Review of Pace Edwards Bedlocker Tonneau

[C-Kwik]

After a couple of years of having a Bakflip cover, I decided it wasn't suited to my needs as well as I hoped. Here's my take on that cover:

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I decided to upgrade to a Pace Edwards Bedlocker. Its basically an electronically operated retractable aluminum cover. It takes up a bit more bed space, but I had some to spare if I kept the tailgate down even when I hauled some motorcycles so its not a big deal for my use. One of the big problems with the BakFlip for me was that I could not see my cargo if the tonneau was completely open. So I decided on a retractable. I considered the Jackrabbit, which is a manual version of the one I got, but since my mom borrows the truck to haul stuff often, I didn't want her to struggle with it.

Installation is pretty straightforward. Though, the company I ordered it through had old part numbers or something so I kept getting the wrong clamps. I was referred directly to the manufacturer and apparently, I received the wrong canister (an older part they used to use for the Titan?). In my haste when I got the cover in, I already removed the old cover and put this one on and it fit fine, except for the clamps not working with the Titan. I mocked up some clamps with what they sent, to hold it in place until the proper clamps arrived. Once they did, I got it installed and all is good. My Utili-track rails were already flipped upside down from my install of the BakFlip and I've confirmed it works. However, the clamps do need to be trimmed about a 1/4 inch to clear it. The cover can be mounted to the utilitrack rails directly with them right side up, but in that configuration, the cleats will not be easy to install and remove as it should and would take some space in the rails. So I left them upside down. It should also be noted that the Utili-Track Bed Extender is limited with this cover. As the canister takes up about the 1st 8 inches of the bed and the extender will not sit flat where the wheel wells are, the extender can only really stay near the rear of the bed (With the Bakflip, the extender could actually just slide in underneath the fixed panel of the cover allowing virtually all of the bed to be used). I found a used Bed Divider instead that can slide to any point in the open bed space with only about the last 8 inches being limited due to the bracket. It also can't extand the bed, but so far the only time I needed to drive with the tailgate down was with motorcycles. Since those get tied down anyways, there wasn't really a pressing need for me to have an extender. Ultimately, my hope is to end up with a folding motorcycle trailer though so I'll have virtually no need to haul motorcycles in the bed either.

I did however, do some custom work. The wiring is designed to be run all the way to the battery. I decided to run it to the accessory outlet on left rear of the bed instead. Not only did that save me the trouble of running the wiring out of the bed, it allowed me to wire in a manual switchbox nearby. The cover is designed to operate via remote controls that are provided. There are provisions for a manual switch, but the lowest price I've seen for them were about $40. Some quick testing revealed each of the 2 leads for the manual switch corresponds to open or close and only needs a momentary ground signal to the appropriate lead. So I simply bought a simple momentary on-off-on switch and wired it accordingly. The canister also has a light built into it, but that operates with a specific command from the remote. The controller is mounted externally on the canister though, so I only needed to find the appropriate wire and wire in a switched +12V source. I used a push on-push off switch to operate it. Both switches were mounted into a small hobby box and mounted against the inner bed near the power outlet. Additionally, the remotes work off of a rolling code that is similar to a garage door opener. So I was able to program 2 buttons for the Homelink system to operate the cover from within the cab. I don't see a lot of use for these buttons, but I had 2 buttons to spare.

I also ordered the cover with their optional Explorer Rails. These basically provide a channel on top of the bed caps for a roof rack system. Just so people know, these rails are made of aluminum and are super robust. Consequently, I also purchased a set of Thule roof racks along with a couple of Thule Criterium Bike Carriers. Another FYI is that the channels fit the Thule TK1 foots. I had a hard time finding that information. I've seen marketting info say that Yakima racks will fit as well, but the rack shop could not get the yakima hardware to fit. I also looked into Inno rack hardware, and although the company is rather small in the States, their attempts to help me determine if one of their racks would work was exceptional. The rack shop was also a dealer for Inno and they were pretty certain it wouldn't work. Unfortunately, they could not show me as they did not have the system in stock at the time. Too bad. I liked the look of the Inno hardware and they were significantly cheaper.

I'm really liking the bed cover though. Unlike the BakFlip which required me to open the rear panel to close the tailgate, this allows me to close it with the cover open or closed. It can be open to any position between fully open and fully closed. Its only downside is that its not completely water proof. Recent rain only showed small signs of leaking at the tailgate, but a trip to the carwash showed that a lot of water can force its water around the rails. The car wash guy was using the mitt with the handle to wash the top of the cover but was trying to do so as it was going uner the rinse sprayers. He pulled a bunch of water to the rail and that got some water around the edge of the cover. But that's certainly not going to be a common situation. The caniseter can take on water, but there are drain tubes installed that route water out of the bed.

I was originally going to plan on designing a bike carrier and/or roof rack system to install in the utilitrack rails to carry the bikes in bed. But when I saw this cover with the optional rail system, it negated the need altogether. Not to mention, I can still store and lock stuff in the bed. I could probably add 2 more carriers if I wanted, but for the most part, I only need 2. I do plan to take friends along occassionally so I still have my hitch mounted carrier for that if needed.

Now onto the important stuff; pics!











The switchbox.







The Thule Criterium.





Pics with a bike mounted to the rack. I had heard some complaints about the rack in reviews where the front wheel tends to wobble a lot while driving. I used it this weekend and it remained rock solid. Not sure if the cab defelcts the wind enbough to prevent it though. But there are straps that hold the wheel down and I would think that would prevent it from moving. Either way, the carrier is rock solid with my configuration and super easy to load and unload.

[Dano]

That is awesome! I'm so jealous Chano! Very, very cool setup!

[jEzTeR]

Nice set up!

[jeffl8]

So I just picked up a 2011 Ram 1500 with a Bedlocker and would rather use the HomeLink buttons. I have seen several blogs stating that they have done this but not how they did it. Would you happen to have some instructions on this or know where I can find instructions to program my HomeLink buttons to open/close my Bedlocker?