Paragon vs EGR Truck Bed Cover Review
One of my favorite parts of Rokslide is that you can find reviews or get honest feedback on just about anything. Truck threads (tires specifically) seem to pop up frequently. Many truck threads focus on accessories, and the accessory I’ve found most useful for my truck is a solidly made tonneau cover. I wanted a truck-bed cover for multiple reasons, and the obvious ones include weather protection and security, both of which increase the amount of year-round usable storage space in the truck. And while my F-150’s interior is roomy, two car seats on the rear bench eat up more of it than I’d like. As a result, hunting gear, groceries, tools, and sports equipment all get relegated to the truck bed.
Canopy vs Tonneau Cover
I waffled on whether I wanted a cap or a tonneau cover and ultimately decided on a tonneau. First, tonneau covers are generally cheaper, even the higher-end ones with added bells and whistles. Second, I haul enough large items in my truck that either wouldn’t fit under a cap, or it would be very difficult to do so. Tonneau covers – or at least the styles I looked at – offered flexibility to remove or retract as called for. Third, I prefer the aesthetic of a capless bed truck for my truck.
All of the above guided my search for the ‘perfect’ tonneau cover. I knew I didn’t want a cheaper cloth cover, as I had seen those fail in terms of durability, weatherproofing, and security. And I wanted something that could retract and uncover the truck bed for larger loads. So, I began the search for a retractable hardcover tonneau with a reputation for durability, ease-of-use, and excellent weatherproofing and security features. I narrowed that search down to two: Peragon’s Landmark hard retractable cover and EGR’s Rolltrac electric retractable cover.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to pick just one–not really, anyway. I convinced my best pal and hunting buddy that he needed a cover on his F-250, and we were able to test and use the covers side-by-side for the last year. Spoiler Alert: both are fantastic. I’ll review both of them here, but not as a direct comparison. Indeed, they’re different covers for different uses and in various price brackets, so they don’t offer an apples-to-apples comparison. I’m reviewing them together more as a one-stop look at two fantastic hard-cover retractable tonneau options for those who need durability, security, and protection from the elements.
Peragon Landmark
For no particular reason, I’ll start with the Peragon Landmark. This cover was installed on a 2018 Ford F-250 with a 6’8” box. The Landmark is made of coated aluminum panels that fold and slide accordion-style along the cover’s aluminum rails. Installation is no-drill and a breeze. The two aluminum rails mount onto the existing bed rails with Peragon’s QuickClamps, which are similar to those used with other tonneau or cap options you may have experience with. The panels can then be slid into the rails and attached.
The panels, with the help of ball bearings, retract smoothly along the aluminum rail towards the back of the bed. The cover can be adjusted and locked into place in multiple positions along the rails. It’s not a fully open or fully closed deal – you have flexibility. When fully retracted, the panels stack flatly together at the back of the box, preserving vision out of the rear window. The folded panels can remain in the bed, but they’ll take up about 8” of the box.
Realizing that many truck owners need to use the full storage capacity of their trucks, Peragon made it easy for the panels to be removed from the rails quickly. In less than a minute, you can remove all panels together from the rails and restore your bed to its original condition. The rails, of course, remain in place, but the bed can be used as it would without a cover. The panels only weigh about 35 pounds, so removal and reinstallation are a breeze. This is especially useful for those who are hauling ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles, or other large items in the beds of their trucks regularly. I also see it as a positive for those who may be hauling hay, mulch, or similar materials who need the full bed capacity and don’t want to abuse the retracted panels.
Peragon designed the rails to mount on the interior portion of the existing bed rails. This feature leaves the existing bed rails exposed to add aftermarket racks and other accessories. This was a feature I was specifically looking for. Sometime down the road, I’ll add crossbars or an over-the-bed rack to support a rooftop tent or various storage accessories.
The Landmark has proven durable and weather-resistant. The rails and panels have held up well to rain, sleet, snow, and blazing sun – sometimes all in one day, it seems in Pennsylvania. The truck has hauled hay, tools, hunting equipment, sports gear, camping supplies, and who knows what else. Things have been pushed in, pulled out, and laid on top. The coating and aluminum both still look great. And we’ve had zero hesitation about putting things in the bed that we didn’t want to get wet or dusty. While not weatherproof, the Landmark does a really nice job of sealing out water and dust. This was always a main concern of mine after bad experiences with other tonneau styles.
Along with keeping equipment dry and clean, the Landmark has also kept it secure. The model we have locks out access to the bed when the truck’s tailgate is up and locked. There’s no way in except for some sort of serious destruction to the cover. But Peragon has since improved the Landmark, and new versions all have keyed or deadbolt locking mechanisms. So, you can lock, unlock, open, and close the cover all with your tailgate up.
The only complaint we have with the Landmark is that it shows up when you’re stuffing the bed full of gear and need to access something in the back. Because the panels retract accordion-style at the back of the box, too much gear back there can prevent the panels from retracting, meaning you’ll have to crawl back under the cover to grab what you need. This didn’t prove to be an everyday inconvenience, but it’s something to think about.
Overall, this is a fantastic hard tonneau cover. It offers flexibility, durability, weather protection, and security. I think it’s perfect for the truck owner who sometimes needs a cover and sometimes does not. If you haul large items often in your truck bed, it’s perfect. You can fully retract the cover and still maintain good storage capacity, or you can fully remove it in less than a minute. Finally, it offers the ability to add other aftermarket accessories to really fit your needs. To top it off, the Classic version is priced at $1000, which offers a lot of great features at a reasonable price.
EGR Rolltrac
On to the EGR Rolltrac. This cover was put on a 2015 F-150 with a 5.5’ box. The EGR Rolltrac is a hard retractable cover that retracts into a canister that’s mounted at the back of the bed. I ended up with the electric version, which offers a level of convenience I didn’t know I needed. The cover can be opened, closed, or stopped somewhere in between with the touch of a button. The rails and cover are aluminum, capable of supporting a dispersed 700 lbs.
Unlike the rails of the Landmark, the Rolltrac’s rails sit directly on the existing bedrails. But they have integrated t-slots, meaning they’re still compatible with numerous over-the-bed accessories. I have a set of crossbars that can easily be positioned anywhere along the rails, depending on what I’m using them for. These bars, along with other accessories, can sit above the tonneau with ease.
The actual cover retracts into a canister that sits permanently at the back of the box. The canister extends about a foot into the bed, and about 8” down from the rails, so it does eat up some of the bed’s capacity. Smaller items can be stored under the canister, but items approaching the height of the box walls will be stopped short. Many in-bed storage units should fit under the canister, but double-check the dimensions of both before purchasing.
Installation of the Rolltrac took about three hours with two guys. The rails mount to the bed using the bed’s factory tie-down hardware. This means the cover is mounted sturdily – it won’t shift or rattle. Some drilling is required for installation, however. Drilling was required for running wires through the rear of the bed (between the cab and the box) and for rubber drain tubes that ensure water does not enter the covered box. I didn’t love having to drill into my truck bed, but it’s an aluminum-bodied truck, which negated any worry about rust. And after seeing how watertight the Rolltrac is, drilling was well worth it!
Regarding the non–electric Rolltrac models are also available. Those models are, of course, cheaper, and they’ll be a little quicker to install. And they’ll work in much the same way, but opening and closing the cover will be done manually. The electric model comes with all wiring and good instructions. I installed the actual cover, while my buddy (capable, but not an electrician or a mechanic) ran the wiring. The cover is powered by the truck, and the wiring is integrated to allow locking and unlocking of the cover with the truck’s key fob or door locks. So, when your truck is locked, the cover is also locked. The open/close buttons, which are on the tailgate-end of both rails for convenience, are inoperable when the truck is locked. I’ve not worried about the security of my truck bed at all, and I’ve had zero problems with the cover working when and as expected.
Durability and weather protection have been phenomenal with the Rolltrac. The entirety of the cover’s perimeter and the tracks that the cover slides along contain rubber seals. These seals provide a water-resistant (I would dare to call it watertight) barrier on the bed rails, retraction tracks, and at the tailgate. EGR includes some spacers and mounting instructions to ensure the cover is installed in a way that eliminates gaps and increases sealing. The cover also utilizes water channels and rubber drain tubes inside the bed to fully move water off the cover, through the box, and ultimately, to the pavement. The Rolltrac does call for a bead of black caulk where the canister meets the box behind the rear windshield. I did this; the result looks clean, and I think it’s also helped a lot with weather protection. I don’t worry one bit that the contents in my bed will get wet or dusty.
The rails, canister, and cover still look fantastic a year after installation. The truck is an outside truck – we don’t have room in the garage for it. So, it sits in the driveway anytime I’m not driving it. In Pennsylvania, that means blazing sun, stupid wind, violent thunderstorms, freezing temperatures, and every kind of precipitation imaginable. The aluminum parts all look good as new, and I haven’t noticed any fading from the elements. Similarly, the cover has held up well to user wear and tear, with one mark (from my bow), but no dents.
The negatives of the Rolltrac are minimal, but I do want to point them out. First, it is price. It’s not a cheap cover, especially when you upgrade to the electric model. But, I found the electric features to be incredibly convenient and useful, and I don’t know that I could go back to a non-electric cover. Second, you do lose some cargo space due to the canister. I could see this being a minor issue in longer beds, but in the 5.5” box of my F-150, space is precious. There have been times when I’ve missed the extra 12”. But that’s a trade-off I’ve accepted for my use-case, the added security, and the superior weather protection.
Overall, I’m not sure you’d find a better option than the Rolltrac for a one-and-done, all the bells and whistles, retractable tonneau cover. EGR has clearly thought through what truck owners want and need, and they’ve engineered a cover that overperforms in every single way. It’s not cheap, but you definitely get your money’s worth. It offers flexibility, durability, security, and weather protection without hassle or worry.
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