After more than three months of testing, today we’re reporting out on the UnderCover Flex truck bed cover, also called a tonneau cover. Our install was on a four-door Chevy Silverado with a 5’8″ bed. It is important to know that the UnderCover Flex cover is available for most bed lengths and truck models including with and without factory bed topper rails or liners.
Some info from the folks at UnderCover:
The UnderCover Flex is a hard folding truck bed cover that gives you the ultimate control of your truck bed, offering three secure riding positions. The cover is easy to remove, requires no drilling for installation, and is mounted flush with your trucks bed rails making it the most watertight hard folding cover on the market. Each panel is made of high-quality FRP composite material; which is lighter, stronger and more dent resistant than aluminum.
Each UnderCover Flex has a bed rail mounting system equipped with rubber seals and drain tubes that carry water away from and out of the bed, keeping your gear dry and secure. The Flex is backed by a 3-year warranty making it America’s favorite hard folding tonneau cover.
Before we get to the Goods and Improvements, check out this brief product video showing it in action:
https://youtu.be/IvPWP7ky0l4
Some Additional Background Info
Emily and I have been in the market for a bed cover for a while. My brother put a bed cover and a rack on his Colorado which immediately got us to thinking about the advantages of having dry storage in the back of the truck, a better way to haul gear and kayaks to the lake. Having to shove everything in the cab of the truck with kids, dogs, snacks, and everything else isn’t ideal. We didn’t want to get another SUV to avoid lots of cartopping of kayaks, and we only take the trailer when we need more than two kayaks. A bed cover seemed to be the best option.
Looking for bed covers can be overwhelming. We looked at more than 30 brands and varieties. We eventually narrowed it down to a hard-topped trifold style for rigidity and longevity. Once we decided on that, we went to accessory shops looking for a hands-on experience of opening, closing, looking at seals, drains, and other options.
We eventually settled on the UnderCover Flex from a local shop here in Texas. We went with the non-carpet model to avoid mold and mildew buildup from potentially wet kayaks or gear. We paid about $850 for the cover and chose to do the install our selves. That saved us $80 and the install was cake.
Here’s an install video on a Tacoma:
https://youtu.be/tGtgF1JHD-M
The Good
The UnderCover has been a great addition. Since I have a lockable tailgate I’m able to store fishing gear, tools, or whatever I need to secure up while running into the store or for an overnight stay at a campground. Will the lock and cover keep every thief out? Nope. But it does veil your cargo if you have any and will keep an honest man honest.
The install is EASY. Additionally, it’s not permanent. If you need to remove the cover (when the fold up options just won’t cut it), two oversized knobs can be loosened and the whole cover can come off. That sounds like it might not be super secure along the truck bed but the secure side rails keep the UnderCover Flex secure.
I really like the multi-stage folding options. My favorite though is the included rods for securing a vertical stand near the cab of the truck.
In the third stage (bottom left of the above picture) the UnderCover Flex also has securing clips which keep the folds from catching wind running down the highway and trying to pull away.
I installed the included drains per the instructions and have had ZERO water get into the bed. The Flex has been water tight in my experience.
The latching of the slam latches works well and having the release cables on both sides is really helpful.
Points of Improvement
I appreciate the outer seal being rigid on the UnderCover Flex but it took about two weeks for the ripples in it to lay down and really seal. If it had been the heat of the summer the rubber would have softened sooner and laid down but in the 60s and 70s for temps, it took a bit longer. It wasn’t a deal breaker but it had a little hump at each of the fold seams straight out of the box.
It’s also important to know that if you have a bed liner, you will have to cut it and drill it a little bit. The drains need to be installed in the corners and I had to notch out a way for it to get behind the liner. To install the back corner mounts for the side rails I had to drill through the bed liner again to get to the insert holes. No biggie, I just wasn’t expecting it.
One thing that should be added to the instruction manual in BIG letters is to make sure you have the tailgate closed before closing the final fold on the Flex. For folks who tend to not read instructions, they might damage the final fold trying to slam the tailgate closed with the fold already down. That could cause some issues so you’ve been forewarned.
Final Thoughts
The question for me is always, “Would I buy this again?” With the UnderCover Flex, even at $800+, the answer is yes. When this Chevy gets handed down to my son and I get another truck, the Flex is probably the first thing I’ll add. It’s definitely one of those accessories I’m not quite sure why I didn’t add a long time ago.
