I’ll be honest with you. I’m more of a hard tonneau cover guy. There’s nothing like a durable cover that stands the test of time and adds a little more security to your property. Click here to read my short review of my preferred hard tonneau cover.
With that being said, hard tonneau covers have their disadvantages too. On my Tacoma, I have a hard one-piece cover that opens like a hinge. I have no regrets about it, but it does prevent me from carrying larger objects like couches, tables, or an ATV. I’d have to completely remove my tonneau cover to do so but that is a HUGE hassle.
A soft tonneau cover is considerably cheaper than a hard one and if you are willing to give up a little on the anti-theft properties, it protects your cargo just the same. Plus, you can remove it much more easily than a hard one. Although I’ve never owned a soft tonneau cover before, the one I would definitely get is the Extang Trifecta 2.0 which you can find on Amazon.
If you want, you can also check out the Extang Trifecta 2.0 Signature Series cover on Amazon, which is like the original 2.0 but on steroids.
Main Features
Strong Frame
The frame supporting the cover is made of lightweight aircraft grade aluminum. I don’t know why people “oooo” and “ah” when they hear aircraft grade or military grade. As if we truly know what that means.
Weather Resistance
Although it won’t completely block every single rain drop from entering your truck bed, it still does a really good job of protecting your cargo from the elements. The seals that keep the water out are snapped on instead of being glued to the cover. This promotes a longer lasting seal.
High Tension Cover
The problem with many soft tonneau covers is their tendency to flap in the wind while driving. The heavy-duty, leather grain fabric that the cover is made of has an integrated corner tuck system that keeps the cover nice and tight on the frame. You will notice very minimal flapping with the Trifecta 2.0
Why I Would Choose The Trifecta 2.0
All good quality soft tonneau covers have these in common (including the Trifecta 2.0):
- Easy to install and quick to remove from your truck bed
- Low profile appearance
- Weather Resistant
- High tension cover
- Simple to operate
- Comes fully assembled
However, with the Trifecta 2.0, the one thing that won me over were the re-engineered and patented EZ-Lock clamps. I had a friend who had a different brand soft tonneau cover and they came with the generic latch clamps that are typical with other soft folding tonneau covers. He was constantly fidgeting and adjusting the latch clamps every time he opened or closed his cover.
The EZ-Lock clamps are spring loaded and are much faster to operate when it comes to securing the Trifecta 2.0 to your bed. Not only are they fast to operate, but they ensure a proper seal of the tonneau cover. It gives me more confidence in knowing my cargo is safe from outside moisture.
What I Don’t Like About The Trifecta 2.0
For what it is, the Extang Trifecta 2.0 is a great tonneau cover. At the same time, it shares the same major flaw that all soft tonneau covers have: a lack of security.
To fully prevent a casual thief from getting into your truck bed, you have to have a locking tailgate. A locked tailgate prevents thieves from accessing the truck bed and disengaging the EZ-Lock clamps located in the rear of the tonneau cover. Unfortunately for me, my Tacoma does not have a locking tailgate but I know I can easily install a lock if I desired.
Also, if a thief was desperate enough, they could cut through your soft tonneau cover with a knife or box cutter and thus take whatever they wanted from your truck bed.
Video Reviews
This is a short video going over some of the Trifecta 2.0’s features:
This video shows how the Trifecta 2.0 can keep your truck bed fairly dry after a torrential rainstorm:
Final Thoughts
Like I said in the beginning, I’m not a big fan of the soft tonneau cover, but I can still appreciate its benefits and how other truck owners might find them advantageous over the hard tonneau cover. Soft tonneau covers are definitely less expensive and easily removable.
If you are interested in reading additional reviews or checking the most current price of the Extang Trifecta 2.0 on Amazon, click this link.