so insubstantial and the weakest link by far. Suffice to say the cover shouldn't be used to protect anything valuable.

A few mods should make it better:

-- I plan to replace the rear bracket bolts with wing nuts or something to make tools unneeded.
-- The cover has several exposed bolts on the under side, and I think I'll cover them with duct tape or something to reduce scratching opportunities (both to the truck and hands).
-- I may put a handle or two on the underside so there's something to grab on to.
-- I hope to make some sort of wall bracket to hang the cover on so it doesn’t have to lay on its weather stripping.

For the front brackets...I was thinking that the bolts could be mounted to the cover brackets with a nut and the protruding threaded end could then be inserted into the bed brackets. I do not have the cover yet. Do you think this is possible?

For the rear brackets...Maybe get some of the small spring clips that climbers use and stick the right diameter one through the holes instead of the nuts, bolts or wing nuts, or maybe some pins with cotter pin holes (use a spring clip) in the end. Do you think these plans would hold the front of the cover tight enough to stop any rattle?

I am waiting to see what comes out from the aftermarket, but I do like the look of the Honda cover. I wonder if the aftermarket will intergate a lock in the cover as Honda has. Without a cover locking to the tailgate, the tailgate can not be locked.

I like the look of the cover too. It's the engineering that could be better.

I found some detailed pictures at an Ohio Honda dealer that should help. See bottom left at http://www.collegehillshonda.com/ridgeline/06_exterior.htm

Tonneau cover Picture 5 shows the brackets. (FYI - the text for the links don't match the picture file name.) The view is the right side of the truck looking forward. The camera is located directly under the hinge with the back cover folded over the top. This shows that the rear bracket is easy to get to while sitting in the bed or standing on the outside leaning in. The front bracket is a long stretch and it's difficult to see and work with tools unless you stick your head in there. If the nuts on both brackets were wings or knobs it wouldn't be difficult. I like your cotter pin idea - especially if it were a long pin or rod that goes from the rear bracket to the front bracket. I think I'll play with that this weekend.

Even better if the brackets were replaced with the same lever system used to hold down the hinged rear section - see picture 6.

Also, once the cover is off, the brackets remain. They are a bit of a hazzard and could be damaged easily.

As I mentioned before, the front edge sits fairly securely in a lip and I don't think the front brackets are entirely necessary in normal driving. All sides of the cover are plastic or foam, so there shouldn't be any metal rattling. My only concern about not bolting down the front is it does increase the risk of the cover popping loose in rough terrain or an accident. You certainly don't want the thing popping off inadvertantly. Please evaluate this for yourself before straying from Honda's design!

Yes, the fact that the tailgate doesn't lock means the cover has to handle this task. Honda's lock solution works but it's kludgy.

Another odd thing about the RL is due to its united cab and bed... With a cover on, water could collect on top of the cover at the rear window (say when parked with the nose lower than rear). The solution for Honda's cover is to drill 4 holes in the top of the bed liner so water can escape. You can just barely see the 4 elongated scupper holes in picture 4, just below the rear window. Presumably these empty into the space between the liner and the cab. See the install instructions on the above page for details. A traditional truck with a gap between doesn't have this problem. Any aftermarket cover will have to address this as well.

Again, the cover does what it does. It could be better though.

I just had all my add-ons installed today, the Tonneau cover looks to be well sealed, but we will see. It has been raining and snowing all day, since I picked it up, so I have not even tried to open it. If tomorrow the weather is better, I will, and report what the bed looks like.
Note though, it was wet and dirty when I took it in, so may not be able to tell right away, how much seepage there is.

Ladyridge,

For all the water that got into mine, after a day in the rain and snow, I would say it is waterproof, but I guess a lawyer say it is not. I could wipe up all the water with one kleenex.


Thanks for the informative info!! :p
But my question is now posed to American Honda Motors.
Why call it a cover if it's not going to cover anything?? Isn't a cover suppose to protect?? And if it isn't water proof, why would a Honda Rep tell me it was??

Ladyridge,

For all the water that got into mine, after a day in the rain and snow, I would say it is waterproof, but I guess a lawyer say it is not. I could wipe up all the water with one kleenex.

Yes, the amount of water is going to depend on which way the truck is leaning and other chaos factors. I think most water that gets by the weather stripping will just flow down the side and then out. However, if you have something in there you really don't want to get wet that will attract water, natch.

Also, isn't the water less wet in Arizona ? ;)