If the most handy thing we took on our 2017 Flagstaff Trip was our MaxTrax Mark IIs (for obvious reasons), the second most was the combination of the TruXedo Deuce Tonneau Cover and the TruXedo TonneauMate Under-Tonneau Toolbox on our 2011 F150 XL Project Truck.
For the uninitiated, the TruXedo Deuce Series is a roll-up tonneau cover that also has the unique ability to fold nearly in half from the fab on back, which gives you instant access to just about anything in the front half of your F150's bed. The TonneauMate ToolBox installs under any of TruXedo's tonneau covers and sits in the forward part of the bed near your F150's cab. The combination of the Deuce 2 and the TonneauMate sounds like a match made in heave, at least on paper. We here at Stage 3 decided to try it for ourselves with absolutely fantastic results out in the real world. With the Deuce 2 able to fold back quite a ways from the cab, the entire TonneauMate box could be exposed, giving us easy access to tools, recovery gear, and cleaning supplies for both our trucks and camera equipment. The TonneauMate's large internal capacity gave us plenty of room for everything we needed. The TonneauMate's built-in gas shock made it very easy to open, saving us from getting all the way into the bed to get leverage.
The combination of the Deuce and the TonneauMate came in especially handy when one of the clamps failed on the Flowmaster Force II Kit we had installed on our 2011 F150 5.0L XL truck while we were yanking it around in the cinders. We had easy access to the tools we needed to replace the clamp and get the cat-back reinstalled in practically no time. Here's a pro-tip: when installing a cat-back that's been previously installed, get new clamps and don't attempt the install by yourself when you have a bum shoulder.
We do have a few criticisms of both the Deuce 2 tonneau cover and the TonneauMate, though nothing that's deal-breaking for us here at Stage 3, may pose a problem for some folks thinking about getting the duo for their own trucks. First the tonneau: a big problem with the Deuce 2 is security. While you generally aren't grabbing a vinyl roll-up tonneau if you're concerned about security, the Deuce doesn't have a lock for its folding half, meaning it's pretty trivial for anyone shady to get into your bed. Luckily, the TonneauMate has a lock. The Deuce is also a bit fiddly when it comes to adjusting the front latches for the folding section, and it sits about 3/4" above the top of the bed and doesn't have the clean, flush look of some tonneaus out there.
As for the TonneauMate, it's worst sin is being big. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, since its large size gives it a ton of capacity. However, you do lose a lot of cargo room, and folks with a 5.5ft bed (like us) may feel a bit of squeeze when it comes to fitting larger items in the bed or when going camping or doing anything that's gear-intensive. That being said, since it clamps onto the tonneau rails, it's not all that big of a hassle to remove, though it does take some effort.
We had pretty high hopes for this setup when we got them on our truck, and once we were out in the bush, they worked flawlessly together. Both the Deuce and the TonneauMate did everything we asked and gave us the quick, easy access to tools and hardware we needed while giving our truck the clean look we wanted. While maybe not for everybody, the combination provides awesome utility in a clean package.
