Manual tonneau: something doesn't stack up here ...

[DTown3011]

My locking panel pins broke the first time i used it. Has anyone raised this with service, and to what result? thanks.

That sucks. I've found you really don't have to pull down hard on the release string at all, it's pretty easy to remove with very little force.

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[emoore]

That sucks. I've found you really don't have to pull down hard on the release string at all, it's pretty easy to remove with very little force.

I'm starting to wonder if other tonneau covers for other trucks are hard to open and you have to use a lot of force. I've opened mine a dozen times in the few months I've had it and have had no issues. Just pull down. I don't think I'm being unreasonably careful but I'm also not yanking down on it.

 

[DTown3011]

I'm starting to wonder if other tonneau covers for other trucks are hard to open and you have to use a lot of force. I've opened mine a dozen times in the few months I've had it and have had no issues. Just pull down. I don't think I'm being unreasonably careful but I'm also not yanking down on it.

I think it's natural to want to pull it down HARD to disengage - but given how reports of these have been breaking, I've been handling mine with kid gloves the few times I have taken it off.

 

[mabowden]

FWIW: Asked for a refund on Sep 20th. Did not receive the refund check until Dec 28th. They said they would credit my payment method attached to the Rivian account. Thank god I kept checking. I sent about six emails after Dec 1 when I realized they never refunded me, even though I have an updated payment method on my account.

Due to how many manual covers were breaking I refunded the pre-march price and went with the lomax cover. I love the lomax cover. Works perfectly, and in my use case I back my truck into the garage and have about 3" of clearance. I can open the tailgate and flip forward the lomax to fit stuff in without pulling the truck out. Wouldn't be able to do that with the manual. Super quick and easy. Very durable, I have no fears that this cover will break.

 

[MountainBikeDude]

Just a data point. Have had the manual tonneau for over a month now and have taken it out several times for various reasons. It works as it should, the pull strap doesn't need to be reefed on to disengage the latches either.

A bonus was that the Rivian tailgate pad wraps up nicely and fits into the tonneau bag, so both store completely flat in the gear tunnel.

I still want a powered retrofit, but the manual has done the job nicely with a fairly solid water resistance in Vancouver weather. Really, what else can I ask.

 

[buglas]

I initially was very hesitant about the manual cover from all of the posts and pictures I saw from owners that received theirs before I did. I would have asked for a refund and gotten an alternative but purchased my vehicle from another owner and didn't want to deal with the process of cancelling. Rivian also wasn't able to switch correspondence from the prior owner but luckily this person just used my address to confirm the shipping location.

I received my cover in good shape. While still disappointed that the latching piece is made of plastic, I have unlatched a few times and it remains intact. Time will tell how this will hold up but having the cover has been immensely useful in being able to keep items in the bed. Have gone through a few heavy rainstorms and the bed stayed mostly dry.

 

[Ngkgb]

That sucks. I've found you really don't have to pull down hard on the release string at all, it's pretty easy to remove with very little force.

I second this. Have installed and removed it a few times now and never felt like I was gonna break it. Doesn’t require much force to remove.

 

[AbhorViolence]

I've unlatched mine a couple times so far and *knock on wood* so far so good. Doesn't take much force to unlatch. I'm a little concerned as time passes and the plastic inevitably becomes brittle, but happy with it for now. It's kept out almost all the recent heavy rain. I'm able to transport my bicycle security in the truck bed, just removing the front wheel.

 

[KootenayEV]

Anyone in snow/ice country having challenges opening the tailgate in winter weather? I'm finding it a struggle some days, as the tailgate seems to be freezing to something, so when I use the release button, the tailgate doesn't move. I'm left trying to grasp the smooth surface on the top of the tailgate, or use my fingernails to get purchase on the little gaps on either side of the tailgate.

This morning I had to resort to prying it open with my 2nd snow brush which lives in the gear tunnel; my primary lives in the truck bed under the tonneau. Of course can't open the tonneau until the tailgate is open! Thinking of looking into some kind of retrofit of a handle on the top of the tailgate for something to grasp and tug on.

 

[fr4c]

Anyone in snow/ice country having challenges opening the tailgate in winter weather? I'm finding it a struggle some days, as the tailgate seems to be freezing to something, so when I use the release button, the tailgate doesn't move. I'm left trying to grasp the smooth surface on the top of the tailgate, or use my fingernails to get purchase on the little gaps on either side of the tailgate.

This morning I had to resort to prying it open with my 2nd snow brush which lives in the gear tunnel; my primary lives in the truck bed under the tonneau. Of course can't open the tonneau until the tailgate is open! Thinking of looking into some kind of retrofit of a handle on the top of the tailgate for something to grasp and tug on.

Could be the tailgate freezing onto the rubber molding at the bottom of the tonneau cover. Every winter, I use the product below to condition all of my weather seals.

https://nextzettusa.com/gummi-pflege-rubber-care-stick/

 

[dleepnw]

ive probably open my cover 25-30 times since i got it. worked fine each time but i was careful not to pull extremely hard. the temps have been in the 30s and 40s this winter and it seemed to work fine but this week dropped to the 10s and 20s so ive been avoiding trying to pull the latch as im afraid the freezing weather will snap the latch.

 

[JayinNJ]

So I originally asked for a refund on my Tonneau after seeing some of the quality issues.

My guide told me that was impossible.

I insisted again after their shipping delay, as I really wanted it for a holiday road trip. My guide told me I'd get a check in 4-6 weeks. I ordered the Interrobang one in the mean time.

4-6 weeks came and went. I was going to reach out to my guide again.

Instead of a check, a Rivian Manual Tonneu cover showed up at my door.

I still don't have the Interrobang one, but they're pretty clear that they don't do cancellations or refunds (which I get, considering the size of the business).

I'm just kind of embarrassed at the level of incompetence going on with this. Now I need to figure out how to get a refund AND return the tonneau cover. I'm expecting it to be a major headache, and I don't have time to do anything about it before the holidays.

I'm running out of patience for another multi-month circle jerk with lots of excuses and no solutions.

PS: I'd happily sell my Rivian Tonneu at the full $1,800 price to anyone in the Denver area. I don't expect any takers, but I'm throwing it out there if someone's interested. It's still unopened in the box.

Just sell the Rivian manual cover. Someone wants it bad enough to pay full price and shipping.

 

[PhatDaddy]

Send me an email or a DM. It’s not a problem if you’d like to cancel your order.

OK, i’ve now read LOTS of reviews and complaints and compliments regarding the OEM Rivian Manual Tonneau cover. And I read what I can on the competitive products available.

What I haven’t seen is detailed comparisons between what seems to be the two leading contenders (of those that operate similarly and that use the OEM bed tracks).

Bill (forgive me if this puts you in a tough spot as a site sponsor, and you can obviously choose to decline to respond):
Given the picture below of the OEM cover, can you answer a few things…
Does your Interrobang Tonneau cover have a similar feature for locking? If so, is it designed more robustly than Rivian’s? Metal components vs plastic in critical locations? (Extra credit for similar pictures and descriptions of your product’s components!). What about the (prone to breaking during shipping) plastic panel ends on the OEM cover - how is your product different in that critical wear area? And more important to me than all of that, do you believe your panels themselves are as strong or stronger than the OEM panels? Can I (150 lbs) reasonably/carefully stand on your cover when closed… at least if I really needed to (would not be a regular thing!)? What about the ability to use less than the full set of panels (so that a portion of the bed is left uncovered at the rear) - can your product support that… and will the panels that are present in that situation still ‘lock’ in place?
I have early pricing for the OEM cover, and like so many others I am still waiting… but my guide says I can cancel my order if desired. So your products would cost me personally more than $500 more than the OEM version. But I need something that works well and consistently, fairly tough, NOT particularly fragile, and generally dependable… and I am more than willing to pay more to get that.
So can you compare and contrast your product to the OEM cover to help me understand the value difference? Really appreciate any help you can offer so I can make an informed decision.

 

[Bf3]

OK, i’ve now read LOTS of reviews and complaints and compliments regarding the OEM Rivian Manual Tonneau cover. And I read what I can on the competitive products available.

What I haven’t seen is detailed comparisons between what seems to be the two leading contenders (of those that operate similarly and that use the OEM bed tracks).

Bill (forgive me if this puts you in a tough spot as a site sponsor, and you can obviously choose to decline to respond):
Given the picture below of the OEM cover, can you answer a few things…
Does your Interrobang Tonneau cover have a similar feature for locking? If so, is it designed more robustly than Rivian’s? Metal components vs plastic in critical locations? (Extra credit for similar pictures and descriptions of your product’s components!). What about the (prone to breaking during shipping) plastic panel ends on the OEM cover - how is your product different in that critical wear area? And more important to me than all of that, do you believe your panels themselves are as strong or stronger than the OEM panels? Can I (150 lbs) reasonably/carefully stand on your cover when closed… at least if I really needed to (would not be a regular thing!)? What about the ability to use less than the full set of panels (so that a portion of the bed is left uncovered at the rear) - can your product support that… and will the panels that are present in that situation still ‘lock’ in place?
I have early pricing for the OEM cover, and like so many others I am still waiting… but my guide says I can cancel my order if desired. So your products would cost me personally more than $500 more than the OEM version. But I need something that works well and consistently, fairly tough, NOT particularly fragile, and generally dependable… and I am more than willing to pay more to get that.
So can you compare and contrast your product to the OEM cover to help me understand the value difference? Really appreciate any help you can offer so I can make an informed decision.

I don’t have any firsthand experience with the OEM cover, but I’ll do my best here.

No, there’s no mechanism to lock in a position along the rails. Our tonneau is designed to be as simple as possible, which could be a double edged sword depending how you look at it. There's nothing to break, but it doesn't have that feature. In the year since I've made my first tonneau, I've needed to drive with a panel or two out twice. Those two time I just wedged a small piece of cardboard or plastic under the cover in the rail and it stayed put with no issue. Not the most glamorous solution, but it works. As long as the tailgate is closed, you can remove as many panels as needed.

In regards to the plastic end pieces and strength, I can confidently say ours is much more robust. the ends of our covers are solid 1/2" thick UHMW (real tough fancy plastic) and the aluminum is a thicker, double walled extrusion. It can most definitely support your weight whenever you need it to.
It is made of aluminum, so if you bash it with a hammer it will dent, but I'd be really surprised if you could break it even if you were trying.

 

[HighVoltOverland]

I don’t have any firsthand experience with the OEM cover, but I’ll do my best here.

No, there’s no mechanism to lock in a position along the rails. Our tonneau is designed to be as simple as possible, which could be a double edged sword depending how you look at it. There's nothing to break, but it doesn't have that feature. In the year since I've made my first tonneau, I've needed to drive with a panel or two out twice. Those two time I just wedged a small piece of cardboard or plastic under the cover in the rail and it stayed put with no issue. Not the most glamorous solution, but it works. As long as the tailgate is closed, you can remove as many panels as needed.

In regards to the plastic end pieces and strength, I can confidently say ours is much more robust. the ends of our covers are solid 1/2" thick UHMW (real tough fancy plastic) and the aluminum is a thicker, double walled extrusion. It can most definitely support your weight whenever you need it to.
It is made of aluminum, so if you bash it with a hammer it will dent, but I'd be really surprised if you could break it even if you were trying.

Ever thought about adding a detent to you set up?

Drill a hole through the side of the Hard polymer bit, drop in a ball bearing, spring and retention screw. it wouldn't be "locking" but it may be strong enough to hold the panels in when one or more are removed. Also would benefit as a bit of an indexing function

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