What’s the Best RAM 1500 Bed Cover? Our Advice & Guide

With the Dodge Ram 1500, it’s clear that you’ve already made a good choice. Not only is it a desirable truck to own, but it’s also an awesomely capable machine, both in terms of everyday driving and towing. A great way to add to your truck’s wide spectrum of talents is a good tonneau cover, also known as a bed cover. Not only does a Ram 1500 bed cover add to the truck’s practicality but it also gives the Dodge Ram 1500 a sleeker appearance. We at Mechanic Guides have listed some great options for the Best Ram 1500 Bed Cover. They’re also grouped by type to make it easy for you to learn more about the style you’re interested in.

But before the products, let’s get the basics in place, which we’re certain most of you experienced Dodge Ram 1500 owners already know. The major differentiating point between the various types of bed covers (or tonneau, used alternatively below) is the construction. Divided into two kinds — hard and soft — tonneau covers offer added protection to the truck’s bed and your cargo. Choose the hard tonneau cover for Ram 1500 if you’re looking for more strength, better appearance, and a slight improvement in the vehicle’s efficiency. Soft covers, on the other hand, offer more versatility and ease of partial access.

Another thing that must also be mentioned before going any further is the model compatibility. All the various covers are mentioned with the respective model they’re made for, but as a rule of thumb, keep in mind that the older covers aren’t going to fit the latest Dodge Ram 1500. Instead, they’re likely to work on the current ‘Classic’ range. The easiest way to figure out if the cover can be fitted to your truck is by looking at your truck’s bed size and then confirming with the Amazon listing.

The 5 Best Tonneau Cover for RAM 1500:

1. Tyger Auto T3 Tri-Fold Truck Tonneau Cover– best tonneau cover for RAM 1500
2. TruXedo TruXport Soft Roll-up Truck Bed Tonneau Cover
3. UnderCover Classic One Piece Truck Bed Tonneau Cover
4. BAK Revolver X2 Hard Rolling Truck Bed Tonneau Cover
5. Gatortrax Electric Retractable Power Gloss Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

Our Recommendations

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Tri-Fold Covers

Tri-Fold covers offer greater protection than soft covers and are versatile in the way these open up. Installation is easy and usually looks good overall.

Tyger Auto T3 Tri-Fold Truck Tonneau Cover – best tonneau cover for RAM 1500

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What you’re looking at here is a triple-folding bed cover for the Ram 1500 made by a brand called Tyger Auto. The cover is made of heavy-duty vinyl and is supported by a powder-coated frame underneath. It comes with a lifetime warranty and doesn’t require a lot of modifications on your truck except for small holes that will hold the clamps for this in place. The one featured here works on 2009-18 Dodge Ram 1500 trucks (and the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic).

Practical and not too heavy on the pocket

Given its three-fold mechanism, accessing the bed isn’t a problem. And considering you don’t have to open the entire cover to access the bed, it’s a good compromise between roll-up covers and hardtops. With pre-set tension control and easy installation, it’s a plug-and-play solution.

What do we think of this?

One of the current best-sellers, the Tyger Auto T3 Tri-Fold is available for a wide range of Dodge Ram 1500 models. Its appeal lies in the easy installation, the brand’s claimed lifetime warranty, and decent construction, despite it being a soft-type cover. It’ll even work with a bed liner in place, and offers good protection against harsh weather too.

Alternatives

MaxMate Tri-Fold Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

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Tonno Pro Tonno Fold 42-201 Tri-Fold Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

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American Tonneau Company Soft Tri-Fold Truck Bed Cover

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Soft Roll-up Covers

With soft roll-up covers, while your truck’s bed loses out slightly in overall protection, its ease of access (you can choose between full and partial access) is the best bar none. And the low prices just sweeten the deal even more.

TruXedo TruXport Soft Roll-up Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

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No modification needed

So you get the benefits of a bed cover, but without having to make modifications to your truck. Backed by a five-year warranty, the TruXedo product here fits all 2009-2018 models with a 5’7” bed. You can also check out the links at the end of this description for alternatives.

Easy to operate

It comes with a claimed increase in gas mileage of up to 10 percent in comparison to an open bed (which we think is a bit of a stretch) but it’s simple science: if you reduce drag, you’re going to save gas. The bed cover is mounted on simple clamp-on rails with the help of industry-grade Velcro. To tighten the cover, there’s a manual tension knob that thankfully doesn’t require any tools to operate.

What do we think of this?

It’s a simple solution that won’t just make your truck appear sleeker, but will also ensure that you don’t spend too much trying to attain that look/functionality. The fit is good, and since there’s no need to drill any holes, it proves to be a more practical/easy-to-install product. And you can have it for the latest 2019 new-body-style version of the Dodge Ram 1500. Link to that is below.

Alternatives

TruXedo TruXport Soft Roll-up Truck Bed Tonneau Cover | fits 2019 Ram 1500 New Body Style

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Gator ETX Soft Roll Up Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

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Hard One-Piece Covers

Because of their construction, hard-shell covers provide the greatest protection. But since they also have some of the sleekest looks and factory fitment (typically), hard covers make for an easy choice. The only trouble here, apart from the high price, is that partial access is out of the question.

UnderCover Classic One Piece Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

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It’s a good thing that there’s a really wide variety of bed covers on sale for the Dodge Ram 1500. This ensures that there’s always a product that meets your requirements. For instance, if you wanted a hard cover for the loading area and something like a tri-fold one won’t cut it, there’s the UnderCover Classic One Piece Truck Bed Tonneau Cover.

Added protection

The featured model is considerably more expensive than the above-mentioned choices, but you also need to keep in mind that this is a hard shield. So while you do lose the ability to roll up the cover, it does offer more protection. You also get a lighting system that illuminates the bed, and there’s a 3-year warranty backing this. In addition to that, there are fewer chances of leaks, and given that this too is a drill-free installation, you don’t have to worry about tampering your truck’s body.

What do we think of this?

The biggest benefit of having a hard cover is protection. With an ABS-made cover, the overall weight is kept in check, too. The price is on the higher side, but we think it’s worth it.

Alternatives

Extang Full Tilt Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

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UnderCover LUX Painted One-Piece Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

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Hard Rolling Cover

What you’ll get: ease of use as seen on soft/tri-fold covers married to the kind of protection a hard cover offers. Further vinyl protection on the outside of these means you don’t compromise on appearance, either.

BAK Revolver X2 Hard Rolling Truck Bed Tonneau Cover | fits 2009-19 Dodge Ram

While soft-folding covers offer things like partial access and a sleeker design at a lower cost, the protection on offer is comparatively less than that of hard covers. And installing a one-piece hard cover like the one mentioned above means you lose versatility. That’s where hard-rolling covers like BAK Revolver X2 for the Dodge Ram 1500 come in.

Clean looks but added ruggedness

It’s mounted onto the sides and has heavy-duty aluminum slats as the main cover. These are shielded from the elements with the help of textured vinyl. That maintains a clean look on the outside. And despite being more rugged than soft covers, the BAK Revolver X2 for Dodge Ram 1500 can be rolled back from either side of the truck with one hand. It comes in various sizes (depending on the bed/model), and you can buy the one made for your truck by using the links mentioned below.

6.4 feet

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5.7 feet

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8 feet

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What do we think of this?

The BAK Revolver X2 offers the best of both worlds, in a package that not only looks good but is also sturdier than soft covers. The intermediate pricing is justified. And it’s easy to use, too, given that it doesn’t require as much effort as a one-piece hard cover.

Alternatives

TruXedo Sentry Hard Rolling Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

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Hard Cover (Electric)

If convenience is on the top of your priority list, then it’s impossible to ignore electrically operated hard covers. These offer the protection of a hard shell cover, but with the added ability to open/close at the press of a button.

Gatortrax Electric Retractable Power Gloss Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

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The Gatortrax Electric Retractable Power Glass Truck Bed Tonneau Cover for the Dodge Ram 1500 is clearly the one for those who appreciate the convenience. A wireless key fob operates the retractable cover, making the operation hands-free.

Lifetime warranty

The cover is made of a lightweight material called Lexan, and also included with it is an LED lighting setup for the cargo area. GatorTrax offers a lifetime warranty with it, and also claims that the cover’s bearings will never freeze.

Partial Access

Another great thing about it is that using the remote, you can stop the cover at any point, allowing for partial access not dependent on a predefined point, unlike on tri-fold covers.

What do we think of this?

While it’s bound to burn a large hole in the pocket, for its convenience and overall use, the electrically retractable cover makes a lot of sense. The one featured here is to be used with optional RamBox side storage compartments. You can get one for models with a regular bed also, in various sizes. There’s also an option to choose between a glossy or matte appearance of the tonneau.

Final Thoughts on the Best Dodge Ram 1500 Bed Covers

The list here includes not only some of the best Dodge Ram 1500 bed covers but also great alternatives, which vary slightly from the chosen ones based on price, features, or availability.

If convenience is at the top of your agenda, it’s hard to ignore the GatorTrax Electric Retractable bed cover. It’s expensive but can be operated with the help of a remote, making it more practical than others here. But at the same time, if you want a simpler solution, then the BAK Revolver X2 offers the best of both worlds in terms of looks and strength. The TruXedo TruXport makes for a great alternative to snap-on covers, which don’t even have much to offer in terms of protection. The TruXport is certainly more protective and doesn’t lose out on the sleek appearance of a covered cargo bay. The Tyger Auto Tri-Fold comes close to BAK Revolver in terms of overall protection, but is available at a lower price but isn’t as versatile. And finally possibly the least versatile here is the UnderCover Classic One Piece Tonneau Cover. What it loses in versatility and ease of access, it makes up in the overall protection and looks. The body-colored ones (mentioned in the alternatives) look even better.