Roll n Lock A vs. M Series vs. Bakflip/Linex Lxp (maybe Retrax, too)

MrLeadFoot · February 19

I originally wanted a Retrax, but I just can't get past the behemoth canister on my short bed, especially for $2300. Now, if I could easily remove it for the times I need the full bed, MAYBE the expense would be worth it, but being a canister I would think not, so I am looking at other options. If you can answer any of my questions, I'd appreciate it.

1) Is the Roll n Lock A series more prone to leaking between the all-aluminum slats than the vinyl/aluminum construction of the M series, simply by virtue of the M having a single sheet of vinyl over the whole thing?

2) On the other hand, am I correct in assuming that the trade-off is that the vinyl overlay on the M series will wear out faster in areas of 100+ degree scorching summers?

3) Will the A series aluminum slats suffer the same fate as the Bakflip aluminum panels when hailed upon, or are the Bak aluminum panels just really thin?

4) Which has the least chance of allowing water through the cover itself (I'm not talking about the edges or corners), I'm talking about through joins, hinges, or even material itself... A series, M series, Bakflip, or Linex LXP?

5) I've not seen the Bakflip in person, but have seen the Linex version on a 2500. I was surprised at how heavy it was. Is that because they're that much bigger on the HDs, or because of the Linex coating?

Edited February 19 by MrLeadFoot

Phantom 4D · February 19

I have the BakFlip MX4 on my 2023 Sierra. I transferred it from my 2019 Sierra. No leaks other than at the tailgate. My truck sits under a carport when not in use. Haven't been in any hail storms. Some fade but a coat of good wax takes care of that,

MrLeadFoot · February 19

15 minutes ago, Phantom 4D said:

I have the BakFlip MX4 on my 2023 Sierra. I transferred it from my 2019 Sierra. No leaks other than at the tailgate. My truck sits under a carport when not in use. Haven't been in any hail storms. Some fade but a coat of good wax takes care of that,

Thank you for the reply. Does yours feel heavy to fold from the side of the truck?

Mossyoakglock · February 19

I've had all of them at some point. All of these on my previous 2008 (and Roll N' Lock on my '22.5).

I originally had the Pace Edwards JackRabbit. Liked the cover but won't go into many details. Had that one for around 9 years (bought truck new in 2008 and put the Pace Edwards on then). It was very similar to the Roll N' Lock.

I replaced that cover with the Bakflip F1. Horrible cover. Leaked from the edges, tailgate and between the panels. Nothing I did worked. Bakflip replaced it 2 or 3 times and each one was the same so I had them fully return it.

I then went with the Retax ProMX (aluminum slates in matte finish). Bought it at the local LineX place and had them install it since I didn't have time. Leaked from almost day one. We tried everything. Replaced the whole unit, swapped rails from the standard rails to the wide rails, took off my plastic OE bedrail caps and had them LineX'd the bedrail tops, added weatherstripping, etc, etc. Finally, I decided to go direct to Retrax and they accidentally sent me the RetraxOne (solid, polycarbonate version). Told them and they resent the aluminum cover which I put on (never asked to send the poly one back). The aluminum one leaked again so I thought "what the heck" and put the solid, polycarbonate cover on. The poly cover NEVER leaked and was water-tight/waterproof. Not a drop of water in the bed.

We thought the water was coming from the rails, running along the underside of the cover and dripping in the bed. But, it was actually leaking through the individual aluminum slats even-though it had rubber seals between each slat and we could see no visible indication that was leaking there. Since the poly cover is one solid piece, it had nowhere to leak from. Plus, the aluminum slats would get HOT. Overall, the poly is the better option in the Retrax. The other downfall is, as it was mentioned, the canister is very big. But, it was nice that you can close the cover in any position. Had the Retax for about 5 years and then sold the 2008.

On my 22.5 Silverado 1500, I decided on the Roll N' Lock M-Series. After having the issues I did with the Retrax, I decided to stay away from the metal slats. Plus if it freezes, ice can build up between the slats and cause issues opening. The canister is much, much smaller on the RNL vs the Retrax which is a huge plus.

I did consider the Lomax but decided against it because it doesn't lock.

I know this was long but wanted to give my opinions and a decent review. If you have any other questions on either the Retrax or the Roll N' Lock, let me know.

MrLeadFoot · February 19

4 hours ago, Mossyoakglock said:

I've had all of them at some point. All of these on my previous 2008 (and Roll N' Lock on my '22.5).

I originally had the Pace Edwards JackRabbit. Liked the cover but won't go into many details. Had that one for around 9 years (bought truck new in 2008 and put the Pace Edwards on then). It was very similar to the Roll N' Lock.

I replaced that cover with the Bakflip F1. Horrible cover. Leaked from the edges, tailgate and between the panels. Nothing I did worked. Bakflip replaced it 2 or 3 times and each one was the same so I had them fully return it.

I then went with the Retax ProMX (aluminum slates in matte finish). Bought it at the local LineX place and had them install it since I didn't have time. Leaked from almost day one. We tried everything. Replaced the whole unit, swapped rails from the standard rails to the wide rails, took off my plastic OE bedrail caps and had them LineX'd the bedrail tops, added weatherstripping, etc, etc. Finally, I decided to go direct to Retrax and they accidentally sent me the RetraxOne (solid, polycarbonate version). Told them and they resent the aluminum cover which I put on (never asked to send the poly one back). The aluminum one leaked again so I thought "what the heck" and put the solid, polycarbonate cover on. The poly cover NEVER leaked and was water-tight/waterproof. Not a drop of water in the bed.

We thought the water was coming from the rails, running along the underside of the cover and dripping in the bed. But, it was actually leaking through the individual aluminum slats even-though it had rubber seals between each slat and we could see no visible indication that was leaking there. Since the poly cover is one solid piece, it had nowhere to leak from. Plus, the aluminum slats would get HOT. Overall, the poly is the better option in the Retrax. The other downfall is, as it was mentioned, the canister is very big. But, it was nice that you can close the cover in any position. Had the Retax for about 5 years and then sold the 2008.

On my 22.5 Silverado 1500, I decided on the Roll N' Lock M-Series. After having the issues I did with the Retrax, I decided to stay away from the metal slats. Plus if it freezes, ice can build up between the slats and cause issues opening. The canister is much, much smaller on the RNL vs the Retrax which is a huge plus.

I did consider the Lomax but decided against it because it doesn't lock.

I know this was long but wanted to give my opinions and a decent review. If you have any other questions on either the Retrax or the Roll N' Lock, let me know.

Thank you so much for all the details. The more the merrier, so I'm all ears on anything else you have to say.

Your comment about leaking through slats is exactly what I'm worried about with the aluminum slat models. I don't care if they have a warranty, because it would still be a PITA, and might not help, as you discovered. I will say I like the idea that the aluminum versions are stronger. Not that I plan on carrying stuff on top, just nice to know they are strong. But, I care more about being able to carry stuff in my bed without worrying about it being rained on, more than I care about the cover being able to bear 300 lbs. of weight.

On the other hand, I'm also concerned with how well the vinyl of the Roll n Lock M series will hold up to the elements. I have a bass boat I bought new in 1998 and the vinyl upholstery is still perfect, BUT when it's not on the water it's in my garage. It's one thing to be out in blazing summer sun on the water, but another thing to be on dirty streets all the time. I can't help but wonder how bad my boat vinyl would look if I towed it everyday, day in and day out on streets with dirt, grime, oil, grease and more shooting up from the road onto it. That said, how long have you had the Roll n Lock M on your truck now? Any thoughts or experiences you want to share on the vinyl durability?

I was actually starting to think maybe it would be better to go with a tri-fold (less hinges to worry about leaking through), but when I see how much the rail weatherstrip and between-panel weatherstrip/hinge get bent in half I was wondering how long it would take for them to get compromised. And, based on your experience, sounds like tri-fold "hinges" can leak just as bad as aluminum slat "hinges". And, if a tri-fold does leak at the hingers, does water not only leak in the center of the bed, does water get INSIDE the panels between top and bottom sheeting? I'm sure some folks would ask how much I would be opening and closing it to wear out the rubber, but I imagine the more it's opened and closed, the better for the rubber not to get stiff, I don't know. But, then I also wonder if over time the weight of flipping the lids will take their toll on all the materials, and over time be hard on my wrists, too, when opening from the sides of the truck.

Your experience is indeed helpful to me, especially since you got to try both Retrax versions. If the lexan version was better against water intrusion, given the single sheet, did you only go Roll n Lock this time because the canister is smaller? What are your thoughts between the Retrax lexan material vs. the Roll n Lock M's vinyl over aluminum? Also, what about rattling of these retractables, whether aluminum or not... are they noisy when driving dow the road?

I do like the theory of being able to lock the Retrax in any open position. Do you miss that feature? How many partial open positions does the Roll n Lock have, 2 or 3? And, have they been useful at all, or do you wish you had more? Anyway to mod the track to make more?

Also, it looks like if you want to remove either canister cover, the Retrax is basically only 4 clamps, whereas with the Roll n Lock, you have to dismantle everything. Is that right? Or, do you think it would be so unwieldy either way, I shouldn't even consider that aspect when making my decision?

Sorry for all the questions, but covers have gotten SO expensive recently I hope you understand that I want to make the most informed purchase I can to help ensure that I only "buy once and cry once".

BTW, it looks like it's time to update your profile (still shows your 2008, but not your 2022.5 Refresh).

Edited February 19 by MrLeadFoot

calgator73 · February 20

Check out BAK Revolver X4s. It has the aluminum slats, covered in vinyl so no leaks and fits tightly to the locking tailgate which minimizes the odds of someone easily getting in. I've been using this and the predecessor since 2015. Just use 303 to keep it looking good.

MrLeadFoot · February 20

54 minutes ago, calgator73 said:

Check out BAK Revolver X4s. It has the aluminum slats, covered in vinyl so no leaks and fits tightly to the locking tailgate which minimizes the odds of someone easily getting in. I've been using this and the predecessor since 2015. Just use 303 to keep it looking good.

How often do you have to 303 it? And, how long have they each lasted you?

GETGONE · February 20

Pictures of my bed after driving in heavy rain with a Retrax Pro MX. There's a few drips from the slats. The biggest issue is the front corners. I trimmed the rubber seal flap a bit too short so you can see at the front corners where the most water comes in. I should seal it with some black gasket sealer and it would stop the leaks. I didn't care about taking off the cover because I had a 6x12 enclosed trailer which I ended up selling.

ExYukon · February 21

I have a Retrax Pro MX on my 2023 Silverado. I started with a Peragon but sent it back because it leaked badly and my (short) wife could not open it. The Retrax also leaked a lot, at the corners and along both sides. I put up with it for a while, then made a cell phone video from inside with the cover closed, showing leaks coming through between the slats. I sent that to Retrax customer support, and then sent a new cover (and canister) very quickly. The new one is better. I do get some leakage at the sides but not enough to worry about. There is also leakage at the corners. I have added some sealant to the front corners but haven't licked the problem.

Another thing about the Retrax. I do sometimes use it partially opened. You should know that when the cover is locked in the fully closed position, the locking pins drop into a hole in the track. That's pretty secure. But when you lock it anywhere else, there is no hole, and it's possible to force the cover open by just pushing it. The cover won't open accidentally.

MrLeadFoot · February 21

22 hours ago, GETGONE said:

Pictures of my bed after driving in heavy rain with a Retrax Pro MX. There's a few drips from the slats. The biggest issue is the front corners. I trimmed the rubber seal flap a bit too short so you can see at the front corners where the most water comes in. I should seal it with some black gasket sealer and it would stop the leaks. I didn't care about taking off the cover because I had a 6x12 enclosed trailer which I ended up selling.

Thank you for replying. Pics always help.

I understand some drips in the corners and the sides, but since those run down the sides of the bed, if you have a mat or bedrug, the water should run under those and not soak into items you place directly under the cover, away from the sides of the bed. But, if a cover leaks in the middle, it almost seems like it's not worth even having the cover.

Are you saying you sold the trailer, and kept the top?

MrLeadFoot · February 21

12 hours ago, ExYukon said:

I have a Retrax Pro MX on my 2023 Silverado. I started with a Peragon but sent it back because it leaked badly and my (short) wife could not open it. The Retrax also leaked a lot, at the corners and along both sides. I put up with it for a while, then made a cell phone video from inside with the cover closed, showing leaks coming through between the slats. I sent that to Retrax customer support, and then sent a new cover (and canister) very quickly. The new one is better. I do get some leakage at the sides but not enough to worry about. There is also leakage at the corners. I have added some sealant to the front corners but haven't licked the problem.

Another thing about the Retrax. I do sometimes use it partially opened. You should know that when the cover is locked in the fully closed position, the locking pins drop into a hole in the track. That's pretty secure. But when you lock it anywhere else, there is no hole, and it's possible to force the cover open by just pushing it. The cover won't open accidentally.

That sounds like GREAT customer service. Did you originally buy it directly from them? Also, does the new one leak between the slats?

Thanks for the note about the stopping point. So, there marketing videos that show furniture being held in place at the "variable" stopping points isn't quite accurate, and something could shift. Perhaps Roll n Lock is better in that way, being that their latches actually engage at the preset stopping points?

Speaking of which, does anyone have pics of the stopping points on a Roll n Lock?

ExYukon · February 22

I live in Colorado but have a wintertime gig in Texas. I got the cover from a dealer in Texas. I was back in Colorado when I identified the leaky slats. At that point I dealt directly with the Retrax corporate customer support people.

GETGONE · February 22

14 hours ago, MrLeadFoot said:

Are you saying you sold the trailer, and kept the top?

Unfortunately I got laid off last year and sold the trailer as it was easy to sell and actually made money on it. I love the tonneau and wouldn't sell it unless I was getting rid of the truck.

MrLeadFoot · February 22

12 hours ago, GETGONE said:

Unfortunately I got laid off last year and sold the trailer as it was easy to sell and actually made money on it. I love the tonneau and wouldn't sell it unless I was getting rid of the truck.

So, even though it leaks through the slats you still love it?

GETGONE · February 22

It BARELY drips through the slats. The front corners are where it leaks most just because I haven't tried to seal it well. The butyl I had was old and isn't as pliable and sticky as it should be.