Superior Hard Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover

When customers come looking for a low profile truck bed cover that is tri-folding, durable, yet lightweight, we immediately think of Agri-Cover and their Access LOMAX. And while the many distinct features make this product really stand out of the crowd as one of the best hard tri-fold tonneau covers on the market today, we here at Midwest Aftermarket believe that the biggest selling point worth noting right away about the LOMAX is one that requires less words and a more direct and visual approach.

The LOMAX hard tri-fold tonneau cover features a low profile design without sacrificing protection. This lightweight hard folding tonneau cover is designed for style, security and strength. This tonneau is one of the simplest on the market today to install, in its category (hard tri-fold). And it has the added bonus feature of being super easy to remove too should you require the full use of your truck bed. The strong aluminum panels are durable and watertight with reinforced vinyl hinges. All of these great features including that stunning finish make the LOMAX hard folding tonneau cover a great addition for any truck.

Now for those looking for a more thorough explanation of the LOMAX, let’s take a deep dive into what makes this tonneau cover break through the noise and be heard by truck owners everywhere.

Quick Review Video

Rather have a video tell you all the sweet dets on this LOMAX tonneau? We heard you. And how about we raise you 6 more? Your welcome.

Access Lomax Pro at SEMA 2018

Access Lomax Review 2018

Access Lomax Install with Kyle and Cory

Access Lomax Demo at SEMA 2017

Access Lomax Install with Cory

Aluminum Panels

Lightweight But Heavy Duty

Most truck lovers looking for a tonneau cover either want something that is lightweight or something very secure and durable. It is fairly rare when these two coincide and we find a great product that isn’t adding a lot of weight to your truck but is still tough and rugged.

The LOMAX bed cover is that rare exception. A true hard folding tonneau, the LOMAX seals and protects all your gear and tools inside your truck bed, hiding it visually and physically beneath its metal panels.

And hard tri-fold covers do tend to be more secure than their soft roll up cousins. But they also tend to be very heavy. So when customers need something that is easy to take on and off or easy to install or just lightweight because added weight is a concern for fuel economy and the like, we often recommend vinyl and canvas rolling covers.

But when LOMAX launched back in 2016, we had to adjust our thoughts and recommendations. Suddenly there was a hard folding cover that had the great security common of the type but also was lightweight enough that most average Joe’s can pick it up solo. Initially we thought, here’s a great selling point for install. And it certainly is.

Installing the LOMAX is simple and involves basic tools that most American’s have in their home garage. You don’t even need a cordless drill. A common socket set and a some elbow grease is more than enough to get this job done. But typically these hard folding covers are so heavy you’ll need a buddy to help you get it up on the truck bed rails anyway. Not so with the LOMAX. We aren’t exaggerating when we say you can handle this baby by yourself. Now obviously if you have a bad back or something or just happen to have a buddy or teenage child around to help you, hey, it never hurts to have another pair of hands involved. Better yet, why don’t you supervise while your 16 year old kid who wants to borrow the truck this weekend installs the tonneau for you. It’s so easy, even a disgruntled teen can do it.

Rather just watch the install instead of reading about how easy it is? Okay. Check this video out:

So yes, the lightweight aspect of this tonneau is great for the install, but it comes into play in other ways too.

We should talk fuel economy for sure. Many companies are aware of the fact now backed up by actual research data that installing a tonneau cover, like the LOMAX, can reduce your truck’s drag, improving your fuel economy.  Typically the gains aren’t massive, but over time you should recoup at least a portion if not all of your investment. Granted that might take a couple years, but any time you can get a product like a truck bed cover which you need to protect your truck and gear from the elements and have that product pay for itself, that’s a win-win, of course.

But what some other companies often fail to mention is that the weight of the tonneau cover often offsets some of that gain. These days more and more trucks are made of lightweight materials like aluminum. While we can go back and forth on this one, whether you’re a steel bed Chevy guy (like me) or an all aluminum truck bed Ford owner (like Cory), the truth of the matter is that aluminum weighs less and hence allows for better gas mileage.

The story of this tonneau cover is the same one. If you take a fuel guzzling truck and add on a heavy tonneau cover and throw in a bunch of heavy gear too, your fuel economy isn’t going to be getting any better. And you need a tonneau cover. So why not go with one that won’t add a bunch of extra weight? And an all aluminum cover suddenly becomes an even better choice.

Let’s not forget that aluminum also doesn’t turn all orange and brown and get covered with rust if you leave it out in the elements. When aluminum oxidizes, it actually becomes even more durable than before. Check that! Lightweight, durable, and sharp looking--what more could you ask for in a tonneau cover.

But we were able to find one downside to the LOMAX, and it is related to the weight in a roundabout way. While some tri-fold hard covers can be folded up completely to allow for full bed access when you need it, one of the downsides of many of these models is that they have to lean against your back window and block much of your view. For some tonneau covers, this even becomes a legal issue if the third brake light becomes blocked or your view completely obstructed.

With the LOMAX, this isn’t a probably, but not for the reason you may be thinking. The LOMAX doesn’t fold all the way up and lean against your truck’s rear window.

Shocked!? Appalled!?

Wait for it.

Here’s where the lightweight construction really shines. Since the LOMAX has a super easy way to be uninstalled and reinstalled via its storage clips, if you ever need complete truck bed access, you can simply remove the cover. While some other tri-fold covers have this option too, you’d be hard pressed to find one as light as the LOMAX. Every other cover I have tried to remove in a similar way has been so heavy that I’ve had to ask for help with it because I didn’t want to damage the truck or the cover.

But this isn’t so with the LOMAX. It really is so lightweight that I can remove it and even reinstall it by myself. I never thought that an aluminum cover would be so coinvient or look so slick. Who knew a Chevy guy could fall for an aluminum truck bed cover? The times are a-changing, I guess.

Easy Access

No one I know dislikes hearing that phrase (giggity?). But when it comes to the sexy LOMAX truck bed cover, this one certainly applies. The LOMAX is not only easy to use but the cover installs quickly and can be removed in a snap! Simply pull the cord from either side to disengage the locking latches. As you begin to fold your tonneau cover, each panel automatically disengages the locking mechanism. Closing your cover is just as easy, as you simply unfold the tonneau cover, and it will automatically lock in 10 different points keeping your cargo nice and safe.

When I first heard that, I wanted to count the locations myself. It wasn’t that hard. The front most panel is slotted into the bulkhead seal on one end and locked in place at the other towards the rear. The middle panel then locks at both ends using the installed TIGHT BITE Clamps and the locking hooks. So there’s six, because there’s two on each side and end basically. Whether they are locking into the previous piece or onto the side of the mounted tonneau rails, these babies are secure, keeping your tonneau in place as you drive down the highway and making it nearly impossible to get into your locked truck bed without some special tool (think massive crowbar and/or sledge hammer) and a lot of noise. Finally, the last panel in the tri-fold locks into the previous one as you close it and the locking mechanism attaches at the tailgate. To un-do the whole process, you just pull one of the two unlocking cables or cords.

And remember that should you need true full bed access, the cover is quick to remove and reinstall too. If for any reason you would need to remove the cover, just simply fold it up, and it quickly detaches from the vehicle. Simply secure the storage clips to keep the tonneau all folded together. Then slide the cover back away from the bulkhead, towards your tailgate, and lift. The hooks under the bulkhead seal disengage and voila--you’re utilizing your full truck bed.  Weighing in around 50 pounds, the LOMAX is super easy to lift out of your truck bed, even if you need to uninstall or reinstall it all alone. This is very intuitive and user friendly design indeed. 

Rain, Rain Go Away--Forever!

One of the common questions we all field in the aftermarket truck industry is:

Are tonneau covers really waterproof? Will my tonneau make my truck bed water tight?

First off, that is a complicated question and might require some explanation as to what these terms even mean. Consider smart phones for a moment. A big buzz word flying around in advertising, the Internet, and social media today is water resistant up to X feet. Companies are reluctant to say their products are truly waterproof, meaning water cannot damage it or in this case get into your truck bed with your tonneau cover installed. Hence the resistant term instead.

With tonneau covers, the terminology is much the same. Nearly no one has the guts to say that anything is waterproof…

Except for Access and their LOMAX.

The techs at Access really put their heads together and stuck their necks out on this one. Leaking covers have always been an issue, so they reinvented the seal making the LOMAX cover one of the most weatherproof covers on the market. It's water shedding design and reinforced waterproof vinyl hinges keeps water out of the bed without the use of gutters or drains.

That’s always one that baffled me, by the way. If one of the ideas behind getting a tonneau cover is to keep the elements out, why would I want my rail system to drain down into the truck bed? I know most of these gutter systems and drain tubes are well sealed and do keep your truck bed fairly dry. But why not just let the water run off the sides of your truck bed in the first place?

That’s exactly what LOMAX’s intuitive design accomplishes. On top of these waterproof hinges between each panel, the rails are lined with a continuous seal the entire length of your truck bed.

Almost no one in the industry can safely use that waterproof term. Almost.

Now even with waterproof hinges, it is quite likely that in high humidity locations (I’m thinking southern Illinois summers, here, along the Mississippi River valley) you’ll get some condensation perhaps. And in a torrential downpour, I probably wouldn’t leave a stack of very important business papers sitting out near the tailgate. While this tonneau is probably the most watertight on the market today, I’d still play it safe. Nearly all the tonneau covers we’ve tested have had at least some minor leaking around the edges of the tailgate in a heavy downpour (or when put through a hardcore car wash).

Nevertheless, we haven’t gotten a chance to do this full test on the LOMAX just yet. And if any cover were to shock us and break this trend… Well, let’s just say LOMAX and Access have lived up to their reputations so far, and we doubt they’d make such claims if they couldn’t back them up. I sense a YouTube video involving a car wash in the near future though.

Continuing Innovations of the LOMAX

No More Buckles

Access ditched the buckle like Apple ditched the 3.5mm jack. The LOMAX comes with built-in storage clips that will secure your tonneau cover in place. So there’s no need to tighten or loosen any straps! While there is nothing wrong with that old fashioned plastic buckle, tightening and loosing straps can be a pain. And while necessary when hauling large equipment of various sizes say with loading straps and such, a tonneau cover isn’t going to change shape on you, so having storage clips that are built to last and look nice and frankly just work was a great innovation.

High Weight Capacity

I cannot tell you how many messages we field every month about standing on your tonneau cover, so let’s just get that disclaimer out of the way: do NOT stand on your tonneau cover. But if you want to see someone do just that, head on over to our YouTube, by all means.

Seriously, though, when manufacturers put out weight ratings for these truck bed covers, they are thinking more of snow and/or setting something on the cover temporarily or accidentally. So please do not look at these ratings and assume that you and your buddy can get up on top of a cover and do the Irish jig.

Still, the LOMAX does boast a pretty hefty weight rating of 400 lbs. of evenly distributed weight. Why do we always add that caveat of “evenly distributed?” Weight ratings have more to do with surface area than simple weights.

Consider doing a bench press or overhead press. Remember when you could easily hit your max doing at least one rep every Arms day? Me too, though it was years ago. Now imagine that you’ve got that max weight fully extended over the top of your chest or head. 

You’re kicking ass, my friend! 

Your spotter is so excited, he goes to snap a pic for the Insta-Face-Smash.

Now let’s imagine that your a total noob and decide to give a thumbs up for the camera. Suddenly all that weight that was fairly evenly distributed over two points, both your hands and arms and shoulders, is all distributed over just one. Suddenly seems way more heavy, right? 

Approximately twice as heavy.

And guess who ends up in the emergency room.

Well, at least we got that great workout pic for the socials.

The point of this silly example is that weight ratings work the same way. So when we say 400 lbs evenly distributed, we mean it. Don’t put 400 lbs on top of one square foot area, for instance. And certainly don’t walk on it. Even if you’re only 200 lbs. or so, now all that weight is in one or two square foot of panel. Aluminum is very tough and durable especially for its own weight. But there’s no reason to go tempt fate, right? Again, you wouldn’t pull that lifting stunt I mentioned above as an example, would ya? So don’t go walking on your tonneau.

These weight ratings aren’t about human mass. No. They are more about things like snow. I worry about this all the time, actually. I have a garage, but honestly, I need a new one that is a bit bigger to fit my Chevy Silverado in. Also, my wife insists on using her side of the garage. Women, am I right?

So I have to leave my truck out in the elements. Most of the year, this isn’t that big of a concern. But come winter when we start to see some significant snowfall, a cut rate tonneau cover could be in some trouble.

When we think about snow, we often focus on the fluffy white flakes falling from the sky. Well, guess what? All that fluff starts to pile up and before you know it, it gets pretty heavy. Snow can weigh anywhere between 1 to 21 lbs per cubic foot. The more wet that snow is, the more heavy it becomes. And let’s not even talk about ice.

So when we think about weight ratings like the one on the LOMAX of 400 lbs, we should really be thinking of how much snow can be on top of that cover before you reach critical mass. In this case if you’ve got a 6 foot bed, you’re probably getting close to that max mark if you have a foot of snow packed up there and that snow is as wet and heavy as snow can get--roughly 20 lbs per cubic foot.

So that 400 lbs mark is meant to give you peace of mind when a massive snow storm blew through overnight and you wake up to that White Christmas everyone’s always going on and on about, and then suddenly there arose such a clatter that you sprang from your coffee to see what the hell just happened! You’re cheap knock off cover just completely imploded. Better hope that Saint Nick has another one ordered?

Or you could just get a LOMAX and call it a day. Cause that freak snow storm that drops a foot of snow overnight--yeah, the LOMAX can handle that. Now you might still put on your boots and go clean it off. No need to gamble, right? Especially not when your truck is involved! I tend to recommend keeping your cover as snow free as possible in the winter, but pushing it off with a shovel or broom every time it snows is probably more than enough (see our Hiddenhook Tailhook attachment system for a easy way to store that broom, by the way).

So there’s the whole breakdown on that weight rating stuff. And I hope you can see that 400 lbs is no joke and could be super useful if you live in an area known for its snowfall and have your truck parked outside at work or home often.

Peace of Mind--in Every Way

Alright, so let’s say there’s a foot and a half of snow followed by a freak ice storm and you’re out of town and your significant other didn’t think about cleaning off your tonneau cover. What then? That’s when you rejoice at LOMAX’s superior warranty, my friends.

The LOMAX is backed by a 3 year warranty. So should you have any issues with your LOMAX cover within 3 years of your purchase date, please feel free to reach out to us with your serial number, and we can work on getting the issue resolved! We’ll put you directly in contact with great reps at Agri-Cover who are there to make you happy with your purchase.

While warranty claims on LOMAX in our experience are few and far between, it is always nice to know a company has your back.

What’s great about Agri-Cover, Access, and LOMAX in particular as well is that they are completely based right here in the United States. So not only do you get the peace of mind in knowing your cover is well made and durable and backed by a great warranty, but you are also helping out American workers when you make your purchase.

And if you’re into all that Eco stuff, you’ll be happy to know that Agri-cover also utilizes the best and latest in eco-friendly technology. Since they are based in North Dakota, right here in the US, and do all their manufacturing in the country as well, we take great pride in supporting such a company.

It is always easy to gush over great products like the LOMAX. But you can’t always praise the company behind the product as easily as you can here. We salute Agri-cover for their great products and for keeping everything American Made.

Our Promise of Exceptional Service and the Lowest Prices on the Interwebs

When you’re ready to order your new Access LOMAX truck bed cover, we hope you’ll get yours from us here at Midwest Aftermarket. We only promote products we believe in and sell them at the lowest prices, shipping quickly to you for free if you’re in the lower 48 states. We have an excellent return policy and strive to get you the right product in perfect condition the first time.

What are you waiting for? Give us a call or place an order directly through our website. We’ll get your product out to you ASAP so you can enjoy your vehicle and make it your own. If you have a vision of what your truck or Jeep could be, let us help you achieve that image, that goal. We put aftermarket right at the tip of your fingers on your smartphone, web browser, and even via various apps, making ordering the parts you need super easy. Let us help make your aftermarket dream possible. Let us help you build your dream machine. We want you to drive the truck or Jeep of your dreams right now. So when you get it installed and love it, make sure you share us some pics on social media so we can live vicariously through you. Because we too are aftermarket enthusiasts, truck and Jeep owners, who love and own many of the products we sell. In other words, we don’t just work aftermarket--we are aftermarket.

Midwest Aftermarket's collection of air intakes, pickup bed covers, truck running boards, and much more includes all the leading styles and brands. Midwest Aftermarket is the #1 online retailer for aftermarket truck and Jeep accessories, selling products at the lowest prices and providing the best customer service in the industry. With the goal to provide the highest quality product with the fastest shipping at affordable prices, look no further for your vehicle’s aftermarket accessories. From UTV’s to Jeep-fanatics to F150’s or Chevy Silverado’s, Midwest Aftermarket will give you the customer support you deserve. Ask us about our new 2 day shipping options available on many of our fine aftermarket accessories.