What material is the cover made of? In collaboration with GE Plastics, we utilize GELOY(tm), a proprietary superior quality plastic material developed by GE Plastics. GELOY is very weather-able, does not fade, is very mar resistant and is VERY EXPENSIVE!
In our process, GELOY is "co-extruded" with our advanced ABS plastic substrate material to create 20 mil thick layer of GELOY on all surfaces exposed to the elements (which is 10 times the thicker than the factory paint on your truck). This means that GELOY is on ALL exposed surface areas at 20 mils thick. The underside of the cover and all areas that are not exposed to the elements are made of the highest commercial quality ABS polymers. You can read more about GELOY directly at the GE Plastics website at http://www.geplastics.com/resins/materials/geloy.html.
Many manufacturers do not use GELOY in its exposed plastic products (like many plastic bedliners you see that warp and fade when exposed to the sun) because it is VERY expensive. We have put in a great deal of time and effort in developing a material combination that gives the UNDERCOVER the best of all worlds: Strength, Heat Resistance, Durability, scratch resistance, light weight properties, and weather-ability . Unparalleled features when compared to the weight and cost of fiberglass covers. Neither fiberglass nor soft covers meet UNDERCOVER's superior level of durability and functionality.
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What is ABS Polymer? Why is it so good to use in this application? ABS Polymers are made up of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene. ABS plastics generally possess superior strength and performance and medium cost. ABS is often used as the cost and performance dividing line between high performance plastic materials and standard plastics. Your UNDERCOVER Tonneau Cover is made of the highest quality ABS Polymer. But that is not the biggest selling feature, the highest quality ABS polymer is covered with 20 mils thick of GELOY on all areas exposed to the elements (see info above for more information on GELOY) Back to Top
Is the surface of the panels smooth or textured? The cover is virtually smooth, with a very slightly texture to it. This cover is very mar-resistant. However, in the event the cover is subjected to scratches, it is all but virtually invisible because of the slightly textured finish. Back to Top
Is the cover paintable? Our cover can be easily painted, as traditional automotive finishes will adhere very well to the surface of the cover. HOWEVER, we do not offer painted covers as it is EXTREMELY rare for a customer to paint the cover primarily because the surface of the cover is coated in a very expensive GELOY (made by GE Plastics) which not only looks great, but it can handle the elements. Please read more about GELOY in the first question of this section "What is the cover made of?"
The bottom line is that painting over the GELOY surface would be the equivalent of painting over a ceramic tile floor, a formica countertop, or painting over vinyl siding. Can it be done? You bet! However, it is very rare that this is done as you by painting this type of surface, you give up the durability of being able to walk, or work on this surface without scratching it. Painting not only adds a great deal of cost to the cover, but it requires maintenance as paint cracks are also inevitable in any cover that flexes to some degree (virtually every fiberglass cover has hairline cracks in the paint).
Some people order the cover with the intention of painting it themselves once they get it. However, once they get the cover on their truck and they see how good it looks, it is extremely rare that they ever go through with painting the cover. Because of its low profile and the fact that the black finish matches all the other black trim of your truck so, "IT LOOKS FACTORY!" - much more so than a fiberglass cover that is custom painted and everyone knows is aftermarket! The matte black color matches all trim like your plastic side rail covers, tailgate protectors, body side moldings, window trim, tires, etc. In today's truck world, when you see a painted tonneau cover, it really states to the world that you have an "aftermarket" product on your truck! Trucks that offer Factory Installed Tonneau Covers like the Cadillac Escalade, the Chevrolet Avalance and the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, have covers that are "factory installed" and are typically matte black (or dark gray) to match the trim pieces of the truck, and these covers are never painted. In a nutshell, people do not paint their cover because:
1) IT LOOKS FACTORY INSTALLED! - It's completely flat, and much more sleek in profile than more bulkier fiberglass covers!
2) THE COVER IS UV RESISTANT - This product is virtually unaffected by UV Ray as a painted surface would be.
3) THE COVER MATCHES EVERY TRUCK - The matte black color matches all trim (very similar in color to a vinyl top).
4) There is typically NO SHIPPING DAMAGE - Due to the super-tough mar resistant finish, shipping damage is virtually eliminated!
5) THE COVER WILL NOT SCRATCH - The same super-tough mar resistant finish is very resistant to scratches! You cannot say that about painted fiberglass covers! 6) EXCESSIVE HANDLING will not harm this cover! As it is not painted and it has the super-tough mar resistant finish, you shouldn't think twice about removing and re-installing the cover!
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How strong are the panels? Extremely strong. The picture on the website of the junior hockey team on our cover?this is an NOT A GIMMICK! This is actually an entire hockey team on our cover! We estimate the total weight on the cover at that time to be close to 900 lbs! When the kids jumped off the cover, there was no sign that these kids were even up there! Back to Top
Can I stand on it? Absolutely. As it has a finish that is extremely mar-resistant, only the most severe actions will scratch or mar the cover. Back to Top
Describe the side profile/low profile of the cover? Your UNDERCOVER has a SLEEK, STYLED, and COUNTOURED FIT. The cover is designed to EXACTLY match the specifications of your truck bed. It is perfectly flat and wraps over the side rails and tailgate just enough to ensure unbeatable security and an extremely weather-tight fit. Back to Top
How much does the cover weigh when it is removed? For a full size truck, the cover weighs only 58 lbs!. For trucks with slightly smaller beds (like the Ford F150 SuperCrew) the cover itself weighs only about 45 lbs.!
This is less than half of the weight of a traditional fiberglass cover that typically weighs 125+ lbs.
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You recommend that I purchase a tailgate protector on my truck to prevent "paint rubbing." Why? Because our tonneau cover locks the tailgate of the truck, the clearance is tighter on the tailgate so not to allow someone to "jerk" the tailgate open when the tonneau is locked. Therefore, we absolutely recommend installing a tailgate protector on the truck. Many experienced truck owners install a sprayed-in bedliner that goes over the tailgate's top edge. This is often the preferred method of choice for many truck owners. However, a simple plastic tailgate protector is absolutely appropriate and will do the job! Back to Top
Will the UNDERCOVER rub the paint on my rails of my truck? When installed correctly, this is unlikely and to date, we have not had any issues with rubbing on trucks and 99% of all tonneaus are installed without any protection. Our cover is designed with proper clearance to allow for this. However, there is always the possibility that this could happen. If paint rubbing is a problem on the front or side rails, this would be caused form installing the unit out of square on the truck. However, even if you install the cover correctly, the exception to this is the tailgate. Because our tonneau cover locks the tailgate of the truck, the clearance is tighter on the tailgate so not to allow someone to "jerk" the tailgate open when the tonneau is locked. Therefore, we absolutely recommend installing a tailgate protector on the truck. Many experienced truck owners install a sprayed-in bedliner that goes over the tailgate's top edge. This is often the preferred method of choice for many truck owners. However, a simple plastic tailgate protector is absolutely appropriate and will do the job! Back to Top
This GELOY/ABS Plastic material sounds unbelievable. Does it have any weaknesses? If there is one weakness the cover has, it is "chemical resistance." This product will look great for years and years to come, and will withstand all abuse Mother Nature can throw at it (i.e. sun, snow, rain, small hail, etc.). However, you must be VERY CAREFUL not to use products on the cover that are not "Plastic Friendly" otherwise these products may dull or cloud the finish of your cover. Any ammonia based products like PINE-SOL and Windex must be avoided! ALWAYS READ THE LABEL before using on the cover, and if it doesn't say "Safe for use on Plastics" or "Plastic Friendly," then don't use it! You are ALWAYS safe using mild soap and water (or car wash soap) to clean the cover, and then polishing with 303 Protectant! Please don't read this and think it is a big problem as it absolutely is not one! This complaint has only happened at a rate of 1 time per ever 5,000 covers sold! One instance appeared to be at the hands of "OFF" insect repellent, which has chemicals in them that attack plastic. Again, this is not a problem whatsoever as long as you aware of the issue. This caution is prominently printed not only here on the website, but multple times on the Installation Instructions and Warranty Card. We put this on our website as we believe our best customer is an informed customer! Back to Top
