Ive got a chest tool box in the bed of my truck and it sits about flush with the bed rails maybe slightly below, Id like to get a retractable cover so I can leave my bow and hunting gear locked up in the bed this deer season but I havent been able to find a cover that doesnt hang down some. The retrax needs 1 3/4" of room below the bed rail according to the manufacturer is there any other companies that mount on top of the bed rail but dont need any clearance below so it will clear my tool box when fully retracted?

 

Just a thought here. If you have a retractable cover, most of them lock and you could do away with the tool box in the bed.

 

Yeah but I tow a fifth wheel ande gooseneck fairly often and I also carry around stuff that would be higher then the cover and I wouldn't be able to lock up my tools then. I also have a large power inverter I have mounted in the box that I use a lot at the deer lease and id have no way of protecting it from the elements and I don't want to put it in the cab. I found one cover that should clear the box height wise but ill have to cut and section the box to make it about 4 inches narrower to clear the rails for the cover. The damn covers are expensive too at almost a grand. I may just say screw it and get me an airline quality watertight case like we use for our hunting gear and just leave that in the bed during deer season they are only about 200.

 

I am assuming your looking for a locking hard cover?

 

No I want a retractable one I don't want have to mess with pulling a hard one off everytime I want to arry something higher then the bed rails or tow one of my trailers.

 

I have a tri fold soft cover by extang that i really like, it attaches higher than the bed rails...


http://www.extang.com/docs/trifecta.html

 

I don't see much in the way of retractable ones, but there are a lot of rolltop covers that work with toolboxes.

 

Ive been looking and there are alot of manufacturers out there but I really need to see them in person or find someone on here who already has one to take some measurements for me. The ones that Im looking at MUST sit at or above the bed rail and they cant have rails that go down into the bed and then stick out more then about an inch otherwise the rail will interfere with my toolbox opening up. Id rather not hack it in half because Im sure my welder would want a pretty penny to TIG it back together after sectioning it. This one looks like it might work but I cant tell from the pics how far the rail sticks into the bed it looks to only be an inch or so wide but I cant tell.
http://www.autoanything.com/tonneau-...0A3050226.aspx
Ive called a couple cover manufacturers today and they arent very much help they just give me the simple answer "no" to be safe, they must not want to sell their product. I know Im going to have to move my tool box all the way up against the wheel well to make room for the retract canister thing so that sucks since Ill loose some more bed space but Ive got to have my tool box and it sure would be nice to be able to lock crap up in the bed. I really like this one but I dont think even with my tool box all the way forward Ill have enough room for the sections to pop up or fold down, watch the video and you will see what I mean.
http://www.peragon.com/truck-bed-cov....php?ref=yahoo
Im going to take some measurements and a picture so maybe you all can see what Im talking about better because Im getting frustrated trying to find one of these things I know there has to be one like Im talking about. I cant be the only person who has a chest tool box with a retractable cover.

 

Space between the front of the bed and the toolbox with it moved all the way up against the wheelwell.

How it sits in the bed

Room between bedrail and toolbox

After looking at everything it looks like the only thing Ill be able to find that will work it is a folding bed cover but then that leaves me with having to deal with taking it off and I couldnt just fold it forward for when Im pulling the fifth wheel because the trailer will smash it if its higher then about 3" above the bedrail when I take a turn out of a gas station. Looks like Im SOL unless I can find someone who has one and test fit it or get some concrete measurements.

 

What about something like this? I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but it would unsnap and roll up easily and doesn't stick up very high above the bedrails. It would lift like a hard cover when you just need toolbox access and would roll up when you need heavy object or gooseneck access, and comes completely off easily if necessary.

Extang FullTilt.