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You can install this retractable, hard tonneau cover on your vehicle in about 10 minutes, and you can completely remove it just as quickly for full bed access. Aluminum and vinyl deck has strength of a hard cover and seamless look of a soft cover.
Features:
Specs:
The Switchblade retractable hard tonneau cover provides you with security and weather protection for your truck bed, easy accessibility to your cargo, and the flexibility to haul large items that require full bed capacity whenever needed. You can install the cover without assistance in approximately 10 minutes, and you can completely remove it from your vehicle's bed just as quickly. The tonneau deck is constructed of a vinyl fabric top sheet that is bonded to rigid aluminum panels, combining the seamless appearance of a soft cover with the security features of a hard cover.
Simple, 1-Person Installation
To install the cover, set the canister on the bulkhead of your truck. Make sure that it's square with your bed. Bolt the side rails to the tabs on the canister.
Secure the rails to your truck bed side rails using 2 clamps per side. Slide the clamp onto the rail, flip the pivot arm up so it is under the bed rail lip, and tighten the clamp in place with the twist knob. Shims are included for trucks with tapered beds.
Each clamp at the tailgate end of the rails has a supplemental kickstand to help level the rails and prevent overtightening during installation. To install the kickstand, simply slide it into the grip handle at the bottom of the clamp. Rotate the kickstand so the foot rests squarely against the side wall of the truck bed, and tighten in place.
Mount the top cover plate to the canister with the included hardware. Attach the drain tubes to the canister and route each tube out of the OEM drain holes in the floor of your bed.
To hold the pull strap off the floor of your truck bed, apply the adhesive hook-and-loop fastener strip onto the underside of a rail at your desired location.
Remove or Reinstall in 10 Minutes
After the initial installation, the tonneau cover can be completely removed or reinstalled in approximately 10 minutes. The Switchblade is great for whenever you need to haul large items that require full bed capacity from front to back and side to side. After your large haul is complete, you can easily reinstall the cover to protect your truck bed again.
To utilize your entire truck bed, detach the canister from the side rails by removing the bolts on either side with a wrench. Then take the side rails off your truck by removing the clamps with the same wrench. Wrap the pull-strap around the canister and use it to lift the canister off your vehicle.
Retractable Cover with Built-In Pull Strap
To retract the Switchblade, simply squeeze the pinch grips located underneath the cover near the center of the tailgate to activate a heavy-duty tension spring. The spring automatically retracts the cover into the canister at the bulkhead of your truck bed. This provides quicker, easier access to your truck bed when compared with manual retractable covers that have no spring-loaded assist.
A built-in pull strap helps you extend the cover over your bed. As you pull, the tonneau will glide smoothly along tracks in the side rails until it reaches the tailgate and secures in place. You can also use the rear plate of the tonneau cover to pull it closed.
Compact, Angled Canister
The cover retracts into a canister located at the front of your truck bed, giving you unrestricted visibility out of your rear window. The canister also protects the stored cover from the elements. And the compact, angled design allows for maximum clearance for your tools and cargo.
Water Management System
The Switchblade rails feature a water management system that channels excess water into the canister. This prevents water from getting into your bed or freezing in your tonneau cover rails during cold temperatures. Drain tubes attached to the bottom of the canister remove water through the OE drain holes in the floor of your truck bed.
Flush-Mount Design
The black powder-coated side rails sit 1/8" above your truck bed rails for a flush appearance. This low-profile design is aerodynamic to reduce wind drag, and it helps to improve gas mileage when the cover is closed.
Stylish and Heavy-Duty Construction
The Switchblade deck is constructed of a vinyl top layer bonded to heavy-duty aluminum slats. This ArmorTek deck looks like a soft tonneau cover with no visible seams, but has the strength and security of a hard tonneau cover. A large seal at the rear of the bed closes the gap between the cover and tailgate to create a barrier to prevent water from entering the truck bed.
Security
The Switchblade provides excellent protection for your cargo when used in conjunction with a closed and locked tailgate. Both the pinch grips and pull strap are located underneath the rear plate, which makes them inaccessible when your truck bed is closed. The heavy-gauge aluminum panels are better at preventing theft when compared with soft covers that can be cut or punctured with a knife. The panels are also more effective at preventing theft than tri-fold hard tonneau covers because the panels cannot be pried open at any point along the rails.
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Average Customer Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (218 Customer Reviews)
You can install this retractable, hard tonneau cover on your vehicle in about 10 minutes, and you can completely remove it just as quickly for full bed access. Aluminum and vinyl deck has strength of a hard cover and seamless look of a soft cover.Received my bed cover last night in a wore out beat up box. parts hanging out of it. When I opened it it was full of returned items from other customers. When I asked to discount and speed up shipment on the replacement I was told nothing he could do. I have been a loyal customer and I'm not happy with the way this has been handled.
Super disappointed! Only have had the cover for a little over 1 year and it's junk. The cover drops out of the channel whenever we drive the truck. Pretty much started happening within a couple months of install. I woukd have to climb under the cover to push the cover back into the channel until this last time when it fell out so much I had to Rio the whole thing out. Not very convenient when our truck has a hitch in it and we are fully loaded. Don't buy! Wishing we had just spent our money on a basic flip top!
Item's box is well made and sturdy, however UPS shipping still was able to damage the item. Metal supports that hold the canister were bent. Was able to straighten them and installed it on my Ram 3500. Everything works like it is supposed to and you can't even tell it was damaged in shipping. Would have given this a 5-star rating but shipping and receiving the item in good order is part of the process.
The cover looks great and DOES work on a 2020 Ram 3500 8'bed. It was easy to install. It was missing 2 hex bolts to connect the rails to the canister but a few dollars at the local hardware store fixed that. The only concern I have is the canister cover is a little warped, either from shipping or manufacturing, allowing the cover to retract in the canister without touching the brush on the canister cover. This could allow dirt and dust into the canister later as well. All in all great looking cover that does what its intended to do.
First off l would like to say that etrailer customer service is outstanding. Now for the Tonneau cover, the quality is very good and the install was quick and easy. I would definitely recommend this cover.
Installation instructions lacking. Retraction spring ins weak. Have to manually push back
I really like this cover. I have the same one on my company issued truck and have really liked it and knew it was the one I wanted on my personal truck. Easy to install in about 30 minutes.
Great product easy install fantastic service by etrailer.
mostly what I expected. quality is fine, but does not seem like $xxxx worth of quality. install was fairly easy and getting the cover to slide smoothly was not a problem.
as a note to others with "new style" (2019 or 2020 can be either new or classic style as I understand it) Ram 3500 DRW, the inside of the bed is tapered from front to rear. this means that the front clamps will not work properly.
while this tonneau does fit the DRW Ram 3500 (it doesn't fall into the bed LOL), you will need to modify the front clamps, modify the underside of the bed rails, or find another solution to anchoring the front of the tonneau side rails.
the reason it got 3 instead of 4 stars wasn't just the lack of clarity on the fit or the clamps that I had to re-engineer, but also because the drain tubes are a joke. they do not resemble what's described in the instructions (which would have been a good solution, IMO), but instead are just junky plastic electrical connectors that are suppose to plug in to the bottom of the cover storage box.
you basically have three choices on these: try to install them with the foam seal ring they come with and have them fall out immediately over and over, install them without the foam ring in which case they stay in but don't seal against water running out into your truck bed, or install them with some silicone or other sealant that you provide.
for over $xxxx, the above issues make for a 3-star experience. hopefully it lasts a long time, at least!
Very easy installation (thanks to your videos)!
The cover is nice looking and keeps out the water. After a year it does not retract completely without using your hand to push it in, the rubber that keeps leaves from going into the box came off, and the bracket at connects on the end of the truck keeps sliding out. Etrailer gave me the email address of the manufacturer if I want to see if they would fix it.
Great communication!
Perfect fit for the 8ft bed. Looks great and is great quality. etrailer had fast shipping and excellent customer service.
Everything was in good condition, installed well, I was only missing one wing nut for the rail level adjuster but I will pick one up at local Home Depot. Fast shipping and delivery was on schedule. Free shipping is also a plus.
Review from a similar Pace Edwards SwitchBlade Tonneau Cover in Tonneau Covers
Shipped immediately and arrived in a couple of days. Unfortunately the unit comes in two boxes and UPS split them and delivered them over two days. This was not etrailer's fault!
The unit was exactly as described and fit my 2021 Ram Rebel like a glove. The only problem I had was the end caps were reversed on the box cover making it impossible to get the Philips head screws to catch. Once I figured that out they went right in.
I've bought many products from etrailer over the years and have never been disappointed. I highly recommend them.
Review from a similar Pace Edwards SwitchBlade Tonneau Cover in Tonneau Covers
Overall this is a nice cover. The installation instructions could be much better, but I am happy with my purchase.
Review from a similar Pace Edwards SwitchBlade Tonneau Cover in Tonneau Covers
Looks great. Should be durable enough for me and my application. Appears to be well made and was fairly easy to install. I was replacing an older well used cover for my truck that was a dealer installed after market cover that was merely worn out. My brother and I installed this Slingshot in a little less than an hour. A person with with average skills should be able to install this cover with minimal issue. Certainly is easier with two people but not difficult.
Review from a similar Pace Edwards SwitchBlade Tonneau Cover in Tonneau Covers
The bad:
1. The product showed up with damage. Box looked to be taped to fix it being dropped.
2. The metal parts that rest on the bed rail were bent.
3. They talk about shims in the instructions and the video but do not show where the shims are. I did have to remove them to help even out the distance the rails are between the front and back.
The good:
1. All parts were still in the box.
2. I was able to straighten the metal parts and install the product.
3. The installation video was very helpful.
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