Our Ford Maverick’s Factory Tonneau Cover Cost $1,200—Was It Worth It?

When we specced the Ford Maverick small pickup truck we bought last year, one of the crucial boxes we checked was for a tonneau cover. As it still can now, the Maverick could be ordered with one of three dealer-installed options: soft roll-up, hard roll-up, and hard folding. We went with the second option. Did we make the right pick? Yes. Mostly.

Why’d We Choose the Hard Roll-Up Tonneau? 

For us, the soft roll-up cover didn’t offer enough security or weather protection—our truck lives in Michigan, where we see four real seasons—and we didn’t like that the tri-fold hard cover wasn’t quite as versatile or tidy to open and close as the hard roll-up option. That last one seemed like the most versatile among Ford’s offerings, and we weren’t going to go off menu and get an aftermarket clamshell or anything. Plus, a Blue Oval logo is displayed on the slats when rolled up, which adds a dash of style if you care about that sort of thing. 

See All 7 Photos7

Is It Secure? 

When we initially took delivery of our efficient little pickup, it was clear its tonneau top was sturdy and well-engineered. It’s even more secure than we thought, too, being that it latches not only at the rear—you pull down on a cable that runs across the back to release the top—but also along the bedsides. Locking the main latches actuates long metal rails that secure the sides of the cover. 

See All 7 Photos7

Is It High-Quality? 

The top is indeed sturdy and well-engineered; nothing has broken or seems overly worn during our year-plus of ownership, which has included a lot of snow and wet weather. Well, except the felt straps adhered to the underside. These seem to be intended to protect your hands from touching scorching bare aluminum when you roll the cover back on hot days.  

But the same heat, we presume, causes the felt’s adhesive to let go, and within days of our truck entering its first summer, the felt had come off both sides and just dangled down, all sad and floppy, exposing extremely gooey glue. To be blunt, it comes across as janky and puts a cramp on our impression of the cover’s quality. It’s supplied to Ford by Bak Industries (the model is the Bak Revolver X4), who also offers the cover on the aftermarket to fit just about any truck.  

We were slightly worried that the vinyl cover might crack in frigid temperatures, but it’s held up fine during winter usage so far.  

See All 7 Photos7

Since we took delivery, Bak addressed the problem by swapping the felt for molded plastic pieces to serve the same purpose. Our dealer reattached the felt near the tailgate when we went in to have the latest recalls addressed, but it’s now just coming loose from the front. We’ve read that some Maverick owners have received the updated version of the cover as a warranty replacement due to the failure of the felt adhesive, and we plan to pursue this route. 

See All 7 Photos7

Is It Weatherproof? 

Not completely, as there are still gaps around the tailgate. Also, ours was installed slightly too far forward, which meant the rubber seal on the top’s trailing edge didn’t contact the inner part of the tailgate. But we were able to adjust it in just a few minutes ourselves (more on that below) and now have a top that keeps out all but a few wayward drops of rain or melted snow. 

See All 7 Photos7

How Much Weight Can You Put on Top When It’s Closed? 

Ford does not display a rating on its own site for the top, but Bak Industries rates the Revolver X4 for 400 pounds of evenly distributed weight. That means you shouldn’t try, say, standing on it, but we wouldn’t hesitate to throw a bag of trash on top to run it down the driveway or to use the top as an impromptu table for tools when changing a tire (which we’ve done) or for food and drinks at an outdoor gathering. 

See All 7 Photos7

Can You Open/Close It Without Opening the Tailgate?  

The top cannot be opened until the tailgate is open; you must access the cable release inside, ideally pulling at the same time on the left and right, to unlatch it. Once unlatched, just roll the cover forward toward the cab and secure it in place using the straps and buckles mounted to the frontmost tonneau mounts.  

You can close the cover with the tailgate up; just unroll it and firmly press down on each rear corner to lock it in place.  

See All 7 Photos7

How Much of the Bed Does It Take Up When Rolled? How Much of the Rear Window Does It Block?  

When rolled, the top has a diameter of 8 inches or so. Because of the bed’s shape, you lose a little more space than that at the front, maybe 10 inches.  

You lose about half the view through the rear window, which isn’t great to begin with (and which we made worse with one of our option choices). Of course, if you have the tonneau open, you’re probably hauling something that would block your view anyway, so this shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. 

See All 7 Photos7

Can a DIYer Take It Off/Install It? 

We’d recommend having a friend around to help take the tonneau cover on and off, but it’s theoretically a one-person job. The tonneau secures to welds on the undersides of the bed rails via clamps. A standard ratchet set and a box wrench are all you really need to tighten the clamps. When we pulled off the top to reposition it (for better weather sealing), we removed the clamps and then closed the tonneau before positioning a person on each side to lift it off. The now-rigid cover was a snap to move this way, and putting it back simply required reversing the steps. Easy peasy.  

Verdict? 

Outside of the failing felt, we’re happy with the tonneau cover, and its $1,200 price from Ford is commensurate with what you can expect to pay buying it separately from aftermarket accessories sites. Order with impunity, especially now that its major flaw has been addressed.

More on Our Long-Term 2023 Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid 

• We Bought a Maverick and It's a Real F***ing Truck! 

• Interior Review: Almost Everything You Need 

• 10,000-Mile Fuel Economy Update 

• So, Are We Having Regrets? 

• Our Maverick Was Rear-Ended! How Much to Repair? 

• Our Maverick Has Been Recalled 5 Times (and Counting) 

Great outward visibility, sensational interior packaging and design, efficient and comfortable commuter, bed is larger and even more versatile than it seems.