Roller Bed Cover Might Be Leaving

[Deleted member 12457]

If the commercial dump trucks have to cover their load , then why not require all pickup trucks to do the same to prevent the cargo from falling off the cargo bed? It’s a safety thing now that the lawyers want a part into our lives in this day and age.

In Washington state, loads are required to be covered or at least tied down. Does this mean all loads are covered? Of course not, including trucks carrying rocks, etc. As for pickups, I remember seeing one with all sorts of trash in it being stopped by police but don't know why. I've seen commercial trucks with their cargo areas uncovered all the time. This is why I am hoping the CT's front glass will be better than my Tacoma's glass. Even with insurance it gets expensive replacing windshields.

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[Deleted member 12457]

Btw, my Diamondback tonneau cover has locks on it and I added an aftermarket lock to the tailgate. Probably not as secure as the CT bed cover but it keeps 99% of people from opening it. It can also support 1600 lbs, something I doubt Tesla is designing its cover for. Yes, an ATV can ride in the CT's bed but two ATVs can ride on a properly sized Diamondback cover while still allowing you to use the storage space inside.

This isn't a rendering, it's a real image. Yes, there's a lot of air drag but this vehicle gets the ATVs there.

Disclaimer: I'll never put an ATV on my Tacoma or the CT but this is one of the reasons people buy strong tonneau covers.

I'm just offering a different opinion. I'm not sure how Diamondback would design a cover for the CT but I have asked them (couldn't find email but thought I did and their response was we'll look at it once it's out).

second disclaimer: This is how I sometimes use my Tacoma. I carry my propane tank outside in case of leaks. The Diamondback gives me plenty of cleats to tie down loads that won't fit inside. I've had larger loads as well. Yes, I could simply open up the CT bed and stuff everything in it but I'd also have to remove the rack, which I also do on occasion when carrying rock and other gardening items. I am hoping the attachment points on the CT will be easy enough to use, allowing me to attach a rack along with my rooftop tent. I also carry lots of construction lumber on my rack.

 

[Halfblackviking]

Losing more and more interest in the CT the more they change it and the longer I wait...in the mean time I am awaiting delivery of my new Ram TRX...around #132k in line for the CT anyway... I figure I got a couple years left to enjoy 702 ICE horses.

 

[Tinker71]

Losing more and more interest in the CT the more they change it and the longer I wait...in the mean time I am awaiting delivery of my new Ram TRX...around #132k in line for the CT anyway... I figure I got a couple years left to enjoy 702 ICE horses.

We are just speculating, no need to waste your money icing us. The retail on that Dodge is going to suck in 2 years. Everyone will be saving up for the EVs coming out in volume.

 

[Halfblackviking]

We are just speculating, no need to waste your money icing us. The retail on that Dodge is going to suck in 2 years. Everyone will be saving up for the EVs coming out in volume.

I should have prefaced that I don't intend to sell the TRX when the CT finally comes. However the CT would be my daily. I think we are quite a few years away from EVs truly taking off. Our infrastructure can't support too fast of a ramp up.

 

[Tinker71]

I should have prefaced that I don't intend to sell the TRX when the CT finally comes. However the CT would be my daily. I think we are quite a few years away from EVs truly taking off. Our infrastructure can't support too fast of a ramp up.

I think people overestimate the requirements to the grid. There is a well thought out article on the forum which basically says we only need to increase our power output nationally 30% for 100% adoption of EV transportation. We can do a lot with off peak charging incentives.

If we are decarbonizing at the same time we have to replace a lot of natural gas plants as well with wind and solar. We should not be counting on fission or fusion either. Too expensive and adds heat to the atmosphere. Hydrogen is a joke except for some heat intensive industries.

 

[Tinker71]

We can eliminate most of the NG peaker plants as well. With HVDC transmission lines we can transfer power east or west to extend the solar day. Battery plants, pumped hydro, gravity blocks, thermal storage can get us there incrementally.

That said, I do think we should keep some of our hydrocarbon infrastructure in place. Mothball it and don't use it except for emergencies. Keep the knowledge.

 

[TyPope]

I started thinking about how many comments regarding the new footage of the Cybertruck on the test track have been about the change of looks, front-end, lights, curved glass etc. For me, I don't care about the looks. It's function over form. It is still, and will always be ugly. On that note, I am afraid that the Tesla team has become aware of the functional limitations of the roller bed cover. Hence the changes to the rear part of the roof. I am trying to fathom how the cover could deal with a covering of road grit, sand, silt and ice and still maintain functionality. At the least, I think the cover will need a very good power wash before being rolled up after being driven in a northern winter, on a dirt road or even left sitting at a job site or on a farm. I do like the idea of the cover, but I think there might be a reason why trucks haven't come with one before. It won't be that functional outside the city. A post-apocalyptic machine can't need car washes! I would love to hear good reasons why I'm wrong.

Having had a truck with a roll-up cover while living (and parking) in places like Minot, ND, Dayton, OH, Layton, UT, Albuquerque, NM, and now Papillion, NE, I can tell you that roll-top covers do NOT need to be power washed before being rolled up and I can also tell you that snow and ice isn't a problem. When mine would ice up, I would hit the cover in the middle with my hand and all the ice would just break up. It was then a simple matter to sweep it off with my long brush/ice scraper. Once, the ice came off in big 2" thick sheets but it came off easily. The cover was a Pace Edwards Jackrabbit which is aluminum slats covered with that fake leathery stuff they use. The Cybervault, being heated, may not even have that much of a challenge.

I never noticed the cover getting very dirty on trips and just my normal washing routine of the truck was enough to keep the cover clean and functional. I see no reason that Tesla won't be able to engineer as good of a cover as a third party manufacturer.

 

[TyPope]

There is are a couple huge differences between most rolling door implementations you see and the Cybertruck rolling cover.

1. Most others are mounted up high with the door dropping out and down.
Much of the force for closing is provided by gravity. When closing the motor may actually have to brake to prevent door from falling too fast or with too much force that might cause damage to itself or others.

The Cybertruck rolling cover is below and has to push door out and up.

2. Most standard rolling doors are vertical so they do not collect as much debris as flat horizontal or angled surfaces. Things like leaves from trees/bushes, trees sap, bird dropping, rocks left by birds and other animals.
What debris that does collect on standard vertical rolling door will fall off as the cover is retracted up into the spool and very little debri will enter the spool.

The Cybertruck rolling cover is much more horizontal and will need a good mechanism to prevent debris from being pulled in to the spool.

3. Most standard rolling cover have not sharp corners. The door comes off the spool and directly drops vertically down. Not corners and smooth curve of the spool.

The Cybertruck rolling cover must track around a second corner (top of the vault) that is very acute angle. This requires much more precise mechanisms and more energy use to move cover in either direction.

4. Cybertruck rolling cover will cost more and be less reliable.

1. I've had a roll-up cover for years (since 2010 without issue.

2. Nothing "builds up" on the cover as the wind removes most debris and the simple wipe the canister has prevents the rest. Ice has never been a problem despite me parking outside in ND, OH, UT, NM, and NE where I have been stationed.

3. The Pace Edwards cover that I have has a canister size less than 10"x10"x bed width. The small canister size means that the cover rolls up much smaller as it is wound up in there and, indeed, the inner-most layer has a radius of around 3" which should be sharp enough of a corner for the Cybertruck.

As for the energy needed to move it? Pace Edwards has a clock spring or such that provides enough assist that the cover is VERY SIMPLE and light to push in or pull out. A very small electric motor could easily do the job.

The cover mechanism will be very easy for Tesla to design. I suspect that the overhang on the roof may hide the canister so that there can be a mid-gate that goes through that would be accessible even with the cover partially open.

 

[Crissa]

Remember: Driving without the tonneau closed will be a significant hit to range. That's why it's important to have it stowed on board.

-Crissa

 

[CyberGus]

I'd prefer a Tesla Megapack.

 

[HaulingAss]

I should have prefaced that I don't intend to sell the TRX when the CT finally comes. However the CT would be my daily. I think we are quite a few years away from EVs truly taking off. Our infrastructure can't support too fast of a ramp up.

The speed of EV adoption by 2025 is going to make your head spin. Most people have no clue.

Using "infrastructure" as an excuse is common but it's an uninformed viewpoint. Even at nearly 100% adoption by 2030, there will still be hundreds of millions of aging ICE vehicles on the road and gigawatt hours of EV charging will be but a small fraction of total electrical demand (less than 20%). And you would be surprised how much electricity is consumed during the process of refining crude oil into fuel.

Upgrading electrical infrastructure is fast and pays for itself in the form of increased profits for utilities. EV's are the best thing to ever happen to electrical providers, wholesale and retail alike.

Gas vehicles are going to look so unappetizing by 2030 that only people who can't afford new vehicles will be driving them (and the most fortunate of those will have found a good used EV so they could dump their aging ICE vehicle).

 

[HaulingAss]

We can eliminate most of the NG peaker plants as well. With HVDC transmission lines we can transfer power east or west to extend the solar day. Battery plants, pumped hydro, gravity blocks, thermal storage can get us there incrementally.

That said, I do think we should keep some of our hydrocarbon infrastructure in place. Mothball it and don't use it except for emergencies. Keep the knowledge.

Fossil fuel infrastructure will disappear just as quickly as steam power did when ICE and electricity took over. Steam power never went completely away but it is uneconomical to operate and lacks power and quick response. We didn't forget how to make it work, it's just not useful when you have better, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient ways of doing things.

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