Buying Truck

[deerfield]

Would appreciate guidance on buying a truck.

Located a 2012 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab to replace the family’s aged 1999 Chevy Suburban tow vehicle.

MSRP is $48,105.

Dealer is offering a price of $37,545, mostly due to incentives at this time of year now that 2013 models are on the lot.

There is nothing additional I need or want added to the truck and am not interested in buying any form of additional warranty coverage.

Going to trade-in the Suburban.

This Tuesday I make another trip to the dealer. This time it is for the specific purpose of negotiating price.

I want to be smart about this, but am not interested in spending all day at the dealer trying to get every last nickel.

The only data points at my disposal are the MSRP and dealer price, both of which track pretty close to pricing at four other dealers in the same general area.

Looked at Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds.

Is there a way to know what the dealer paid for this particular truck so I can negotiate up from that dollar amount?

What should I keep in mind when negotiating? What should I avoid?

Appreciate the help. Thanks!


http://www.antiochchryslerdodgejeep.com/details/new-2012-Ram-1500-Laramie-Antioch-Chicago-IL/1C6RD7NT1CS315381/507540291/

[KG's Supra24]

Do they know you are wanting to trade in? If not, establish the lowest truck price before mentioning it. Work them as two separate deals on your end.

Of course, if you want to keep as many nickles as possible, consider selling it yourself. They are likely sending it straight to auction and going to be thinking wholesale dollars for their sales price.

As far as values, in this part of the country, dealers typically reference nada.

Avoid any financial gimmicks. Don't be afraid to walk out, they aren't going to turn your money down the following day.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[wolfeman131]

Couldn't give better advice than KG in regards to working it as 2 independent transactions. Get the number you want on the new truck, then work to the number you want for the 'burb. Walk away at least once.

I have also gotten great deals by working with the dealers Internet sales dept. negotiated all over email, told them to have paperwork ready to go, walked in with a check and drove away in 15 min.

I ran a deal like that one time where the dealership didn't have my paperwork ready when I arrived. I told the salesman to get the sales manager and told them I was leaving in 15 min and had no problem doing it in my current vehicle. At 14:59, I made my way to the door and drove off. Leveraged that hiccup into 2 yrs of free service.

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[mmandley]

Along with the advise from Wolfe and KG

I would also call your local Tire shop like Les Schwab or something and get the price for a Front Leveling Kit installed.

Tell them you want the truck Leveld in the front and you want a spray in bed liner added to the deal.

You can almost always get these added and its a great way to get more in the deal without lowering the price.

The thing is when buying anything with an Engine, you need to make the Dealer and yourself feel like your both Winners in this deal.

This is exactly what im dealing with on my new boat purchase, i got a few lines out there and some numbers have been exchanging hands but I dont feel im getting the best price or options yet. So i have began to toss in service deals and dealer type upgrades to sweeten my deal.

I think 36K on a 12 loaded Dodge is pretty awesome deal man. I would push for the leveling kit, bedliner.

On your used truck look it up n Nada and see what they say the bottom trade value is for. Ask your self honestly, is your burb worth that NADA says it is? Pick a price you want realistically for your truck and thats the price you go for as a trade in. Another way is look at Auto Trader in your area and see how many simular trucks like yours are for sale and get a feel for the asking price of them.

This gives you ammo for your trade in deal. Be realistic, be firm, and know more about the resale on your truck then the dealer.

Lastly, being able to walk away completly is a good strategy but its like crying wolf, it only works 1 time. You walk away and they call your bluff and let you walk out, you might not find that good of a deal someplace else, and if you walk back in they know they got you and your deal wont get much sweeter. Be carefull with walking out threats is all im saying

[beat taco]

I'm curious how little they will offer on the burb. They will want it for wholesale book. I'm in the same situation with an aging burb that needs an upgrade. I'm afraid to try and trade it, thinking they'll offer me around a thousand for it.
I like Wolf's tactics, I may try that next. I was going to call the dealer in advance and tell them 30 minutes in and out or I walk, no exceptions. I really like email and 15 minutes better!

[wolfeman131]

Best deal I ever got on a vehicle I did on Dec 26th. Had the place to myself and the staff. Everyone was relaxed.

In a major metro market like Atlanta or Chicago, never be afraid to walk. If one dealer makes you a deal, another one (or three) will make the same deal. I always ask for my deal in writing and walk out first time with it in hand. If dealer #1 doesn't want to work with me when I go back, I take it to dealer #2 and they always match, or beat, that deal.

Great advice from Mike as sometimes the better "deal" isn't just the number. Get them to throw in freebies like he mentioned or service.

[sandm]

personally, on a vehicle that old, I wouldn't even bother trading it in. they are not going to give you squat for a trade. typically you can expect somewhere south of trade in if you have negotiated a decent price on the vehicle. up here, the dealers are not using nada/kbb anymore but are using auction values since the majority of trades go that direction. my experience has been that any vehicle priced under $4k moves very quickly on craigslist. yes, it does take some effort vs handing a dealer the keys, but it's also MUCH easier to walk with no trade on the table and expect a call back not to mention it doesn't muddy the water allowing the dealer to play shell games with both prices.. now if it's a more expensive car sometimes you are better off to trade as you only pay tax on the difference, but probably not in this case on a decade+ old suburban.

if you have negotiated the best price on the rig, would you rather have $1k as a trade or 2k in your pocket and have made another family happy that needs a rig?

[patrick232]

If you can use the mfg site to build the truck you want and see what other dealers in the area have it. Print out the inventory / window sticker online.
Call and talk with the sales manager to confirm the truck is on the lot and ask him/her to fax or email you their numbers. Should have within 30 minutes. Once your have 2 or 3 prices start working the phones. I found that dealing with the sales manager you cut out the back and forth and when it comes time for the delivery they will assign their best sales person to deliver your truck.
Not sure if Ram / Dodge has a credit union pricing deal like gm. If they do look into that.

[bhowell]

Take your trade-in by Carmax and get an offer. This should be your trade in floor as it involves little additional effort. I would also immediately post it to Craigslist if I had title in hand. It sounds like its a secondary vehicle so you can afford to wait to sell or sell before getting the upgrade.

[maxpower220]

Take the first offer he gives you. Take it fast, get home and tell your wife what a great deal you made.


In the end, do your research. When you get numbers that you are happy with and they will let you walk, then be confident that you are good. No matter what you do, the dealer is still making money and someone else will always have a story of a better deal. When you are happy, that's all that matters.

[deerfield]

Guys - I appreciate the information, insight, and thinking.

Outcome of today's trip to the dealer: no deal.

I provided the salesman a written offer, including a number for his truck, an amount I was asking for my trade-in, rate of interest not-to-exceed, and loan term.

No problem with the rate and term.

But on the deal itself, difference between my net number and dealer's best offer was $1,000.

Frankly, I was wanting to do the deal at the price the dealer was offering. But I had a plan walking into the dealer so decided to stick with it.

The salesman and his sales manager know we are still in the market for a new tow vehicle. In the meantime, the trusty Suburban will stay in service.

Again, thanks for the help. - Deerfield

[jpetty3023]

I bet he calls before turkey day!


sent from my home phone

[wolfeman131]

I agree w/ petty. Keep the cell charged and with you next week. Pre-plan a day to go close the deal.

[jpetty3023]

you sporting a new truck yet Deerfield?


sent from my home phone

[deerfield]

you sporting a new truck yet Deerfield?


sent from my home phone


Jason - No. Still own the Suburban. In fact, had the gas line repaired and left the Suburban with the family. I took the Highlander to the new job in Virginia. It will be after the first of the year that we look again for a new tow vehicle. Priority now is to find a home here in Virginia and get the family moved. Sure would like a Ram truck. - Deerfield

[jpetty3023]

Good luck with the house hunting Stu. I thought for sure the dealership would have had you in a new truck before turkey day. Stay safe on your travels

[rc5695]

$1k doesn't sound like too aweful much, esp. with the price they were offering on that truck. $37k is a great deal. I traded my Sub in when I got my van, and they did me OK. It never hurts to ask... I'd go back and see if they'll split the difference...

[Cigars n scotch]

Jason - No. Still own the Suburban. In fact, had the gas line repaired and left the Suburban with the family. I took the Highlander to the new job in Virginia. It will be after the first of the year that we look again for a new tow vehicle. Priority now is to find a home here in Virginia and get the family moved. Sure would like a Ram truck. - Deerfield

Hey Deerfield, i hadn't followed this thread but it sounds like you're moving to VA from another state. Wanted to pick your brain a little on some things if you wouldn't mind. My wife and I are looking to relocate to SC right across the border from Charlotte and I've never moved to another state with a family, so just curious on how you prioritized what you needed to do and how you're conducting your house hunting. Online first, then having a realtor show you around?

We thought about renting for like a 6 mo lease so it would get us down there and then we could look at many places.

Just curious about your process.

[maxpower220]

While I'm not Deerfield, I do have a lot of experience in moving (11 times in the last 13 yrs). My moving was all part of the military dictating where I was going. So, some of my moves I knew were short term (2 yrs), which meant I was going to rent. I did move into apartments for a short while and then move into a house within a few months. I would not recommend that unless you have no choice.

First, you know where you are going. Cruise the internet for homes, check schools for where you need to be location wise, and check the crime reports for "bad areas". It is helpful if you know people who have lived there to give you pointers on good/bad areas and schools.

If you are planning on buying, you need to start as early as possible. Work with a realtor soon. Hopefully you can be very specific about your housing needs. Plan on house hunting and set that up early with the real estate agent. I found that I needed to be rudely specific with agents. Some don't plan routes for looking at homes (which wastes your time which is probably not a lot), they show homes that don't meet your requirements, or are out of your budget restaints. You don't have time for someone who doesn't work for you and your requirement. You will also need to get pre-approved for a loan prior to going there and be prepared to submit an offer with earnest money. Have a back-up house in mind if a deal doesn't work. Also check the rental market in case you can't make a deal House hunting is a highly stressful week of your life.

If you want to rent, then a lot of that can be done on the internet. Because most place won't "hold" a place, you will need to rent about a month before the move. Shopping early won't help unless you will rent without being there for a month or two. (I had to do that in San Diego) Be prepared for 1st month plus a security deposit (some places are first and last months rent plus deposit).

IMO, it is best to find a place and not plan to move again. Moving is expensive and stuff gets damaged or broken. The hassle of moving twice is taxing on you and your family. If you can, try to take the whole family in one car. My wife and I drove seperately across the country , it sucked. To do it again, I think I would sell one car and buy when I got to the destination.

Sadly, I am at the 18 month point in my home and my (and my wife's) internal move clock is ticking. As much as moving sucks, it does add to the spice of life. Good luck with your search and your move.

[rc5695]

While I'm not Deerfield either, I'll give you a little feedback... It applies only if you plan on being there for a while ( I HATE moving!!!)

I moved from MI to SC in 2000, with 2 kids at the time. Greenville's a pretty big place, although not as big as Charlotte for sure! But being completely new to the area, we didn't want to spend a wad on a house and then not like the area in a few years (also had to sell ours first anyways). Do some research for apartments on the internet, as close to your work as possible. Keep about 3 or 4 to look at and go check them out prior to moving and get one. I'd recommend a 6 month lease (or month to month). This should be plenty of time to converse with co-workers and drive around, finding the perfect area you want to be in. Like maxpower said...


First, you know where you are going. Cruise the internet for homes, check schools for where you need to be location wise, and check the crime reports for "bad areas". It is helpful if you know people who have lived there to give you pointers on good/bad areas and schools.

.... Hopefully you can be very specific about your housing needs. Plan on house hunting and set that up early with the real estate agent. I found that I needed to be rudely specific with agents. Some don't plan routes for looking at homes (which wastes your time which is probably not a lot), they show homes that don't meet your requirements, or are out of your budget restaints. You don't have time for someone who doesn't work for you and your requirement. You will also need to get pre-approved for a loan prior to going there and be prepared to submit an offer with earnest money. Have a back-up house in mind if a deal doesn't work. Also check the rental market in case you can't make a deal House hunting is a highly stressful week of your life...

While 2 moves do suck, if you just buy a house you may end up trying to move again the next couple years anyways. At least if you do the 2 moves right away, pretty much everything is still packed up and the 2nd move isnt' too bad this way. We ended up taking a year, since we couldn't find the house we wanted and ended up having one built to our specs where we wanted it. Can't do something like that if you're trying to move straight into a house in the next few months. If I ever move to a location I'm unfamiliar with again, that's what I'll do, even with the 6 more kids than last time...I'll just have to rent 2 apartments or a HUGE house. Lol.

[kaneboats]

We did the school research and picked a neighborhood and price range and looked on the internet for 6 months. Made 2 trips and bought our house on the second one. I wish we would have lived here for 6 months before deciding where to live. While our house was adequate, it was not quite right for us and we ended up staying there for 6 years before putting it on the market and 2 more before it sold. So, 8 years in the wrong house. I say go live there a while and move again. A local move is WAY easier than a cross country move. BTW, this time around we sold, moved in a temp house (there are tons available if you know where to look) and lived there from May to Oct. till our deal was finalized and we got in our new one. So I moved twice this year with 6 kids in school. It can be done. Oh, and I didn't use any movers and only rented a truck one time for part of a day Boat owners are resourceful. You can make your plan work.

[wolfeman131]

C&S - if I remember correctly, you're in a townhouse or apt now, right? This may sound unconventional, but here is a thought: sell it all in Jersey and temporarily move into a furnished place in SC. This will let you accomplish the best of the advice above. In a sense, you will move once, you get to scout out the area for the right location/home and you're wife is happy that she gets new stuff for the new home. And, trust me on this, NOTHING you have today is going to "work" in the new house so you're going to buy new anyway and sell the old on CList, just now in SC after you've paid to move it.

[KG's Supra24]

And, trust me on this, NOTHING you have today is going to "work" in the new house so you're going to buy new anyway and sell the old on CList, just now in SC after you've paid to move it.

It's odd how none of it "works" huh?

[moombadaze]

It's odd how none of it "works" huh?

never thought about that myself but damm, there is some truth there. the ONLY furniture we still have from the old house is the dining room table and matching china cabinet and our bedroomset that has been put into my daughters room. Everything else was replaced. Boy i now know if we ever move long distance to just sell before and get new when we get there and that would really take some stress off moving and save some money too-for the move anyway.

[deerfield]

Hey Deerfield...curious on how you prioritized what you needed to do and how you're conducting your house hunting...We thought about renting for like a 6 mo lease so it would get us down there and then we could look at many places.

Cigars – Priority is being a great employee. Only way I know how to accomplish that is to leave the family and immerse myself in a new job.

First time was in the early nineties, when I left Illinois in the month of September for an assignment in DC with the Justice Department. My wife stayed in Illinois with the two boys (ages 5 and 3). Before leaving, I sold the house and put our stuff in storage. She and the boys moved in with her mother. I needed very little and lived on the cheap. I was able to work long days without guilt and use weekends to search for permanent housing. I vividly remember the Saturday afternoon I called her, thoroughly discouraged by housing costs and fruitless search results. She encouraged me to keep looking. Not long after, I found a development in its early phase located south of Quantico VA that fit our budget. We moved into the new house in February and had a great experience. Did not use the services of a realtor.

With a change of administration in the White House, I had an abrupt departure from the Justice Department. I put the family (then three boys) on a plane to Illinois and stayed behind to pack up. Thankfully, house sold quickly. Used a realtor. We put our stuff in storage in Illinois and moved in with her mother while figuring out the next chapter. Found my way into banking and eventually bought a house in the same town where her mother lived.

This time around, it’s the same priority. Immerse myself in the new job and work long hours. Family will follow. It may take six to nine months. I am living in a hotel for a couple of weeks while looking for interim housing. Again, I need very little and can live on the cheap. The boys are older now (26, 24, and 19), so don’t need to factor in schools and such to the same degree. For her, want reasonable access to Costco, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes, and close by to Starbucks. I want lake proximity. Compared to twenty years ago, the main difference with this search is the Internet. I use it to pull data of all sorts and search the sale and rental markets. Like the move to DC, this is an area about which I know nothing. So, I get in the car and drive, drive, drive.

If you are looking at long-term satisfaction, then I think your idea of renting for six months is spot on. Yes, on net it may add to your expense, but it gives you plenty of opportunity to learn the area, decide what you like best, and make an informed decision. - Deerfield

[kaneboats]

Whether or not you have school aged children, schools remain a good indicator of quality in any area. Be sure to drive by the local ones in the places you are considering and look up their info online. Best of luck to you in your search.

Great point about Craigslist. You don't have to move your old furniture and junk anymore-- just sell it and buy it back when you get there. You can actually upgrade quite a bit if you are patient. Saves a lot of moving and especially storage expenses.

[bergermaister]

So I've been paying on a storage for about 9 months now ~$900 or so total, consisting mostly of a couch, loveseat, kitchen table and chairs, couple tv's, lamps, and the rest is mostly piddly stuff. The idea was to save this for the older daughter so she has something to start with when she moves out. This is at least the 3rd time I'm second guessing this idea. Thinking we should sell it off while it's still worth something and dump the storage. Save the proceeds of the sales and give that to her as a "move-in" present. Thoughts?

[jpetty3023]

dump the storage unit, use the 100 a month on "boat expenditures" and throw the money from the furniture sales into an account for her. dump an extra few bucks here and there for her and its a win-win!


sent from my home phone

[mmandley]

dump the storage unit, use the 100 a month on "boat expenditures" and throw the money from the furniture sales into an account for her. dump an extra few bucks here and there for her and its a win-win!


sent from my home phone

Completly agree, you can goto dozens of the cheap furniture places and pick up an entire living room with tables sofa, chair, love seat for less then 1G. Then she can get a cheap little dinning set used, use her SINGLE bed to sleep in LOL>

[moombadaze]

Save the proceeds of the sales and give that to her as a "move-in" present. Thoughts?


great idea, gives her a budget and she picks her own stuff and has pride in buying her "own" stuff

[Cigars n scotch]

All good advice and ideas, thanks fellas.

Yes Drew, we currently live in a condo. However selling it is probably not an option because I am darn sure I am underwater. I am not keen on taking our savings and paying off the difference in the mortgage for what we might be able to sell it. Our savings is our down payment on the next home. We're going to have a realtor do an appraisal just to see where we're at but I'm not confident. The units here have been selling for at least $15k less than what I owe against comparables (we unfortunately bought in 2006 around the height of the market) Some are even selling for $140-$160k's It's depressing.

I've done a lot of work to our condo and I fear I'm not going to make any of it back, if I do it'd be minimal. So we really only have the option of renting it out. The good thing though is I have my father and also my mom and stepfather all within 30 minutes of my current place and if something needed to be fixed I can call upon them (both are extremely handy). I certainly would love to sell it and get rid of it but I just don't think it's going to happen. There's a few units on the market here that are basically the same as when they were built so my market value would be higher than those but the highest one has sold for recently was 6 months ago and sold for $170k. I owe about $180k.

The biggest problem we experience now is space. Our family is growing. We have a 15 month old daughter now and are looking to expand that to another child very soon, but we cannot until we move into a bigger place. There's no storage, I have our stuff stored at my parent's basement and also my father's garage. Stuff is everywhere. It's a big pain having to keep moving stuff around, and all of you with kids know that they accumulate more and more as they grow. The grandparents don't help with that respect ya know. There always buying stuff, hahaha.

Renting for a bit is definitely an option, not ideal but could be the smart move until we get situated and then focus on finding "our place". We plan to be there for a long time. NJ is just way to expensive. I'd like my wife to be able to stay home with our daughter and if we have another child too. But in NJ it's just damn near impossible. You need two incomes. My salary down in SC would go SO much further, and quality of life will be dramatically improved.

We're familiar with the areas, 4 yrs ago (when we originally wanted to do this and then the credit crisis put a delay in that) we spent a week visiting charlotte and the surrounding SC towns we're looking at. It's a great place. I also have a friend who lives in Charlotte, and he's even an agent on the side. So that helps. Right now we're focused on Fort Mill, and from the research we've done they have excellent schools and the area is growing. It's right near Lake Wylie so we'll have close proximity to the lake. Our dream would be to get a lakefront home but I just don't think we can swing it yet. We're still young so maybe in 10 or so years. So I'd be happy with close proximity and a house that fits our needs. You just cannot get anything in NJ like we're looking at in SC. SC has lower taxes than NC (we met a couple when we were down there that suggested we look right over the border at Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Gastonia who informed us of this). And it's all within a short drive to Charlotte.

My manager is working with me to create an opportunity to work remotely which is awesome. We have a satellite office right in Charlotte so I could drop in there every couple of days for protocol, but would mainly be working from home.

That point about the furniture is a good one, hadn't thought about that so thanks for pointing it out.

Anyways, like it was said before, moving sucks and it's daunting. Researching the net takes so much time and it's like information overload. I just have to remain focused.

Thanks for all of the insights. Really appreciate it. I just hope I don't have to sell the Supra to move down there! Wife says no way but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Not a thought yet, but its possible.

Good luck to you deerfield and your family's move. Hoping it goes easy. That's gotta be tough to be away from them for so long. I couldn't do it with having my little girl.


Justin
2008 Supra 21V
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[deerfield]

End of the story:

Today, bought a RAM 1500. Not as nice as the one on which my wife and I had an eye in November. But, it better fits our budget and need. It's a leftover 2012 model. Red, crew cab, Hemi engine, running boards, bed liner. Price out the door, including TTL ($2,680), is $27,411. I'll post a pic in a couple of weeks. Great tow vehicle. Great looking truck. Nice ride. Nice sound system. I am VERY pleased.


Would appreciate guidance on buying a truck.

Located a 2012 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab to replace the family’s aged 1999 Chevy Suburban tow vehicle.

MSRP is $48,105.

Dealer is offering a price of $37,545, mostly due to incentives at this time of year now that 2013 models are on the lot.

There is nothing additional I need or want added to the truck and am not interested in buying any form of additional warranty coverage.

Going to trade-in the Suburban.

This Tuesday I make another trip to the dealer. This time it is for the specific purpose of negotiating price.

I want to be smart about this, but am not interested in spending all day at the dealer trying to get every last nickel.

The only data points at my disposal are the MSRP and dealer price, both of which track pretty close to pricing at four other dealers in the same general area.

Looked at Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds.

Is there a way to know what the dealer paid for this particular truck so I can negotiate up from that dollar amount?

What should I keep in mind when negotiating? What should I avoid?

Appreciate the help. Thanks!


http://www.antiochchryslerdodgejeep.com/details/new-2012-Ram-1500-Laramie-Antioch-Chicago-IL/1C6RD7NT1CS315381/507540291/

[jpetty3023]

Congrats on the find. Enjoy your new rig


sent from my ipad2 via a wireless network which usually sucks

[rdlangston13]

Not as nice?? Still a Laramie which is too notch! Nice ride!


Sent from my iPhone

[kaneboats]

Congrats, Stu! Looking forward to seeing some pics.

[wolfeman131]

glad you were able to get something worked out. anxious to see some pics.

[deerfield]

Okay. Need advice on a tonneau cover.

Choices are soft or hard cover.Though more expensive, I am leaning toward the hard cover for security when leaving stuff in the truck bed during the day when we are on the boat.

Then, there is plastic or fiberglass. I think plastic as it is lighter and the less expensive of the two. If it's just me, I can more easily detach and install on my own.

There is a brand called UnderCover that I can order through and have installed by Pep Boys, near to where I am living here in Richmond. Price is around $800. Black only (fine w/ me, as it match the black trim).

What has been your experience with tonneau covers on your trucks? What did you buy? What has worked well/not so well?

Thanks!

[mmandley]

I personally like the soft.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/truxport-roll-up-soft-tonneau-covers/p2010334.jcwx

I had one on the F150 and Black Betty F350. I never had an issue with anyone taking anything out of the bed because they latch just inside the tailgate and you can lock the tailgate. So they have to cut it to get in it.

I like the fact i can roll it up and have full use of the bed in seconds.

On Serenity F350 she came with a camper shell, while i do LOVE this i do miss the ease of trowing large items in the bed now. If i want to get gravel, or dirt of the yard i have to get a trailer because it takes 2-4 people to remove the camper shell.

[moombadaze]

have a roll up soft cover on mine-love it, hardly ever leave anything in the bed but the security of a hard cover could make it worthwhile

[maxpower220]

I bought the Undercover Flex. It's a hard 3 piece flip cover. After owning 2 Avalanches, I got used to the hard covered storage. I like it, but I think anything would have really worked. I do have a tool box and towing items in the bed, so I don't worry about them being stolen easily. It fits level with the bed and looks nice.

If you are being charged much, install it yourself. Literally, there is nothing to the one I have.

[wolfeman131]

Hard a hard cover on my SportTrack. Never again. Whenever I needed it to be off, like buying a tree at Hime Depot, it was on. Whenever I needed it to be on, like during a downpour, it was sitting in the garage. Also, I kind of doubt you could take it on/off yourself just due to the awkwardness of handling something of that size.

Best solution is a Roll-N-Lock cover, IMO. However, if you have a crew cab and short bed, you will give up some cargo space. And, they are pricey.

http://www.rollnlock.com/

I went with a Truxedo brand soft cover. No snaps, and like max said, installs easily yourself. Best part, its there when you need it and out of the way in a sec when you don't.

http://www.truxedo.com/

[moombacraze]

I have a hybrid of the two. It is a BAK Roll X. It is a hard aluminum cover with vinyl on top, so it looks like the soft but can not be broken into. Check out this link. I have been very happy with it. Very easy to install.

http://bakindustries.com/p-8241-roll-x-hard-rolling-tonneau-covers-overview.html

[rc5695]

... Whenever I needed it to be off, ..., it was on. Whenever I needed it to be on, like during a downpour, it was sitting in the garage....
I've had a lot of trucks, and this is why I'll never put a hard cover on it. If you use it as a truck, it is going to be more of an invonenience than a convenience.

That said, my wife's grandpa has a roll-up hard tonou, and that thing is awesome! It takes up a little space at the front, but is sturdy, lockable and sealed when out. I'd own one of these in a heartbeat, if I could afford one. not sure of the brand, but I think there are a few out there now. I haven't looked into them in years, but they used to be pretty pricey.

[zabooda]

I have a Access soft cover and roll it up for my dirt bike and roll it down to lock the gear inside. It keeps the water out and rolls into an 8" roll at the cab. It is nice to have a place to secure the gear that you don't want to fly out of the boat. You need a locking tailgate to make it fairly secure though. It should help with the gas mileage also.