Retrax From Group Buy On Its Way!!!!!

[2DMaxx!!]

Originally Posted by Scarpa

Installed mine today. I'll get pictures if interested but it looks no different than Maxx's only on truck in Phantom Gray with boring wheels.

It takes about 45 minutes to wrestle with the boxes and do a quick read over the instructions stare at stuff deciding whether today would be a good day for this, etc. and another 30 to 45 to actual install it. You would have to be grossly incompetent to take more than 2 hours. It took me 4. Of course some of that was spent going to Home Depot to buy a T-40 torx head to remove the front two tie-down brackets that actually didn't need to be removed and other mis-adventures - for instance, they left out one of the machine screws that has the nice black hat on it. I didn't read the instructions carefully and didn't know that the long red wire had to be removed. It took me a good 30 minutes to get the red protective film off of the drum/roller thing. Homer Simpson could have managed better.

I did it by myself. I put a narrow (1 1/2 foot wide) motorcycle ramp across the front of my truck bed, placed the big rolling unit on that. Then I installed the three rails, lifted up the assembled unit, kicked the ramp off the bed and set the Big Unit back down. No problem. Kind of brilliant of me.

Now I'm going to take it all back off and get the Line-X sprayed in next week. Should take about 10 minutes to take it back off and 3 hours wondering where to store it. Kind of retarded don't ya think.

Here is the most retarded thing of all, I bought this truck to haul motorcycles and now I've bought this Retrax thing and won't be able to fit the bikes in. Dooh! Maybe I should have researched that a little bit first do ya think. I'm going to decide whether to keep it or not after living with it for a while. It looks great and is real functional otherwise.

Sorry for the long post.

Wow! Everything Scarpa said was exactly like me. I happened to have the torx and removed the front tie downs. I also plan to hall my motorcycle across 3 states next week and will be removing the cover for that. I won't hall my motorcycle very often so the rest of the time the cover will be excellent for the lake.

[illinois524]

Pete--- I didn't receive my cover today and was wondering if you had all the tracking numbers or just your number? Thanks Larry

[pistolpete]

Originally Posted by illinois524

Pete--- I didn't receive my cover today and was wondering if you had all the tracking numbers or just your number? Thanks Larry

Larry,

Sorry for the late response I spent all weekend putting in a sliding glass door in the house! wow what a chore by myself!!!....anyway to answer your question I only have my tracking number....Ed from truckgadgets had sent it to me in an email...I recieved mine last Thursday May 20th....I haven't put it on because I am getting Line-X july10 but may just bend and put it in for a month....need to go to a worksite with alot of tools and would want to be able to lock up the bed....give Ed a call if you still havent received your cover and ask for the tracking number.

[bmann]

I got my cover last Thursday!! It has rained here in Maine almost all week so I was not able to install it. We had a break in the weather yesterday (It 's raining again today, and I was going to install it. I opened the box w/ the canister everything OK. I then open the box w/ the rails and one rail had pit spots in one place and the other the paint was scuffed bad in one place (very disappointed :cry: :cry: ). So I called Truckgadgets. They are a good company to deal with. Talked to Sonia she called Retrax. I then talked to Ed after who was very apologetic about it and he told me to call Retrax. I called Retrax from work and talked to Randy who had just left a message at my house to call him. They are going to ship me new rails and will have the others picked up and returned. He said he wants to look at them and find out who sent them to me that way. I believe that the are tring to be very particular about there Quality control. He assured me that this will be at no cost to me and he apoligized for the problem. I will not get my new rails until the end of next week. I guess I will have to go fishing this weekend.
I will post some pics when I get it done. I will keep you posted.

6/16 still waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again pete for setting this up.
Bill

[bmann]

Well,
It is know 3 weeks to the day that I spoke with Retrax, and They haven't even shipped out my new rails yet!!!! I was told that they would be shipped from another supplier today. I will have to wait another week to get them! They made some fuss about the stake pocket cutouts and what a pain they are to do and wish that they would do away with them.

I am not impressed.

We will what and see..
Thanks for letting me vent.

[pistolpete]

Originally Posted by bmann

Well,
It is know 3 weeks to the day that I spoke with Retrax, and They haven't even shipped out my new rails yet!!!! I was told that they would be shipped from another supplier today. I will have to wait another week to get them! They made some fuss about the stake pocket cutouts and what a pain they are to do and wish that they would do away with them.
I am not impressed.
We will what and see..
Thanks for letting me vent.

Bmann,

sorry to hear of your trial and tribulations :cry: but am glad to see that originally Ed from turckgadgets and Randy from Retrax were so helpful and cooperative....is it just the cutting of the stake pockets that is holding it up?...do they have a separate manufacuring process for ones with cutouts?...I was told you could do the cutouts yourself with a rotozip....this is what I am going to do. One reason was to save the money and the second was to get it on the truck first and then cut the pockets so as to get them as precisely fit to MY pockets as possible....unfortunately I haven't been able to enjoy mine yet either (still in the garage) because I am waiting for my Line-X appointment July 10th in PA. I really hope Retrax comes thru for you on this...maybe you could get Randy to compensate you on the stake pocket cut-outs and the lock cover??? Its worth a try....let me know how it comes out and let him know that thousands of TS'ers on here are watching closely at his customer service (which could be the difference between big business for him in the future or a bad rap for life!)

[rjz101]

Pistol Pete,

I purchased my Retrax before the group buy and got it with the stake pocket cut outs. I think you're on the right track when you say you're concerned about getting them to fix exactly. Mine were cut so exactly that the 1/8" or so thick tail gate protector shifted them ahead just enough so that they didn't center perfectly on my stake pockets. I still need to to a slight modification to give me back a bit of clearance.

I also noticed that the outside rear edge of the rail has a much smaller radius than the bed rails making it stick out slightly. Another small modification would be required if I ever get my nerve up to try it.

[todabnrn]

How are you all liking your retrax cover? Im looking at purchasing a "roll type" cover for my double cab. So far Ive narrowed it down to retrax and the "jack rabbit" cover. Are you all satisfied with your covers? Any problems with road noise, vibration, poor fit ect....

thanks for any information

[illinois524]

Originally Posted by bmann

Well,
It is know 3 weeks to the day that I spoke with Retrax, and They haven't even shipped out my new rails yet!!!! I was told that they would be shipped from another supplier today. I will have to wait another week to get them! They made some fuss about the stake pocket cutouts and what a pain they are to do and wish that they would do away with them.

I am not impressed.

We will what and see..
Thanks for letting me vent.

bmann---I've had a delay in my shipment too because I only wanted the front stake pockets cutout and apparently nobody has ever asked for that before so they didn't know what to do. Something about only 1 person knew how to do that and he was on vacation. They have finally been shipped and should receive them in the next couple of days all be it well after everybody else got their's. How could asking for 2 cutouts vs. 4 be such a mind blower for this company? What's to figure out???????????????? Hope mine at least come in with no problem on them. Sonia at truckgagets was great about finding out what was going on with my order. I'll keep my fingers crossed. LARRY

[pistolpete]

Guys, my feeling is that Retrax is probably having a hard time securing a Tundra DC to fit the rails so that they know where to make the cut or are in the process of making the cutting dies or figuring the geometry for the cut for future sales....because like you all said it's not that hard to slap it on the truck and rotozip the pocket out....therefore they must be doing a more invovlved process or don't know where to cut it exactly....see another TS'ers post about his being 1/8" off....these need to be EXACT to work...thats why I think it is best for the consumer to have it done or do it himself after the cover is installed.

Anyway I feel you pain and hope all works out...I received mine some time ago but its sitting in the garage because I am waiting for my Line-X appointment scheduled for July 10th...didn't want to put it on for a few weeks then have to take the whole thing back off!! This waiting and anticipation is killing me though!!!

[rjz101]

Originally Posted by todabnrn

How are you all liking your retrax cover? Im looking at purchasing a "roll type" cover for my double cab. So far Ive narrowed it down to retrax and the "jack rabbit" cover. Are you all satisfied with your covers? Any problems with road noise, vibration, poor fit ect....

thanks for any information

I've had both the JackRabbit and the Retrax on my DC. Compare the two closely, there are a number of differences that may appear insignificant at first but become more apparent over time. I'm very happy with my Retrax.

[bmann]

Mine is not a DC it is an Access Cab.
I am still waiting for my new rails.
I am about ready to tell them to take them back.
I also e-mailed Frank at Truckgadgets. no reply
I am very frustrated at the low level of service that I have received.
Bmann

[pistolpete]

Originally Posted by rjz101

I've had both the JackRabbit and the Retrax on my DC. Compare the two closely, there are a number of differences that may appear insignificant at first but become more apparent over time. I'm very happy with my Retrax.

RJZ101- For those out there considering RETRAX or any cover....care to elaborate on the differences that may appear insignificant but are not???? (I'd like to know also although it is irrelavant at the moment as I already have the retrax sitting in a box in my garage waiting for install after my Line-X in two weeks

[rjz101]

Pete,

I didn’t want to enumerate the differences to be labeled a basher of one particular brand or sound like a salesman for the other but for the good of fellow TS’ers who’ve been so helpful to me in the past, here goes:

To protect the innocent, I’ll refer to them as “Cover A” and “Cover B” and let you figure out which is which.

The first thing you notice about the two is that cover A is constructed of vinyl laminated around support bars. The vinyl looks OK when new, not sure how it will hold up over time or how much maintenance would be required. Cover B is made of polycarbonate molded around support bars. It has a semi-gloss appearance and I wasn’t too sure if I would like the look. Now that I’ve seen it on my truck, I like the look. I don’t know how it will hold up over time but you’re supposed to care for it the same way you would your hood.

When I first got Cover A on I was surprised at how much it bounced in the wind at highway speeds. As a matter of fact, within the first 5 miles it bounced so much that the latch came undone and the cover rolled part-way open when driving down the highway - not cool. In comparison, Cover B vibrates more than I thought it would but it is still much more stable than Cover A.

There is also a difference in the way the two seal at the tailgate that may affect the stability. Cover A has a rubber astragal that butts up against the vertical wall of the tailgate. It counts on the weatherstripping to provide a water-tight seal. This arrangement results in two deficiencies, IMO. There is no vertical support given by the tailgate which reduces the stability and doesn’t help the bouncing problem. Also, any rain that falls on the cover while moving is channeled back to the tailgate where, if the seal is tight enough, it flows out to the side rails and has to somehow make the trip to the front of the rails, into the canister and down through the drain tubes.

In comparison, Cover B has a rigid edge with a small lip that protrudes over the top edge of the tailgate. This design allows the edge to be supported by the tailgate so it cannot move up and down. Also, the edge seems to be of sturdier construction, again, helping with stablility. With this design, rainwater simply runs off the back of the cover. Another subtle difference is that with Cover A you are supposed to open the cover slightly when closing the tailgate so that it doesn’t slam into the edge and cause damage to the latch or cover. With Cover B, you can close the tailgate with the cover closed since it isn’t a compression fit.

Another difference is that Cover B has roller bearings on the ends of the support rods. Cover B is less prone to twisting (because of the stiffer material), this allows you to open and close the cover from the side. Cover A had a nylon strap that ran from the middle of the edge of the cover to the tailgate area. To close the cover, you had to pull on the strap. As a side benefit, when the cover came loose or was left open, this strap would dance in the wind in your rear-view mirror.

Also, cover A rolled up into the canister much like a vinyl shade. This meant that the surfaces would contact each other inside the canister and could scuff each other. Cover B’s support rods follow a spiral track inside the canister which keeps the surfaces from contacting each other. This is probably more critical with this cover since the polycarbonate would probably show scuffs more than the vinyl. Also, since the cover is made of a stiffer material, it is probably necessary to guide the cover into the canister and make it curve into a roll. I do have to say that sometimes Cover B can be a bit stiff to get started unrolling.

Cover A could be locked in a number of positions determined by cut-outs in the rails. They were evenly spaced about a foot apart. The lock mechanism was relatively cheap and would bind. After a few weeks, it failed and I could not lock or even latch the cover in any position. So, for two weeks, I resisted the temptation to remove cover A and watched the nylon strap dance in my rear-view mirror as the cover slid back and forth as it pleased and I waited impatiently for cover B to arrive.

Cover B can be locked in *ANY* position and the lock mechanism seems much more substantial and a nice flush fit. The upgraded lock mechanism was an extra cost add-on. I’m not sure what you get without it. Also, with the differences between how the two covers seal at the tailgate, cover B seems to be much more secure as you could probably push Cover A far enough down to unlatch it.

One of the nice features about cover A was that it had a bed light under the cover, although I didn’t care for the installer’s wiring job. The light may or may not be useful to you, I didn’t really use it.

That’s all that I can think of right now. IMHO, there really is quite a difference between the two.

A couple of general observations on the Retrax now that I’ve had it a bit longer:

I’m surprised at how much dust gathers inside the closed cover. I only drive on about 3 miles of gravel each day on my way to work but everything in the back is coated with dust. I haven’t observed how well it keeps out water.

When I roll down my back window, and drive slowly through a rough parking lot, I hear rattling and squeaking noises. I haven’t had a chance to sit it the back and observe while someone else drives so I can’t determine whether it’s coming from the rear window of my truck or the Retrax canister shifting in the back. Maybe someone else without a cover could chime in as to whether they hear these noises with their window down. Partially or fully down doesn’t seem to make a difference.

I did get the stake pocket cut-outs with my Retrax. They were cut so closely to the size of the pocket cut-outs on my truck’s rail covers that there was zero room for moving the rails forward or backward without covering up part of the rail cover cut-out. This wouldn’t be a concern except that, when installed according to the instructions with a small gap between the tailgate and the back of the rails, the rails where shifted ahead and misaligned by about 1/8”. My guess is that they didn’t allow for the thickness of the plastic tailgate edge protector on my truck.

Another tiny beef is that the radius of the outside rear edge of the rails doesn’t match that of my truck so there is a small lip that protrudes a bit. I'd rather live with it than risk messing it up with a grinder.

Sorry this got so long, but I thought it would be in line with the wealth of information I get from this site.

[twism89484]

Sorry for sounding so dumb but can someone tell me what a Retrax cover is? Is it your normal Hard cover for the bed?