These tonneau covers when installed lessens the air resistance of your truck. So you don’t have to spend as much on gas. You can say these covers pay on their on by saving you a ton in the long run. But which of these aerodynamic covers is made for you?
On first look, both these covers look very similar and you can not really differentiate between them from a distance. But they are very different, as you’ll see.
Let’s dig in.
Table of Contents
Design of these covers
When it comes to Extang Xceed, the cover is a little different form other common trifolds. The cover is exclusively aluminum (like all the premium trifolds), but these panels are further layered with vinyl top.
And with this powdered coated vinyl top, there are no seams in between (which provides more resistance to water leakage).
Also the vinyl covers on other soft roll up always flap when on high speeds, but its not the case with this one, as it would provide you with a sound free ride.
Its topped with matte-black powder which resembles many OEM truck elements like tailgate caps and rail end caps and this cover it an overall industrial look.
The rails of the covers sits about 3/16 of a inch from the rails of your bed, so the cover where it’s low profiled also gives you enough room underneath (for 5th wheel).
Other than this, the cover can only be accessed by opening the tail gate. It is provided with a rotatory latching system and allows you partial and entire access to your bed (It’s only on driver’s side though).
And the cover also provides you with a water system including drain tubes.
The cover weighs 75 pounds (in packed box) and comes with 2 sizes with 3 years manufacturing warranty.
On the other side, the Bakflip Fibermax is very similar in a way.
It’s also made of aluminum panels exclusively, but here it also provides you with the fiber glass coating as it’s name suggests, FiberMax.
This FRP (fiberglass-reinforced polymer) coating, makes a textured surface that gives off an elegant look in your truck bed while also providing extra protection against outside elements like dirt or moisture since they cannot easily penetrate this material’s tough skin.
It also makes the cover more durable so it is able to take on some scratches and dents (on it’s exterior finish).
Other than this, like the other this cover also provides you with EPDM rubber seals and drain tubes, as well as automatic slam latches and dual tail gate sealing (so you don’t have to close the tail gate before closing the cover).
And speaking of similarities, both covers can be propped up to the last panels standing position and they both don’t block the 3rd brake light.
You can lean heavy cargo with those panels as well there, as they both have bumpers behind which rest on the truck.
But there are some things I miss in both of these covers (saying from experience):
- Both covers really get dark from inside, so I really miss the LED light (especially after owing the Undercover Ultra Flex that has this feature).
- These covers also don’t come with the underneath cushioning, which would have been nicer given that they improve the ride quality (as things don’t seem to rattle that much in the back of your truck). And it also protects the cover from scratches from within (which looks bad when you drive with them propped up).
Other than this, one thing I don’t like about the Xceed’s design is that the cover does not provide you with opening latches on both side (it’s only on the driver’s end).
Let’s Talk about their Protection & Durability
Both of these covers cover coexists with the bed rails for a constant and weather-resistant seal. And they provide very similar protection mechanism.
Both of them have durable aircraft grade aluminum but Xceed with its dual layer panels provide you with more tougher plates having weight bearing capacity of 500 lbs where the BAKflip Fibermax provides you with only 300lbs.
So Extang Xceed is more durable out of the two.
But in terms of protection both covers are overall similar.
The Fibermax with FRP coating provide you great protection against UV rays and are heat resistant. So in summers these panels are less heated and things underneath stay cooler.
And the Extang Xceed’s vinyl top provides you with the same kind of protection. Its matte-black finishing awards it a sleek, patented, and streamlined outlook. The EnduraCoat vinyl as they say, improves its resistance against moisture along with UV and heat.
In terms of protection from rain, both, the Extang Xceed and FiberMax both provide you with draining system and water tight sealing.
These covers basically have 2 types of sealing.
One of them is out side on the panels sides, and this resists water going in. And some water that still goes in, goes to drain tubes which then expel the excess accumulated water (in the rails) out of the truck bed.
The other seal sits between the drain tubes and your bed.
But still both of these covers are prone to leakage, as no cover is total waterproof. That’s why they are all marketed as water resistant instead of being fully water proof.
But these two, provide good efficacy here with their extruded side seals making them water proof to some extent.
Also one thing to note about the Extang’s Xceed: This product is not made to take on heat. It’s top layer is going to start peeling off with Florida heat.
Working
In case of Extang Xceed, a fully secured rotary release latching system encloses the operation cable and grants it tamper-proof security.
This latch is only present at on the driver’s side.
But with Fibermax, you get cable latches on both sides.
Note: Extang Xceed has twist knob on it’s first panel, and after that it also presents with the same time of cable latches underneath (both sides) like the FiberMax).
Other than this, both have same and simple mechansim, they can be secure partially (2/3rd with buckle straps) and can be propped up all the way with rods. Both cover’s don’t block the 3rd brake light in the middle when they are propped up.
In terms of installation, both covers can be installed quickly. But Xceed’s very fast, I have to add.
When it comes to Extang, almost all of their covers are very quick to install and remove.
What’s the Verdict?
Both covers are premium. But in the end the Fibermax here seems to provide more value for money.
The cover has FRP which would provide you with better cover’s life. And the cover is very durable and provides a good deal of protection.
On the other hand, the Extang Xceed provides you with more durable panles, but their vinyl top do not last as long, especially if you are somewhere where summers are really hot and long.