UnderCover Elite One-Piece Tonneau Cover

The Elite is UnderCover's matte black one-piece lid: a single molded panel that hinges at the bulkhead, lifts on two hydraulic struts and locks from a one-hand handle. Closed, it is rated to carry 500 lb evenly distributed, the highest load figure UnderCover publishes for anything in its current range, and an EPDM double-bulb seal runs the whole perimeter. Because the lid overlaps the bed caps and the tailgate, locking it secures the tailgate at the same time. Pick your truck below to see the part number dimensioned for your bed.

Features

One Lid, Not Three Panels
The Elite is a single molded lid rather than a set of folding panels, so there are no panel seams running across the bed and nothing to unfold before you can see what is underneath. Unlock it, lift it, and the whole box is open in one movement. It is the format to pick when the bed is storage first and a cargo deck second.

500 lb Spread Across the Closed Lid
UnderCover rates the closed Elite to carry 500 lb evenly distributed, the highest figure it publishes on any cover it currently sells. That covers a winter's snow load or flat sheet goods lying across the lid. The rating is for weight spread over the lid, not concentrated on one spot.

Two Struts Do the Lifting
A pair of hydraulic struts takes the weight of the lid once it is past the first few degrees, so raising it is a push rather than a haul, and it stays up on its own while you load. The struts snap onto the rear brackets during assembly and need no tools.

Locks From a One-Hand Handle
The Elite carries an integrated lock mechanism worked by a single handle, so the lid is secured without a separate padlock or a cable running into the bed. Because the lid overlaps the bed caps and the tailgate, a locked lid also holds the tailgate shut.

A Double-Bulb Seal Around the Whole Perimeter
UnderCover specifies an EPDM double-bulb seal around the perimeter of the Elite. Two sealing lips instead of one is what lets a rigid lid sit on a bed rail that is never perfectly flat and still keep weather out of the corners.

Lit Underneath, and a Way Out
The underside carries a molded X-brace, an LED light module you press to switch on, a webbing pull strap for closing the lid from inside the bed, and a bright emergency release tab on a cord so the lid can always be opened from within the bed.

Bolted On, Nothing Drilled
The mounting brackets bolt to the inside of the bed with clamps and the supplied hardware, and no UnderCover installation sheet for a one-piece cover asks you to drill the truck. A plastic drop-in bedliner may need trimming so the brackets sit flat; trim the liner and never the mounting hardware, because modified hardware voids the warranty.

Comes Off, and Hangs on the Wall
The kit includes two J-hooks and wall mounting screws, so the lid that comes off for a tall load has somewhere to go rather than leaning against the garage wall. Taking it off is a two-person job, and the brackets stay on the truck.

Fitment & Compatibility

Specifications

• Series: UnderCover Elite
• Cover type: One-piece hinged hard lid
• Material: Composite ABS polymer structure
• Finish: Matte black textured
• Load rating: 500 lb evenly distributed
• Bed access: Full bed access with the lid raised on two hydraulic struts; the lid also lifts off the truck
• Security: Integrated lock mechanism worked by a one-hand handle
• Weather sealing: EPDM double-bulb perimeter seal
• Mounting: Bolt-on brackets and clamps, nothing drilled into the truck
• Warranty: 3-year limited
• Country of origin: UnderCover lists these covers as made in the USA

Installation

The Elite mounts on brackets that bolt and clamp to the inside of the bed. The four-bar hinge on the lid drops onto the front brackets and the struts snap onto the rear brackets by hand. Nothing is drilled into the truck on any application in this series, and no UnderCover installation sheet for a one-piece cover calls for a drill. What does vary is the measurement from the bulkhead to each bracket, the kit contents and the platform-specific steps, and 26 of the 39 applications in this series print a latch torque while the other 13 print none, so pick your truck to see the sheet that applies to it. Two people are needed to set the lid onto the truck. A plastic drop-in bedliner will need some minor trimming so the brackets seat properly; a spray-in liner needs no work, and any modification is made to the liner and never to the UnderCover mounting hardware.

Warranty, Shipping & Returns

Warranty. UnderCover covers the Elite with a three (3) year limited warranty, and warranty registration and claims are handled by the manufacturer. Four conditions in the printed terms catch people out more than the rest. Do not drive with the lid in the open position and never tie it down while it is open, because that loads the front hinges and can crack them, and that damage is not treated as a manufacturer defect. When the lid is closed it should be locked with the tailgate up. Use only cleaners, waxes and products labeled safe for use on plastics, and keep insecticides and solvents off the lid. Any trimming needed to fit the brackets is done to the bedliner and never to the mounting hardware, because modifying the hardware voids the warranty. Free shipping. The Elite is a rigid one-piece lid in a carton a little over seven feet long, so it moves by freight rather than by parcel carrier, and it still ships free within the contiguous United States. The carrier will contact you to arrange a delivery window, and delivery is to the curb. Inspect on delivery. A long, shallow carton is the part that takes the knocks, so open it and look at the lid before you sign for it. If the carton is crushed, torn or soaked, write that on the delivery paperwork and tell us the same day so we can get a replacement moving.

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