Truxedo Titanium Tonneau Cover Review (Performance Reinforced by Aluminum)

When we think about the roll-up tonneau covers, the first thing that crosses our minds is probably soft. After all, these are entry-level units designed to provide basic protection against damage, water, and dust. So, the manufacturer usually makes them from soft, affordable materials like water-resistant canvas or vinyl.

Truxedo Titanium Review (Performance Reinforced by Aluminum)

However, from time to time, there comes a product trying to prove that this market segment doesn’t have to be that simple and boring.

You see, the main problem of soft roll-up covers is their durability. Even the strongest vinyl covers of this type can tear apart. Even the strongest of them do a pretty poor job dealing with ponding and excessive layers of snow.

The people from Truxedo tried to shake things up by ditching the tried and true canvas with genuine heavy-duty aluminum slats. This addition, of course, had its effects on the price of the product.

So, let us go through this Truxedo Titanium review and see if this price is genuinely warranted.

Highlights Review of Truxedo Titanium Tonneau Cover

The Materials

The product that dares to call itself “Titanium” has to be all about durability, right? Well, the people from Truxedo aren’t even trying to hide the fact that muscles are the main selling point of their product.

So, what can we find in this neat package?

For a start, a set of heavy-duty aluminum slats that are in the spotlight of every commercial this product ever got. Fortunately, this feature is not merely an expensive gimmick, and the addition of aluminum in the mix does live up to the hype.

As I mentioned in the introduction, weight support and durability are the Achilles heel of every soft roll-up cover. Aluminum solves this problem in an instant without adding too much weight to your car. When I was testing the unit, I abused the material with anything that can be found in nature (small stones, branches, etc.), and I wasn’t able to tear through the cover. Kudos for that.

Of course, the aluminum slats are not standing there exposed to the sun and elements. The whole setup is wrapped up in a superior-grade, leather-grain fabric that is resistant to water and UV rays. And if that is not enough, you get the pleasant matte finish that keeps the scratches safely away.

As for the rails and the mounting mechanism, by now, I got the impression that is something Truxedo will never quite nail. They are always functional but never durable enough to call them heavy-duty. If tightened too strong, the clamps can bend or break.

You may also be interested to read on  10 Best Truck Bed Mats Reviewed - Top Choices For Ultimate Protection

That is something I could easily forgive in the case of the cheaper unit, but the price that hangs on this package makes me far less inclined to look away from problems.

Truxedo Titanium 979601 Titanium Hard Roll-Up Tonneau Cover

Truxedo Titanium 979601 Titanium Hard Roll-Up Tonneau Cover

Product highlights:

  • Fits 2000-2017 Ford F-250/F-350/F-450 Super Duty 8′ Bed
    Fast and Simple Installation
  • Durable and Solid: Strong, lightweight aluminum slats provide a 400 pound load rating
  • Ultimate Security: Simply close your cover and lock your tailgate
  • Integrated Slat Caps: Slat caps offer a cool-to-the-touch operating point
  • Heavy-duty aluminum slats covered with UV-resistant, superior-grade, leather-grain fabric
  • Simple installation

The Design

Let’s get one thing straight from the get-go – Truxedo Titanium is one incredibly good-looking piece of automotive equipment.

All of you who want to preserve the aerodynamic lines of your vehicle and save some fuel in the process will be glad to know that, in spite of being made from aluminum slats, the cover features that famous Truxedo low profile design. When installed on the vehicle, the unit sits just 3/4-inch above the frame of the bed, which is simply awesome.

Put this thing on, take a look at the vehicle, and you will get the impression the cover came off the factory line together with the truck.

However, the inclusion of aluminum parts does produce one issue in this regard. Namely, without an efficient tension system or the ability to stretch the fabric across the bed frame, the adjustment options are pretty limited.

In other words – if the dimensions of the cover don’t fit the sizes of the bed from the out of the box, you will be able to do very little to mitigate the problem. But that’s the price you pay for getting stronger protection.

In terms of overall visual appearance, Truxedo Titanium is a pure joy to look at. Aside from creating a durable scratch-resistant surface, the leather-grain black matte layer also makes one incredibly stunning visual impression. No matter what type of truck you are driving, this unit will complement and even improve its look without breaking a sweat.

Truxedo Titanium Roll-up Truck Bed Cover 971801

Truxedo Titanium Roll-up Truck Bed Cover 971801

Product highlights:

  • Heavy-duty aluminum
  • Simple installation
  • Quick Release System
  • Mounts to the inside of the truck bed without blocking stake pocket holes using our signature low-profile design
  • Made in the USA

Ease of Use

Ease of use is one of the areas where aluminum roll-up covers probably take the greatest hit. Working with fabrics like vinyl is straightforward – rolling them up and securing at the head of the bed takes no more than a couple of seconds.

Aluminum slats are trading that convenience for the added durability and the false sense of security (the bed is just as easy to break in as if you used the softcover). Don’t get me wrong, rolling and unrolling the slats is not that hard or troublesome, but the experience definitely falls more on the clunky side.

Furthermore, the sliding plastic latches that are keeping the cover attached to the tailgate require an unusual amount of strength to be opened, while any piece of debris that finds itself stuck between the slats makes rolling and unrolling unnecessarily hard.

Once again, all these things are not as horrifying as they sound, but they can be more than annoying in the long run.

Fortunately, the whole thing is effortless to install. As mentioned, the unit uses the simple C-clamps to keep the side rails mounted to the bed. That means no drilling and no painful corrections. But, you need to make sure that the rails are perfectly leveled, or you won’t be able to attach the cover.

If you make any mistake, the intuitive, quick-release system will help you unmount the unit in a matter of seconds and allow you another try.

Overall – not bad, but it could’ve been better.

Truxedo Titanium 988801 Titanium Hard Roll-Up Tonneau Cover

Truxedo Titanium 988801 Titanium Hard Roll-Up Tonneau Cover

Product highlights:

  • Fits 2016-2017 Nissan Titan 6.5′ Bed with or without Track System
    Fast
  • Durable and Solid: Strong, lightweight aluminum slats provide a 400 pound load rating
  • Ultimate Security: Simply close your cover and lock your tailgate
  • Integrated Slat Caps
  • Heavy-duty aluminum slats covered with UV-resistant, superior-grade, leather-grain fabric
  • Simple installation

Performance

Last but not least, let’s see how Truxedo Titanium behaves in genuine outdoor conditions.

Before we delve into the details, let me get one thing off the table first – no bed cover is completely impenetrable. This one is no exception. But, what’s most important is that the water that finds its way is far from excessive. Also, I was able to breach the defenses only when I drove the truck in the heaviest of rainstorms or put the vehicle through an automated car wash.

So, the slight traces of humidity at the bottom of the bed are to be expected.

The problem that is far more worth talking about is the water that collects into the mounting mechanism. Sure, the Velcro straps do an incredible job of keeping the bed sealed and cover firmly in place.

But, the low profile units, even if they are top-mount, don’t really have an efficient way of draining the water that collects at the top. So, the humidity inevitably finds its way into the small breaches and stays there. The silver lining is that ponding can’t truly damage the very cover since the aluminum slats are more than capable of supporting the weight.

That brings us to physical protection. In this regard, Truxedo Titanium can easily stand toe to toe with far more expensive solid tri-fold units. Sure, aluminum slats have their breaking point, but you really won’t be able to find it without applying a conscious force.

As for the supposed anti-theft protection, don’t pay attention to it – a regular crowbar opens this unit up just as easily as standard vinyl.

See related article: Best Tonneau Covers 2020: Top 17 Highest Rated Truck Bed Covers Reviews 

Pros

  • Beautiful and functional low profile design
  • Excellent physical protection
  • The level of water that passes through is at the bare minimum
  • Easy to install
  • Handles weight pretty good
  • Industrial-grade Velcro straps take care of the sealing
  • Scratch-resistant leather-grain black matte surface
  • The heavy-duty aluminum slats make all the difference in the world
  • No drilling required
  • Quick-release mechanism

Cons

  • The aluminum slats are not as easy to roll al vinyl
  • A bit too pricey for a roll-up cover
  • The side rails need to be perfectly leveled
  • The water tends to gather in the mounting mechanism
  • C-clamps could be better

Conclusion

So, to the very end, let me shortly sum up my thoughts about Truxedo Titanium. This company is known for a series of quality roll-up tonneau covers that manage to provide an excellent level of protection in spite of some of the inherent drawbacks.

Titanium is definitely one of those products, and the aluminum slats probably push the roll-up covers the furthest they can go. However, the cover has some issues that are hard to ignore in the ease of use department. At this price point, these shortcomings are hard to overlook.

You may also be interested to read on  6 Best Tonneau Covers For Ford F150 In 2023 - Get The Best Truck Bed Cover Money Can Buy

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Secured By miniOrange