In-Depth Reviews

In-Depth Review: Gator FX Tonneau Cover

Tonneau covers are one of the more popular truck upgrades truck owners tend to purchase. They play the very crucial role of protecting your truck bed from the weather and securing its contents. There are a lot of different models and designs to choose from, each having their own series of pros and cons. The Gator FX Hard Folding Truck Bed Tonneau Cover – 8828125 is one of those that has more pros than cons. Keep reading to learn what features make this tonneau cover so great, what we like about it, and what we don’t like about it. By the time you finish this review you’ll be able to determine for yourself if this is the right cover for you.

2004-14 Ford F150 5.5' 6.5' BedCheck Price
2015-20 Ford F150 5.5' 6.5' BedCheck Price
1999-07 Ford F250 / F350 Super Duty 6.9' BedCheck Price
2008-16 Ford F250 / F350 Super Duty 6.9' BedCheck Price
2017-20 Ford F250 / F350 Super Duty 6.9' BedCheck Price
2002-20 Dodge Ram 1500-3500 5.7' 6.4' BedCheck Price
2019-20 Dodge Ram 1500-3500 5.7' 6.4' BedCheck Price
1998-13 GM Silverado, Sierra 1500-3500 5.8' 6.6' BedCheck Price
2014-18 GM Silverado, Sierra 1500-3500 5.8' 6.6' BedCheck Price
2019-20 GM Silverado, Sierra 1500-3500 5.8' BedCheck Price
2015-20 GM Colorado, Canyon 5', 6' BedCheck Price
2007-20 Toyota Tundra 5.5' 6.5' BedCheck Price

 

Gator Hard Folding Tonneau Cover Features

This cover is a quad-fold cover made out of heavy-duty aluminum, that retracts like an accordion towards the truck cab. It is quick and easy to install and is designed to secure your truck bed’s contents while simultaneously protecting them from the weather. It’s made to fit a 5’ – 6’ Colorado or Canyon truck bed but should work on any bed of the same size.

Super Sleek Design

The most noticeable feature is its super sleek design. The cover only comes in black at the moment, but this isn’t a problem, because black matches every truck color. The cover is designed to lay flush with the truck bed, so it won’t stick out and snag on anything unnecessarily. It also comes complete with extra placement holders for additional truck bed addons, like, racks, rails, and organizers.

Enhanced Security

One of the primary features of a truck bed cover is to actually protect the contents of the truck bed – you don’t want someone walking off with your expensive tools. This Gator cover secures your truck bed in a variety of ways:

  1. It completely obscures the contents of the truck bed from view, so there’s no temptation.
  2. It’s made using sturdy heavy-duty aluminum panels that will resist any attempt to punch through the cover.

  3. The panels lock into place automatically, so you don’t have to remember to secure them yourself.

  4. Locking the truck bed’s tailgate will literally turn the bed into a fortress, thanks to the cover’s flush fit.

Weather Resistant

This Gator cover also protects your truck bed and its contents from the elements. The flush fit creates a watertight seal that will keep your truck bed dry through the worst weather. Keep in mind this cover is water resistant, not waterproof (it is impossible for a tonneau cover to be completely waterproof.)

Folding Panels that lock into place

Most folding tonneau covers are simple tri-folds, but this Gator variant is a quad-fold. The folding panels let you partially or completely expose the truck bed cover as necessary. Their auto-locking feature also prevents them from suddenly flying off if you leave one or more up while driving at high speeds.

High-Quality Construction

Gator really puts its best foot forward when it comes to making durable, high-quality products. All of their products are made in the USA, so right away you know they care about standards. The heavy-duty aluminum makes the cover difficult to damage – it can support up to 300 pounds distributed evenly. You may be able to dent it with some serious pounding, but the cover should remain intact and functional. The only thing that might be an issue is that some of the fastenings are made from hard plastic, which is not as durable as aluminum and can break if overstrained.

Easy Install

One of the best things about this tonneau cover is how easy it is to install. You can install it by yourself in 20-30 minutes, even if you’ve never installed a truck bed cover before. All you need to complete the job are a wrench, socket, and some clamps. The procedure is pretty intuitive, but you will have to focus on making sure the cover is properly aligned and securely fastened. Failure to do so will severely affect the cover’s performance, especially its ability to keep out the weather.

Support

Gator offers a lot of support for all their products as well. All of their products come with a two-year warranty. If your cover is damaged or not functioning properly you can just exchange it for a new one. That’s why they have 24-hour support center located in America, so you can contact them any time if something goes wrong.

 

What We Like

Overall, this is a great product for the price point. You can install this cover straight out of the box without needing access to a mechanic’s toolset. The design is simple and straight forward; it will protect your truck bed from both the elements and thieves. The extra fold also lets you easily expose the entire truck bed and gives you more flexibility in what you can store and transport in. Finally, it comes with guaranteed support, so you won’t have to worry about purchasing a defective product. This is more or less what you want in a good tonneau cover.

 

What We Don’t Like

The biggest downside to this cover is the manufacturer’s choice to use plastic fastenings. Since the cover is extra sturdy, the fastenings become its weak point. If you end up having to replace your cover at some point, it will most likely be due to the fastenings.

2004-14 Ford F150 5.5' 6.5' BedCheck Price
2015-20 Ford F150 5.5' 6.5' BedCheck Price
1999-07 Ford F250 / F350 Super Duty 6.9' BedCheck Price
2008-16 Ford F250 / F350 Super Duty 6.9' BedCheck Price
2017-20 Ford F250 / F350 Super Duty 6.9' BedCheck Price
2002-20 Dodge Ram 1500-3500 5.7' 6.4' BedCheck Price
2019-20 Dodge Ram 1500-3500 5.7' 6.4' BedCheck Price
1998-13 GM Silverado, Sierra 1500-3500 5.8' 6.6' BedCheck Price
2014-18 GM Silverado, Sierra 1500-3500 5.8' 6.6' BedCheck Price
2019-20 GM Silverado, Sierra 1500-3500 5.8' BedCheck Price
2015-20 GM Colorado, Canyon 5', 6' BedCheck Price
2007-20 Toyota Tundra 5.5' 6.5' BedCheck Price

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Last update on 2023-09-25. Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About the author

David Patterson

Our editor, who brings a wealth of experience in tonneau covers and truck accessories sales to our editorial team. With over a decade in the industry, David has a deep understanding of the products and a knack for helping customers find the perfect fit for their trucks.

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