[rsmith0399]

I installed my new Retrax bed cover on my 2002 Tundra Extra Cab today.

I have a problem with the rear brackets that clamp to the rails. The brackets appear to be miss-matched because the moving jaw is too low compared to the fixed part of the bracket. This is making it almost impossible to tighten the bracket and make it secure.

I called Retrax and they said this was the correct bracket, but they also said they don't sell many for that old a model of Tundra.

Has anyone installed a Retrax on a similar Tundra? Did you have trouble with the brackets?

Thanks!

 

[spenser24]

Send a PM to 123gone, he does some install work.

 

[spenser24]

Hard to tell by your pix. I just went out and looked at mine. The shorter bracket clamps the Retrax frame (interior of bed) and the longer one clamps the truck bed frame (exterior as you face your tailgate). Looks like maybe the one on the right is screwed in backwards? Mine are two different sizes as well.

 

[123Gone]

The one on the right does not look right. Did you accidently strip the threads and thus bend the clamp? Did you send the picture to Retrax?

 

[rsmith0399]

The same picture was sent to Retrax. They said it looked fine. They said just to tighten it real tight. Sounds like b/s to me. Roll-n-lock clamps are much better!

 

[spenser24]

They always had great customer svc in the past. Ask for a new clamp. Each clamp has two 'grippers'. On mine, one of those gripper parts is shorter than the other for all sets and clamps just fine. The set in right side of your pic looks funky.

 

[123Gone]

Yea, call them back and talk to a different person. I suggest you talk to Anita.

 

[rsmith0399]

I went by the local truck accessory dealer and found out they sell generic clamps of all kinds and shapes. I test fit several of the clamps on my truck and found some that were pretty much the same as the ones sent with my Retrax except they were much heavier.

I ended up using the two large clamps from Retrax on the FRONT of the cover and the two clamps I purchased from the local dealer on the REAR of the cover. I also made shims to go behind the clamps that fit between the Retrax rail and the bed rail. These shims were 7/16" on the rear and 3/8" on the front clamps. This gave the clamps something to compress against and made a tight fit.

Still not satisfied, I modifed some old Roll-N-Lock clamps to secure the Retrax rails to the Bed rails. I drilled a hole in each location (4) of the Retrax bed rail and drilled and tapped a 1/4" hole to attach the clamp to the Retrax rail. These clamps hold the Retrax rail down to the bed rail. Should the Retrax clamps come loose, these clamps will prevent the cover from coming off.

My Opinion of Retrax and Roll-N-Lock -

I had a Roll-N-Lock for 4 years. I thought the rails were too thin. The paint was too thin. And the rolling mechanism was too weak. The clamps that hold the rails to the truck were MUCH better than the Retrax clamps.

The Retrax looks MUCH better on the truck. It is completely flat. The painted finish on the rails appears to be much thicker. The Retrax cover opens and closes much easier. No closing teather to get in the way. Much better rollers.
As I said, the clamps are terrible! I would not trust them without the modifications I made.

I have included some pictures of the clamps, shims, and modifed Roll-N-Lock clamp to help clarify the changes I made.

 

[rsmith0399]

 

[rsmith0399]

Picasa Web Albums - Ron - Retrax Install

 

[bigMoney]

Excellent work. Probably my next big investment. If you don't mind a couple of questions....is the top material tough? Can you stand on it? How thick is it? how well made is the rollup parts? Do they look like they will last more than a year? Are you satisfied? Can you recommend it?

 

[bgeorge]

I am going on year 6 with my retrax. It is in excellent shape! There are few scratches on the painted part but that is because I move large amounts of construction material. The plastic part is like new. I treat it with Plexus to keep it shiny.
It is very strong. I had no problems with the clamps.

 

[123Gone]

Retrax tip: Retrax recommends a non-abrasive wax for the powdercoated rails AND the Lexan curtain.

The powdercoated rails can fade over time, so wax it every so often. The Lexan curtain won't fade, but a layer of protection (wax) is probably a good thing. However, I'm not sure how easy it's going to be to buff all the wax out of the curtain.

The cover is rated for 200 pounds of weight, but personally, I would not stand on it. I do like Retrax covers, they look pretty darn good on a truck. :tu:

 

[rsmith0399]

My son-in-law has a Retrax that is about 3 years old. It still looks like new. About a year after he bought it, a two hundred pound sheet of ice fell from the top of his two story office building and landed on the Retrax cover. It crushed it! He called Retrax and let them know what happened. He was hoping he could order replacement parts. Instead, they sent him a complete new cover. No cost! They said they felt like the cover should have been strong enough to hold the ice. The cover was out of warrenty. He was so pleased he boxed up the damaged cover and sent it back so they could see where it had failed. Needless to say, he was pleased with their customer service! I'm not saying they would do this every time. But they went out of their way this time!

I would highly recommend the Retrax covers. The top and end panels of the rollup mechanism are Lexan. It is very tough! This is not to say it won't scratch! It will! But it should last a long time. Like I said, my only problem is with the clamps. They need to do some work on them! Hopefuly they will see this thread and look into the problem.

Ron

 

[spenser24]

Happy with mine. A few pics are in my TS gallery. Pistol Pete was my guiding adviser when I opted for the Retrax. He's got other pics as well.

 

[TundraBear]

I bought my retrax one from 123Gone in 2007 with only 300 miles on the ODO and it has held up very well. The lexan started cracking about 2 years ago after getting into an accident but I just used some black gorilla tape. Time has taken its toll and the whole cover is now shot to pieces! Retrax will send me a new replacement rolltop for about $400. Interestingly enough though, all 4 of the brackets I have are the ones pictured on the right side of rsmith0399's original image. No real installation problems and a little bit of leaking from time to time, but after the next installation, I'm going to use some silicone as rubber foam is too thick and negates the whole flat seamless look. Should I ask for new brackets?

Since I'm getting a new rolltop, can I use everbrite on the retrax rails to bring back their luster? Argh! Looking at my pics, I think I need to bring back the luster on the bed rail caps too!