Here is a quick product review of my recently installed bed cover.
PRODUCT: CheckMate Soft Tonneau (#SH111)
COST: $159.00 + shipping
MANUFACTURER: Checker Products
979 US Hwy 68 East
Benton, KY 42025
502-527-1881
TRUCK: 1997 Dodge Dakota SLT+ ClubCab
PROS: Looks great, inexpensive, simple installation, increase in gas
mileage.
CONS: Horrible customer service, instructions need to be improved, had
to modify my bed liner and drill holes in bed. (There is a clamp
on version.)
REVIEW:
After seeing pictures of this cover on another list members truck and given
the rather inexpensive price, I was looking forward to getting the cover.
My girlfriend ordered the cover for me around Christmas and after a lot of
phone calls and lost orders, I received it around Valentines Day.
The overall design is good. Has a low profile and is pretty easy to
assemble. The instruction sheet really left a lot to be desired though.
It was a photocopy and the pictures were nearly solid black. There were
some misleading instructions as well. After assembling the frame, I
attached the vinyl cover. The only problem here was the excess vinyl at
the corners, it kept the cover from sitting flush on the bed when
installed. I ended up trimming some of the excess.
I have a stock Dodge bedliner which I had to modify in order to have the
cover sit flush. The hinge system is very good, it allows you to remove
the cover just by tilting it up and pulling back. The shocks that hold the
bed cover are spring loaded and rather cheap. I would like to have seen
gas shocks. It can be cumbersome to close the cover because you have to
release the shock on one side, then walk around and realease the other
side. The cover is held down with two straps located at the corners by the
tailgate. Again, the bed liner prevented me from mounting them in the
appropriate place, but I found a work around.
After burning a 1/2 tank of gas, I'm seeing about a .8-1.0 mpg increase in
gas mileage. The cover stays firmly in place at highway speeds and above.
The wind stream does force the back portion of vinyl down and the front
portion tends to bubble up, but that would seem to be inherent with all
soft covers.
Overall the design is good, price is good, it looks great! If it hadn't
been for the customer service trouble we had, it would have gotten an A-,
but I'm giving it a B- overall.
Matthew Brandes
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'97 Dodge Dakota SLT+
Black/Mist Gray Club-Cab, V8
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