Is the Extang Solid Fold 2.0 Cover Right For You?

If you’re reading this then it’s safe to assume you are trying to find out what the best hard tonneau cover is for your truck bed and for your needs. We’ll try to help you out. We’ve been selling and installing truck bed covers for over 27 years and we’ve tried almost every brand in the USA at some point or another.

The Extang Solid Fold 2.0 is just what the name implies. It’s the updated version of their original hard folding cover (1.0) and designed to out-perform all of its competitors. The original version was a solid performer. But after many manufacturers came out with their version of it (copycats), Extang decided to re-engineer it and make it better still.

When it comes to hard folding truck bed covers, there are 2 designs you can start with. One that sits on top of the bed and uses the bed rails for support, or a flush fit model that is lower profile, but you have to install rails in order for it to have some place to “sit”.

For the flush fit models, they do look cleaner since they don’t stand any taller than the top of your truck bed, with the exception of the thickness of the rubber (EPDM) weather stripping or weather seal. Flush fit models use rails that clamp on to your truck bed, usually 3 clamps to a side unless you have a long bed, which would get 4 per side. With the cover firmly in place and sitting on the rails, these 6 clamps are what is supporting the rails (which is supporting the cover) and whatever weight you put on there (such as 200+ lbs. of snow), coolers or whatever you would throw up there.   There isn’t anything wrong with this design. They look great and perform really well for the most part. And none of these are meant to be stood on; they are for keeping your cargo secure and for the most part, dry.

With the top-mount covers like Extang’s Solid Fold 2.0, these sit on top of the truck bed and use the trucks OEM bed rails for support. This distributes weight over the entire truck bed and tailgate. Yes, that’s all 4 sides, not just down the driver and passenger side like a flush fit cover.  So as long as a top mount cover is built as a heavy-duty unit, these will hold a ton (not literally) of weight. For years, Extang marketed this with a 4-wheeler / ATV / Quad parked on top of it. They don’t recommend putting that weight on there, but it’s that strong. In fact, Extang claims it will hold 750 lbs. if it’s evenly distributed over the cover.

Another thing that makes this cover incredibly strong is the 1” thick Endurashield panels. What’s Endurasheild? Beats the hell out of me! Just kidding. It’s an automotive grade polymer that is incredibly tough, resists UV fading better than fiberglass reinforced panels (FRP) or aluminum. It’s also scratch and dent resistant so it holds up better to harsh elements like hail, sleet, etc. Did we mention this is a heavy-duty tonneau cover?

While we’re talking about the panels, the Solid Fold 2.0 has aluminum rails built into the panels and a honeycomb construction which is where it gets its weight capacity. On top of that, they have a clean, matte black textured finish to compliment that factory bed caps and tailgate caps on today’s late model pickups.

Other benefits are their Jaw-Grip front clamps that secure it to the front of the truck bed along with the EZ Lock clamps in the rear that let you open/close it in just a few seconds. No tools required. It’s basically just a big wing nut up front and a spring-loaded, pull down clamp in the rear that is adjustable and snaps into place. And when you stack/fold the cover up or remove it completely, both the rear EZ lock clamps and the front Jaw-Grip clamps are self-storing inside the underside body of the cover. Sweet!

The cover uses a hard, polymer rubber in the corners and on the ends of the hinges along with snap-on (replaceable) weather seals to help keep moisture out. The most common question we get is, “Is the Extang Solid Fold waterproof”? The short answer is “No”. No tonneau cover is waterproof. But you can make adjustments, add tailgate seals, and do a few other things to get it pretty close.

Truck beds are built by Ford, Chevy, Ram and all the other OE’s to haul stuff. For people that want a perfectly dry cargo area, these guys build SUV’s with decent sized storage areas that keep water out (think Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition, etc.).   We always tell people that every truck is built differently. Tonneau cover manufacturers design these to fit over a completely stock (empty) truck bed.   When you put a plastic drop-in liner in a truck, it changes things. Plus, no 2 trucks, even of the same make and model, are exactly alike. Tolerances around the tailgate vary. Bed caps that stick up slightly higher on one side more than the other get things out of kilter, etc.

The Extang Solid Fold 2.0 will keep out 98% of the rain for most trucks. It has seals on all 4 sides and will keep most of the rain out from these areas. But depending on the make and model of your truck, you may get some water in, especially in the front corners. Please also notice that we said rain, not water. Water from an automatic car wash or one where you wash it yourself with a wand is shooting water at a ridiculously high pressure from 12” away, is going to force water into the bed. Maybe even a LOT.   High-pressure water + close distance vs. small rubber and foam seals = water in the bed of your truck.   Also, rain mostly comes straight down from the sky, not in horizontal streams like a fire hose. So you don’t get a lot of rainwater in but plan on an automatic car wash pushing some through the seals.   

And speaking of the seals, Extang uses a triple “fin” style seal. If you look at this photo, you’ll see that water has to get past not 1, but 3 different seals to get into the bed. So while no cover is waterproof, the Solid Fold 2.0 has lots of obstacles in the way to help keep more water out than those cheap tonneau covers claiming to be the best.

On many trucks, the bulkhead rail (front of the bed, up on top) isn’t the same height as the side rails. It’s shorter. On some trucks, such as newer Toyota Tacoma’s, it’s a big difference. So water can get in here. It isn’t the cover’s fault. It’s just the way Toyota designed the bed.   You can add foam or rubber seals to build this up more and that definitely helps. A good quality tailgate seal will further help keep the elements and car wash on the outside of the truck. Don’t buy the cheapest thing you can find or that’s what you’ll get. And when you add a tailgate seal, there’s always some left over.  You can cut a small piece and use it to plug the gap in the front corner of the bed or wherever water is coming in!  Bonus. 

And what about security? Does this cover lock? No. At least not on its own. But is your cargo secure? Absolutely. Just make sure you lock your tailgate and your cargo is protected. You can’t open a Solid Fold 2.0 cover without opening the tailgate. So if you lock your tailgate, then you are secure.

Does this allow for full bed access? Yes! You can completely remove this cover in about 2 minutes. Maybe even 60 seconds after you’ve done it a time or two.

Can you drive with the bed open and the cover still installed? Yup. Just make sure you use the attached straps to secure the “stack” to the front clips that are built into the front rail. As long as these are secure, drive away.

We also have people asking if the Extang Solid Fold 2.0 will work if the user has a toolbox mounted on top of their bed. You bet! Extang makes a toolbox edition of the Solid Fold 2.0 to work with standard size (19-20”) toolboxes. The only thing that is different (besides the length) is that you mount a front rail that connects to the driver and passenger side. On the standard model Solid Fold, the cover sits on top of the front bed rail. But if there is a toolbox in the bed, you have to mount this cross rail to give the cover something firm to sit on for support.      

And with all the hullabaloo about tariffs, cheap Chinese knock-off products and everything else, you should know that Extang is American Made! Ann Arbor, Michigan to be exact. Built by Americans and backed by Americans with a full 3-year warranty to protect you from manufacturing defects.