Besides giving your trucks safety with durability. These covers also pay for themselves, their aerodynamic designs save you a lot of fuel money in the long run. So they are always a great investment.
But which of these trifolds is for you?
Table of Contents
Design of these covers:
Covering your trucks since 1975, the Rough Country, with it’s one of the newest tonneau cover, the Low Profile, gives a very budget friendly option.
And as the name suggests, the cover is very flushed.
It’s the best looking cover in this price range.
The cover is made out of composite material covered by alloy of aluminum, and has then the matte finish on top which gives it a nice semi glossy look.
I like the fact that its end caps and hinges have the/coated with same color, and they look really great.
The panels have rubber shoes/feet and they don’t rub against each other while folding.
The cover can be secured up to 2/3rd position, and it won’t provide you with 100% of bed access. So it takes about 2 feet of your trucks space.
Another con, if you will, can be about its textured finishing. It really invites the dirt/dust to settle in and the cover is very hard to clean.
On the other side, the BAKflip F1 may seem same but shows a slightly higher quality that lasts longer.
But then again the cover also costs a little more.
But with more cost the cover does come with a little better durability as you’ll see.
And where the RC Low Profile has a composite material, the BAKflip F1 is an exclusive aluminum, which is of aircraft grade.
The cover also features better coating of FRP (Fiber Glass Reinforced Polymer), which gives the panel a more decent protection.
And although the cover comes with same 2 drain tubes, which you may have to install by drilling, the cover also has EPDM seals, unlike the RC.
And unlike, Rough Country Low Profile, with F1, you can have 100% of your bed access. Because the panels can be propped up with the help of rods.
They lean against the rear of your truck with the soft rubber shoes underneath.
And so in this way, the cover is able to protect your truck by taking the impact of any heavy cargo that may fall on your truck without this cover.
And, although they block the rear view like all other trifolds, the BAKFlip F1 still doesn’t block the 3rd brake light.
But still with its price tag, one would expect additional design features, which it does not offer.
First and most important is the missing dual tail gate action sealing, where the RC low Profile allow you to close your cover despite open or closed position of the tail gate. But with F1, you can not do that. You have to close the cover first and then close the tail gate on it in order to lock the cover.
If we talk about missing features in both.
They do not provide you with underneath carpeting of panels which makes ride quality better and speaks volume of quality.
And also there is no LED light, where it can really help in the dark.
Protection Comparison – Which Is Better?
Both covers have almost identical draining system with drain tubes and rails. But the Rough Country Low Profile is a little more prone to water leakage.
The F1 has EPDM seals, where the RC Low Profile has simple rubber ones.
The RC does not provide great sealing against the tail gate (which is very vulnerable to water leakage) and also, its lateral seals (b/w the panels are weaker in comparison).
One of the best things about the BAKflip F1 is that it also offers you with flush hinges between each panel. And because of this the cover does not bow in the middle and water is not pooled.
But still the protection difference overall is minuscule.
And also note that no cover would give you a total water proofing protection and there’s always some sort of leakage, that’s why all of them are water resistant and none of them are marketed as water proof.
If we talk about durability, the BAKFlip F1 has 400 lbs of weight capability where the Rough Country Low Profile provide you with 100 pounds lesser, 300 lbs.
And F1 is also more resistant to UV rays, dirt, dust.. and so on, with its better FRP coating.
So it gives the panels more life in comparison. And since this coating also makes this cover good insulator to heat, it also keeps things cooler underneath (in summers).
Working of these covers?
Both of these covers come with rails, seals and 2 drain tubes, along with weather stripping and tightening clamps.
And both take almost same time to get installed.
Also both covers come with automatic latching systems.
But the Bakflip F1, disappointing a little with its missing tail gate action sealing. You can not close this cover over closed tail gate. And in order to lock it you have to open the tail gate, close the cover first, and then close the cover on it.
Where on Rough Country Low Profile you get dual locking, but then again you don’t get full bed access. So you can only lock up to 2/3rd position.
And have to remove the cover is want to access the whole bed.
So What’s the Verdict?
Coming in at about a grand, F1 is at the higher price end (when it comes to hard trifolds and not just the RC Low Profile here).
But is the price justified? Well with quality of panels, yes.
But the cover not having dual tail gate action sealing can become a deal breaker, where the RC Low Profile offers you one with a very low price.
But then again the panels are not so durable and they don’t provide as much protection as the BAKflip F1.