Shortly after my friend bought his new 2023 Ford F-450, he gave me a call wanting to talk about bed covers and wanting to install a new one on his truck; like me, he had a soft tonneau cover on his old F-250, but this time, he wanted something different: a little more security and a little more solid.
After taking my new truck to his place to check out my BAK Cover, he decided he wanted a roll-up hardcover. We decided to see what we could find on RealTruck, and after looking around, he decided to go with the RETRAX Pro Tonneau Cover.
The RETRAX Pro Tonneau Cover is a rolling hard shell cover that is lockable. People love the ability to have a hardcover that can roll up into a storage bin while being able to lock it up when it is needed. One advantage of the RETRAX over my BAK Cover is you can open it without having to open the tailgate.
Working at a dealership for many years, I saw lots of the RETRAX, but I never helped install one. I felt like installing the cover went really smoothly and quickly. The instructions were well laid out and easy to follow.
As with most installs, the first step is pulling everything out of their boxes and evaluating what we all have. The RETRAX PRO came in two boxes: the main box with the RETRAX itself and the other box with the rail system. The second step was to install the rails onto the RETRAX. There is only one way to install the rails, so that went fairly quickly.
Once the rails are on, it’s time to put the whole assembly into the truck. Lifting the RETRAX is where you will need a friend. I’m sure someone has put one in alone, but it makes it more accessible. Now that the assembly is in, it is time to install the c-clamps and adjust the rail system. You will slide the cover out and in a couple of times as you adjust the rails to make sure it’s not too tight or too loose.
The last step is to adjust the latch. When you latch it, you must adjust it tighter so no one can push it open. If you are in the market for a hard retractable cover for your truck, it is hard to beat a RETRAX PRO. The only other one you may want would be the electric version, but my friend opted for the regular cover.
