Prybar
Full Access Member
So, after much waiting and phone calls with Morrie at the Bak Factory Outlet, I finally got a Bak Flip VP for the Raptor. The VP is very similar in design to the F1 and Fibermax covers in that it is a hard cover with aluminum panels that latch separately and each hinge back allowing the cover to be closed, partially open, or open all the way and propped against the truck cab. The main difference is that the VP is covered with a single piece of quality vinyl that makes the cover look like a standard soft cover on the outside. There are a couple of other benefits as well. It is much more waterproof than the other hard folding designs because there are no exposed hinges to channel water to the rails and drains. It is lighter than the others because it doesn’t need the aluminum framework to support the hinges in between each panel as the vinyl acts as the hinge material as well. And finally, it has a better price point than the F1 or Fibermax due to the reduction in materials cost and ease of assembly.
Now, I picked the VP over the others because of all of the benefits above. I nearly went with the Roll-X design due to the looks, waterproof ness, and price point but The Roll-X is not designed to take any weight on top. I specifically wanted to be able to fold the cover partially up and sit on it to change clothes when going on trips to fish, hunt, ride, etc. After the install I am confident that the VP was the right choice for me. It is worth noting that I bit the bullet and decided to go ahead and have the bed Rhino –lined prior to the VP install. I deliberated about this for a while simply because I don’t plan to use the Raptor to haul construction debris, gravel, etc. that would really mess up the bed but I wanted the non-slip benefits and I just like the way it stays looking good so I tuned out my pockets and went for it! Super happy I did. It turned out great!
The unit arrived very well packed and surrounded by these formed foam-in-a-bag deals. Pretty slick!
The install is straight forward and has been covered before so I won’t go into much detail with most of it. Install the weather stripping on the front rail of the bed if you don’t have a plastic liner. Rails install first, slide them all the way forward and down tight with the bed caps.
Notice that the clamps and rails have “teeth” that mate up. Position the clamp as far up on the rail as you can while still having the “teeth” mate up correctly. I suspect those that have had problems with the clamps rotating while tightening them have not been lining the teeth up.
Install the rest of the cover just as described in the instructions. Take your time and make sure it lines up well. I did, and mine opens and shuts like a dream. Solid, yet very easily. Don’t forget the little rubber snubbers that apply to the inside of the panel that contacts the window molding when the cover is folded up against the cab.
I used a heat gun to gently heat the outer seal so that all of the lips met with the bed rails nicely and it really went fast and helped get the “kinks” out of the seal after being folded up in the box for so long. If I lived in Vegas I imagine a day in the sun would do the same but in fall in Alaska…not so much.
Here are a couple of finished pics. The rails have spots for drain tubes and the tubes are included but I elected to give it a shot first and see how waterproof it is without them installed. So far so good! It has been raining and blowing like hell here and the bed has stayed bone dry. I’ll update after I have a couple weeks with it on but so far, this is some of the best money I have spent on the truck!
Thanks again to Morrie at Bak Factory Outlet who poked the guys at the factory with a stick until they finally produced one for me!
Now, I picked the VP over the others because of all of the benefits above. I nearly went with the Roll-X design due to the looks, waterproof ness, and price point but The Roll-X is not designed to take any weight on top. I specifically wanted to be able to fold the cover partially up and sit on it to change clothes when going on trips to fish, hunt, ride, etc. After the install I am confident that the VP was the right choice for me. It is worth noting that I bit the bullet and decided to go ahead and have the bed Rhino –lined prior to the VP install. I deliberated about this for a while simply because I don’t plan to use the Raptor to haul construction debris, gravel, etc. that would really mess up the bed but I wanted the non-slip benefits and I just like the way it stays looking good so I tuned out my pockets and went for it! Super happy I did. It turned out great!
The unit arrived very well packed and surrounded by these formed foam-in-a-bag deals. Pretty slick!
The install is straight forward and has been covered before so I won’t go into much detail with most of it. Install the weather stripping on the front rail of the bed if you don’t have a plastic liner. Rails install first, slide them all the way forward and down tight with the bed caps.
Notice that the clamps and rails have “teeth” that mate up. Position the clamp as far up on the rail as you can while still having the “teeth” mate up correctly. I suspect those that have had problems with the clamps rotating while tightening them have not been lining the teeth up.
Install the rest of the cover just as described in the instructions. Take your time and make sure it lines up well. I did, and mine opens and shuts like a dream. Solid, yet very easily. Don’t forget the little rubber snubbers that apply to the inside of the panel that contacts the window molding when the cover is folded up against the cab.
I used a heat gun to gently heat the outer seal so that all of the lips met with the bed rails nicely and it really went fast and helped get the “kinks” out of the seal after being folded up in the box for so long. If I lived in Vegas I imagine a day in the sun would do the same but in fall in Alaska…not so much.
Here are a couple of finished pics. The rails have spots for drain tubes and the tubes are included but I elected to give it a shot first and see how waterproof it is without them installed. So far so good! It has been raining and blowing like hell here and the bed has stayed bone dry. I’ll update after I have a couple weeks with it on but so far, this is some of the best money I have spent on the truck!
Thanks again to Morrie at Bak Factory Outlet who poked the guys at the factory with a stick until they finally produced one for me!
Looks really clean!!
My thoughts exactly. Looks great.
