Again tonneau cover - happy?

OK! While on the topic of tonneau covers - while we have heard that several of us are not impressed with the factory tonneau cover and are awaiting alternatives (to Honda'a) I would be interested in hearing from those who currently have the Honda Tonneau Cover. Like it? Don't like it beacause .... Comments?

As per my feelings only...I'm happy with the "Honda" factory tonneau cover so far. I think it looks good and do believe it has helped a bit with my fuel mileage. Do realize that soon, there will be other aftermarket options and wonder how they will address the weather-proofing issue. It will be interesting to see! On the loss of bed useage, I have a 5' by 10' open trailer that I use to haul my four-wheelers and will probably use it whenever needed to haul anything large. ;)

I have the cover, and am satisfied so far. I knew going into it that the cover wasn't totally watertight, so the minimal amount that leaks in doesn't bother me. Maybe the cover helped me get good mileage on the open road (21-22mpg), but in traffic I am getting around 17 mpg, nothing special. With the cover folded back, it isn't that much of a reach to get large objects from the back. I haven't yet tried to take it off, and for my uses, it will be a rare day that I will need it off. My needs are for secure storage. Although the lock isn't huge, it works easily, and gets the job done. Not sure how the aftermarket products will deal with the lack of a lock on the tailgate. I've gotten lots of compliments on how it looks.

when you lock the honda tonneau cover, does it also lock the tail gate.

When the cover is locked the tailgate is also locked.

The issue my wife had is that it is awkward to handle from the side of the truck. When she loads things and folds it over on itself it is heavy to bring back from the side. I could see some sort of gas strut to raise it up and then you can pull it down. Yes it does lock, you have a lever on the tailgate that when you push down on the lock it slides through to lock the gate. The cover does assist in better milage. Overall it does look good and does what it is intended to do.

I guess I am probably late to the party here.....but I am gonna make a comment anyway....

I don't know about the rest of you folks, but for Honda to come out with a hard tonneau cover, that is "water resistant" and not water proof....I dunno what to say, but it doesn't make a lot of sense.

I was thinking about having one installed on my truck, so I went over and talked with one of the service guys at the garage where I bought my truck. They wanted $1500, for the tonneau and to install, which I thought was pretty high. I was still on the fence, whether to get on or not and then the guy leaned over to me and said, "I'm not supposed to say anything bad about anything on any of the Honda products......but the tonneau is "water resistant", not "water proof". I said, "What, you gotta be kidding me. You guys wanna charge me $1500 for a tonneau that can't keep out water?!? What the frick is the point"?!? He said, "Well, that's exactly why I told you. I didn't want you to get a month down the road, have something valuable in the back, and have it get wet.....and then you come storming in here and rip me a new one for not telling you".

Anyway, I really wanted a tonneau, but I didn't want it that bad. I see some folks are talking about the Retraxx and a couple other tonneaus....I guess I will have to do some research.....

Yes, there are many threads on the various tonneau covers. If you have any specific questions you don't find an answer to, be sure to ask.

Retraxx is somewhat cheaper, I don't think it is completely weather tight either, and only has a 1 year warranty. Most that have it seem to like it. I went with the Honda cover and like it. Got it installed for $1311.00. Easy to use, simple to remove if needed and very tough and secure. The lock is a little wimpy but you would need to rip screws out of metal or physically break the mechanism to get in. Nothing will keep everyone out if they want in. I think it looks the best becasue it matches the other plastic but obviously I am biased on that one. There is a thread on here somewhere that gives all the pros and cons of all the covers. It should help you decide based on your needs.

I'm a new member to the forum and discovered it while trying to learn if there were others who were unhappy with the Honda Ridgeline Tonneau cover. My wife and I are retired and want to spend a few years on the road camping with a hybrid trailer. We did a lot of research and a lot of car dealer visiting to find a vehicle that would suit our needs which were a vehicle that would serve all purposes....general running around, road trips, trailer towing, and that would get decent mileage. We bought an RTL with roof rack (to carry our kayaks on) and tonneau cover to keep our cargo safe and dry. We just assumed without thinking that a $1500 tonneau cover made for our truck would fit the bill. When we learned that it leaked water and would not keep our cargo dry, we were disappointed, to say the least. Especially the wife, who would have preferred a minivan had it been capable of towing 5,000 pounds. We took our concern to the dealer (Holtz Honda in Rochester, NY). Our salesperson was appalled. I showed him the little disclaimer in the "owner's manual," which of course we did not see until after the tonneau was installed. He had no idea the thing would leak. He did his best to correct the problem by sending our truck to a local tonneau cover installer who pronounced that it could not be fixed and that there were no other tonneau covers made for the Ridgeline. I know that to be untrue because of this and other threads. As it stands now, we will attempt to get the sales manager to agree to a fix if one is ever made, or a new cover should that be done by Honda. We believe the dealership was sincere in not knowing that the cover would leak. However, we feel, that at the very least, we should have been informed upfront. That would have influenced our decision. I look forward to keeping up-to-date with news from other owners.

If you are getting some water that gets past the seals at the front and side panels, of course you could try some additional weather stripping or silicone sealer. I don't think either one is an ideal solution. If you have a rubber mat in the bed that is just ridged enough that it does not settle into the valleys of the bed, the water should run in the valleys and out through the tailgate keeping your stuff dry. I use a piece of commercial rubber floor covering an it works great. There are a number of other mats that are made to protect the bed. If you choose one of those just make sure that it has bumps, bulges, or whatever you want to call them, to keep the mat itself from being in direct contact with the bed. That way you will allow the water to drain and not get trapped.
I have the Retrax cover and have adjusted it so that it is almost but not quite water tight. Water does get past some of the front seal when I wash and rinse the truck. That is a lot more water and pressure than rain.

Wulf, welcome to the forum. You are going to have so much fun in your truck. I think you can work around the amount of water that might get into your cover by the way you pack.

When we went to Canada, the only real water test we'd had on our Retrax was in the car wash, because it was a dry summer. We felt we'd done a good job of making it as waterproof as it could be, but you surely don't want to be hauling around wet stuff. Our packing method worked perfectly, with one mishap that nothing to do with the cover. I'll try to find time to explain in another post in the next few days.

We were in drenching, unrelenting rainstorms. Only a small amount of water came in from the rain. I kept worrying that we'd have to have the cover open while we packed or unpacked when we moved to a new cabin, but the weather gods spared us and we always had a break in the storms when we needed it.

Anyway, I would be pissed too, over such an expensive oversight. That is something the sales person should have known. We ordered our Ridgeline last March and our sales person knew it wasn't watertight. Of course there is a high turn over in that profession and there is an awful lot to cram your head full of to know the features of every vehicle.

I'd say that's another positive thing about shopping around and talking to more than one sales person. We learned a great deal when we went out of town to see a BLUE one. That sales person had attended the big Honda training in AZ and he explained a lot about the VTM that we'd not have known otherwise.

This forum offers a wealth of information too. I know I went into the process knowing more than our sales person about many of the RL features.

I hope you get a satisfactory outcome with your dealer.

PS, Wulf. Be sure to swing by and get to know us and tell us more about yourself in the following thread:

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2743

There is a thread on here somewhere that gives all the pros and cons of all the covers.
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=40603&postcount=94

Hi Wulf. I too have the OEM cover and happy with. During a rain storm or going through a rain storm, I will get a couple of wet spots, but nothing major. It will drip thru at each end of the hinged seam. Then again, whatever water gets in is isolated to that bed channel like UH said.The remainder of the bed is bone dry.

The story I said I'd post is on the following link. It's fairly long because I can talk a lot, but there are photos if you just want to scan them and ignore my ramblings.

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=42769#post42769

Retrax, Retrax

I'm afraid your cover is what it is and that Honda nor your dealership will fix its leak. Mine, like almost everyone else leaks as well and I too learned the hard way. There are definitely some key areas causing my issue, at the corners and on the edge where the cover folds. Both have that foam type material that acts like a sponge. If another material could be used, I think the leaking would disappear. If your dealer does find a remedy or you fix it yourself, let us know.

As for the other brands, it appears they leak as well.

I'm glad I read this. My wife and I just got our Ridgeline two weeks ago and she has been bugging me to get her the tonneau cover from honda for it to keep the rain out but the Honda dealers down here want $1700 for it. Extremely pricey for something that doesn't keep the bed dry.

On a side note, are they hard to take it off if you have something tall to carry?

Welcome aboard.

Although I dont have one several RL owners love the Retrax cover and you don't have to remove it to carry tall items, just roll it back.

On a side note, are they hard to take it off if you have something tall to carry?[/QUOTE]

I spoke with one of the Sales Managers at a Honda dealership who owns a Ridgeline for his personal vehicle.... he says the OEM is difficult to remove. I know that other ROC members have not had much trouble..... My guess is that once you do it a couple of times you'll be fine.

As was mentioned, with the Retrax you do not have this issue. Also, with Basickoncepts' cover, it folds in half and lifts off easily.... not an issue.

WELCOME to ROC! Hope you'll join our discussions often!:D

Bassbud,

I want to thank you again for the authoratative tonneau cover comparison which helped me and many of us to figure out which cove to get. I just got a retrax because snow and ice is not an issue for us. Keep up the great work. your compo chart and Vertrkr's check list certainly helped many buyers to make the proper decisions.

Welcome aboard miami-ridgeline! there is a lot of very good information available on the ROC about tonneau covers. I have the Retrax and I am very happy with it. You can carry tall items in the bed by simply retracting the cover into the canister. You will have to tie down tall items as usual except that they can not be placed up against the canister where the item would put a lot of pressure on the canister. For instance, if you wanted to carry a washing machine in the bed, you would have to tie it down in such a way as to prevent it from sliding forward. Someone mentioned on another thread that they wanted to carry a dirt bike in the bed and they wondered if the front tire could rest against the canister. The answer is no. However, a simple back board or barrier made out of wood could be fabricated very easily to allow the bike to be anchored up against it instead of the Retrax canister.
There are several good covers for you to choose from. If you poke around in the accessories forum and search for tonneau, Retrax, cover, bed and similar words I am sure that you will find lots of detailed information to help you select the best one for your needs. You can help the ROC by clicking on one of the sponsors adds (Retrax at the top of this page, for example) when you place your order. If you do it by telephone, please make sure that they know that you found them on the ROC and ask for any discount that is available to ROC members. Doing business with a ROC sponsor helps grease the wheels and allows the ROC to grow and improve. If you cant find the answer to your questions, please, ask away! Someone on the ROC has your answer!
Once again, welcome! :)

The issue my wife had is that it is awkward to handle from the side of the truck. When she loads things and folds it over on itself it is heavy to bring back from the side. I could see some sort of gas strut to raise it up and then you can pull it down. Yes it does lock, you have a lever on the tailgate that when you push down on the lock it slides through to lock the gate. The cover does assist in better milage. Overall it does look good and does what it is intended to do.

I too have the factory tonneau cover. I was told, however, prior to purchase that it did not keep the water out. I hardly have any cargo in the bed anyway, so it's not a big deal. I really like the way it looks, though. But I have the same problem as your wife...it's take enough to fold it over, but to put it back i have to stand on the side and grab one of the levers that locks it in place once down and kinda pry it back up...oh well, challenges of being a short girl driving a big truck!

I installed the factory cover today. It took me 2 1/2 hours and it was done. The dealership quoted me a price of $1650 installed and $1050 uninstalled. I figured that I would save the $600 and do it myself. After dire warnings from the parts and service departments, they grudgingly printed the instructions out for me and away I went to do the install. I only needed to buy two torx drivers (T20 and T50), that was my only additional cost. I started at just after 1 pm and finished at 3:30. It really isnt't that difficult if you have the tools for the job. The instructions are straightforward and easy to follow.

After the install I took it for the ultimate car wash test and I must say that there are some leaks but minimally so, really.Whatever water that comes in drains out quickly and does not puddle at all and I'm happy with the results of that test.

Regarding removing the cover: it is a 15 minute job and ideally two people should do it unless you're Hercules or something.

IMO, if you are carrying a lot of large loads, a hard cover should not be your choice at all. A hard cover is to have secure storage for smaller items and to use the bed like a larger trunk. A soft cover that rolls or no cover would seem to make more sense if you carry a lot of tall stuff. I have not had any problems carrying anything in my bed with the Honda cover. Including a large 9 HP snow thrower. I would not be able to hold two appliances without removal but one would be no problem just by folding it back and it is very sturdy so you don;t need to worry about crushing it in the front. I still have not heard from anyone how the Retrax works when full of snow and ice.

I have the cover. At first I didn't like it but that was due to the high price mostly. I'm over that now. After 9 months, overall I consider it a plus and worth it.

I find it stays on the truck more often than not. I don't bolt the front bolts as they're a pain to get to and seem unnecessary. That leaves just two bolts to undo under the hinge. The cover is definitely heavy and unwieldy but manageable by reasonably strong person. Primarily it's lacking handles to grab onto. I've thought about adding some but never get around to it.

It is *not* water proof and cannot be made to be given it's design. That said, water penetration is low. Usually it's along the sides and quickly exits down the walls, but sometimes the hinge leaks. Thus it's unpredictable but I only worry about it about a quarter of the time - when rain is possible and I have a non-waterproof load. If that condition occurs, usually I can move that item to the trunk or rear cab.

In my case, most of the time I'm hauling things that are water proof or that can survive light water but that I wouldn't want to get completely wet, so the cover comes in handy. Consider what you'll be hauling and whether you're in rain country before purchase. If you're relatively strong it's fairly easy to get on or off. Lift weights and it will become even easier. :cool:

I have the cover. At first I didn't like it but that was due to the high price mostly. I'm over that now. After 9 months, overall I consider it a plus and worth it.

I find it stays on the truck more often than not. I don't bolt the front bolts as they're a pain to get to and seem unnecessary. That leaves just two bolts to undo under the hinge. The cover is definitely heavy and unwieldy but manageable by reasonably strong person. Primarily it's lacking handles to grab onto. I've thought about adding some but never get around to it.

It is *not* water proof and cannot be made to be given it's design. That said, water penetration is low. Usually it's along the sides and quickly exits down the walls, but sometimes the hinge leaks. Thus it's unpredictable but I only worry about it about a quarter of the time - when rain is possible and I have a non-waterproof load. If that condition occurs, usually I can move that item to the trunk or rear cab.

In my case, most of the time I'm hauling things that are water proof or that can survive light water but that I wouldn't want to get completely wet, so the cover comes in handy. Consider what you'll be hauling and whether you're in rain country before purchase. If you're relatively strong it's fairly easy to get on or off. Lift weights and it will become even easier. :cool:

I second this. I too like mine more after getting over the sticker shock. It has been awesome in the snow and ice.

I have the cover, and am satisfied so far. I knew going into it that the cover wasn't totally watertight, so the minimal amount that leaks in doesn't bother me. Maybe the cover helped me get good mileage on the open road (21-22mpg), but in traffic I am getting around 17 mpg, nothing special. With the cover folded back, it isn't that much of a reach to get large objects from the back. I haven't yet tried to take it off, and for my uses, it will be a rare day that I will need it off. My needs are for secure storage. Although the lock isn't huge, it works easily, and gets the job done. Not sure how the aftermarket products will deal with the lack of a lock on the tailgate. I've gotten lots of compliments on how it looks.
I too have the HOnda Tanneau cover, and to my surprise I actually like it, in exception to one thing. ITs really hard to take off once you actually need to use the bed to haul something. Overall, it looks good and i've tested the weather proffing by hosing it down with water and after a good raining..it doesn't leeak at all. I've even try to hose it down where the cover meets the tail door, nothing not even a single drop inside. It also locks, manually, was hoping to actually lock with the other locks, but it looks good, weather proof and saves me gas overall.

Hey folks --- 1st post here.
Overall our factory cover is a quality built unit but as others have stated..... it leaks. And, as addressed elsewhere, managing the weight of the cover while flipping it back on itself is difficult and once there it can not be locked in the opened state. I am highly motivated to fix the leaking problem as that was the reason for purchasing the factory cover. Unfortunately, both the dealer we purchased the Ridgeline from and the dealer we got the cover kit from said it would be watertight. Since we installed the cover ourselves... the fixes will be home brew. I'll follow up on our progress.

Hey folks --- 1st post here.
Overall our factory cover is a quality built unit but as others have stated..... it leaks. And, as addressed elsewhere, managing the weight of the cover while flipping it back on itself is difficult and once there it can not be locked in the opened state. I am highly motivated to fix the leaking problem as that was the reason for purchasing the factory cover. Unfortunately, both the dealer we purchased the Ridgeline from and the dealer we got the cover kit from said it would be watertight. Since we installed the cover ourselves... the fixes will be home brew. I'll follow up on our progress.


I just use a bungee cord and wrap it around the latch handle. I use the front tie down clip to hold it. It should never be able to fly back once opened. $1.00 fix.

I am 62 and a big guy. I ordered the cover when I bought the ridge. Occasionally I have to take if off to carry a large object for some rental property. It takes me about a quarter hour to remove the cover. I can handle it by myself even though it is rather bulky. To reinstall it, I spend around a half hour and get real dirty doing this.
I wish the install/removal was simpler. I thing the Ford Sport Trac has a better designed tonneau. I guess I will soldier on with it, but it sure seems that Honda could have done a better job. I don't expect it to be water tight but the installation is just too tough for a fat old fart like me.
I sometimes wish I hadn't bought it, but since i can write it off for business, I guess I will keep it.

i only have one thing to say that is i wish the height of it would be a little higher can not fit stuff with the cover close like my kids car seat or there strollers

i only have one thing to say that is i wish the height of it would be a little higher can not fit stuff with the cover close like my kids car seat or there strollers

?????? All you have to do is fold the stroller. I keep mine back there. Main reason I got the cover was to keep large kid items under cover.

I have to agree with the height concern when the tonneau cover is installed. I’ve asking the manufactures this same question but no one respond yet.

I need a minimum of 18” of clearance (from top of the “bed rib” to the cover) to put my cooler in. That 18” clearance doesn’t even count the bed mat thickness.

Can anyone who already has the cover installed help to find out?

I meaured 15 1/4" from top of bed ridge to bottom of the tonneau cover. I have three ice chests that will not fit unless I put it into the bed trunk or leave the cover open.

Thank you for the response Stevendn. That means I will need to replace my larger cooler to at least two or more smaller one. :mad:

Do you have the one installed from BasicConcepts?

We bought two new coolers before getting the Retrax. Neither will fit, but our old ones are fine. We decided to keep the new coolers because we will mostly use them when we are camping and they fit fine inside the tent trailer doorway. When we went to Canada without the trailer, we took one of our older coolers and did fine.

We love the Retrax.

I guess buying smaller coolers are the cheaper solutions.

I have two always-hungry boys how many coolers do I need when camp out? :D

The 15 1/4" measurement was for the OEM cover.

The Retrax cover goes from 16.5" clearance down to 15" at the tailgate. A couple of these (http://www.igloocoolers.com/products/Full%20Size/Igloo%20Classics/2757) should fit nicely.

I am 62 and a big guy. I ordered the cover when I bought the ridge. Occasionally I have to take if off to carry a large object for some rental property. It takes me about a quarter hour to remove the cover. I can handle it by myself even though it is rather bulky. To reinstall it, I spend around a half hour and get real dirty doing this.
I wish the install/removal was simpler...

Artie43 - try leaving the front two bolts undone, which means you won't have to crawl in there. I don't think they're necessary as the front tie downs won't allow the front of the cover to lift up.

This is the response from BasicConcepts:

“The distance from the bottom of the cover at the center point is 17in and at the tailgate is 15 and 1/2in.”.

My dealer did not tell me the $1600.00 tonneau cover would not leak, I learned the hard way. Honda has a great vehicle and I enjoy driving it, but I will not have another Honda due to the dealer not telling me. I'll go back to the only thing I have trusted over the years (Toyota).

Hi tarheel500, I’m really sorry this happened to you. I’m glad you enjoy your RL like everyone here. Please search some threads here to find the methods to minimize the leaking problems.

If you are not satisfied with the dealer you should take your concerns to American Honda and let them discipline the dealership.

I don’t even think dealership knows the OEM cover will leak. The accessories knowledge is always fall behind and in that gray area. No one really knew what’s going on until the consumers complain about it.

To all you folks looking for an OEM Ridgeline Tonneau Cover....somebody is selling a used one (Looks like it is in good shape) on ebay for $499.

I just got my OEM cover and am very happy with it. The dealer quoted me 1500 plus 500 for installation but when I balked about the price, considering I was having body side moulding, step sides and rear mud flaps installed , he charged me 2200 for everything. The service tech told me that it leaks. I would have hated to find that out after. He also showed me how to take it off and actually took it off and put it back on. He's getting a complimentary letter.:)

...... He also showed me how to take it off and actually took it off and put it back on. He's getting a complimentary letter.:)

I'm sure he'd reather get a 6 pack or a $20. :rolleyes:

He got the 20:)

Hey all!!! I know I have not been around much. Been traveling allover creation with the new job! Anyway, just had the OEM cover installed. Nice clean look. I get a great laugh out of the "Polish" lock for the tail gate. That little flippy thing that secures the bolt is a riot. Yes it does leak a bit when I washed the car today, but did expect it. You only have to look at the way it installs to know that it will leak some. Only an external, by external I mean a cover that literally goes over the top sides will be completely water tight. And that is not possible per se with the quarter panels by the rear door. I don't mind it tho, not much water in a small puddle if that on both sides near the hinge area on the bed and that was from a direct spray of water.

Overall, I am happy with it. It looks like a 10mm bolt, 4 of them and you can have this puppy off if need be.:D

I am a dealer for Advantage Torza Tonneau Covers.
Advantage has made many improvements to their Honda Ridgeline Torza Tonneau. I would like to provide you with some updated information.

I read where some owners had issues installing their rail because of holes not lining up, this has been addressed. The rail has a new improved end cap with re-positioned holes in rail for easy installation of rail. The rail is now mat black finished to match inside of Ridgeline bed. The rails have also been relieved more to allow trunk door to open further. Rail is padded in this area to keep door from getting scratched when opened.

Advantage has added safety teathers, and a new clip type fastner on bulkhead, used when cover is in open position.

There are "4" different Torza Tonneau's to fit Honda Ridgeline.
All "4" versions are tri-fold, all hardware included, install in 20 minutes or less, NO drilling required, and are water tight.

All pieces, parts and components are guarenteed for life, the material is guarenteed for 7 years.

Torza Top - Traditional Vinyl -
$399.00 Delivered
Torza Premier - Convertible Top Material
$499.00 Delivered
Hard Hat - Traditional Vinyl Cover with a HARD underlayment
$749.00 Delivered
Hard Hat Premier - Convertible Top Material with a HARD underlayment
$859.00 Delivered

Please email or call me to purchase or for additional information
hwc_1@ameritech.net
937.231.7943

Just ordered Torza hard hat.

Coupon code for discount is MS915

If you mention this you get aprox $30 additional discount.

How wide can the trunk open with your new torza?