Do you put the tonneau cover on everytime when you let the top down ? I havent been putting it on is this alright ?

 

I am pretty sure it will destroy the headliner.

 

Always-----Brian is right I had seams coming out on XKR headliner. when I had them repaired the guy warned me that not using the cover can greatly accelerate the problem

 

We do it all the time and to date no problems.

 

I'd use it, otherwise all the road dirt gets on liner.

I bought mine used and it didn't have the cover.

Needless to say there's alot of dirt on it, and nearly
impossible to get out.

 

I do, when I remember to grab it from the garage. I don't keep it in the boot all the time...golf clubs have to go somewhere!

i drive from time to time w/o it, and every once in awhile, it pulls the little fastener from the headliner out of the mechanism. I need to be more careful about using it.

 

The car didn't come with one. Making the Tacoma to Portland run last week with the top down, freeway all the way, I was watching how much the headliner fluttered in the wind.

I'm going to get one soon probably. I don't expect to use it all the time, just on the long runs. Today was a typical milk run day. Short trips, top up, top down, up, down...

 

That depends how long I plan on being topless now doesn't it.

 

Only had my car 4 months and the cover was missing when I bought it. Not much chance on that period to have the top down in northern England!

The headliner is however quite stained and I have been unable to shift it.

I've been looking for a cover for 4 months and not found one.

 

Cover on always.

Also, if you're going to do highway speeds, the cover has a tendancy to lift with the draft. The two snaps are weak points and if they let go at 70 mph, the cover is going to beat the dickens out of the trunk lid before you can stop. I've modified mine by attaching two velcro strips to the flap that tucks in behind the rear seat. You need to use the right half of the velcro pieces so they attach themselves to the carpeting on the seatback. This provides two additional forward attachments so the cover sits still on the highway.

 

[quote=stevetech;180371]Cover on always.[quote]
Agreed
If the wind is at an odd cross angle the center will occasionally tend to lift, but for the most part mine stays down nice and tight. I've had it up to 120 mph without lift (not that I would recommend those speeds with the top down, nor do I do that sort of thing on public roads) It does make sense that the snaps are the weak point. If the cover is catching air I wouldn't think it would take much to pull them up.

 

Great idea on the velcro Steve. Gonna get some and do miine.

 

Okay, as long as we are asking questions to which there are no right or wrong answers here is another. Imagine it's a nice day on the weekend and you decide to put the top down before leaving the house. But you have a bunch of errands and miscellaneous stuff to do (e.g., pick up some hardware at Home Depot, drop off some cleaning, do some other errands, etc.). What is the "threshold" time that will make you decide whether or not to put the top up upon stopping.

For example, if I am doing an errand where the car will be in a lot or on the street for maybe 15 minutes to 1/2 hour, I will probably not bother going through the motions of putting the top up and then down again. But if I am going the the mall or a movie that might be a few hours, I will probably put the top up.

What about you other guys?

Doug

 

Doug, I pretty much go along with your thinking on the top up and down. I am sure that the Sun beating down on the leather interior would have to bad for it, and I want to avoid that as much as reasonable. Also, there are always birds to contend with as well!

 

short trips in town think it is a bother to add the cover, and when i park, the top can be put up quickly. I always put the cover on for highway driving. If you are missing yours, they are often on ebay for under $200.

 

Hi Keiron,
I got mine of ebay there are quite a lot on there, but they seem quite pricey for what they are. And I find it a chore to put on, so I drive around, when I can without it,

 

I hear what you guys are saying, and I also put the top down once without the boot because it was going to be just a "short trip". But never again; after about half a mile, I put it right back up again becasue the wind was buffeting the crap out of the headliner! It looked like it was gonna be ripped right out of the top! Ever since that experience, I always use the boot.

John

 

I bought my car and it was 400 miles away, and on the way home I let my wife drive it for a while. She would not drive it without the top down, and the boot cover it came with did not fit properly, so we just put the top down. Watching it from the vehicle I was driving back, I could see the liner wanted to come out at any speed above 45mph. It did not look like that to me when I was in the driver seat, but looking at it from the side while I was in another vehicle it looked bad. Boot cover 10 seconds to install, top replacement $$$.

 

I'm pretty much the same time frame. An added consideration, at least for me, is that I live in a fairly small town with a bunch of jealous people who instantly recognize my car. I've already had soda poured on it when I parked it for an hour on the street in one location and I can just imagine the mess that would be, had it happened to the interior.

 

when i bought my 98 2 years ago i scotchguarded it and it is still clean even with the occasional trips with the cover off. thanks for the velcro idea i will add that to my top. those clips pull out easily.