Mod, Test, Repeat: A Tonneau Cover Strap’s Long Road to Version 3

What started as a quick fix for accessing our manual tonneau cover for the Rivian turned into one of the most reworked components of the entire system. We rebuilt this truck bed strap three times, switching from Velcro patches to magnetic hardware, all to make removal easier, cleaner, and more reliable. It's now standard on every cover we sell, but the road from DIY hack to final install wasn’t exactly linear.

The Original Problem: We Didn’t Want to Climb Into the Truck Bed (Every. Single. Time.)

When Bill built what would become the first Interrobang tonneau cover, he ran into a problem almost immediately: how the heck do you get the panels out without having to climb into the truck bed every time? Especially the rear ones?

He first worked out a simple cinch strap that stuck to the rear panel using Velcro patches. Attach the strap, pull it forward, and bam, access without crawling into the bed. The patches were added to the rest of panels to keep the strap secured along the top of the cover and not just dangle or get lost.

Bonus: the strap doubled as a carrier. You could bundle all the panels together and carry the stack, no bag required. It was DIY elegance. It worked great in Ohio.

And then we shipped one to Arizona.

What Worked in Ohio Melted in the Desert

Adhesive-backed Velcro has a melting point. As our tonneau covers found homes out west, the high heat started to beat the adhesive into submission. Even the best 3M options couldn’t handle the thermal abuse. Patches fell off. Straps disappeared into truck beds.

We knew it was a stopgap. But we also knew two things:
Whatever solution we found had to retrofit every cover already in the wild.
It had to feel like a permanent fix, not a workaround.

Enter: the V2.0 Strap.

V2.0: Magnetic Locks, Drilled Hardware, and a Smarter Strap

The next version added hardware and scrapped the Velcro altogether. We used Fidlock magnetic hardware and drilled them directly into the first and last panels. The strap now clipped into a mount near the cab, and snapped magnetically with a button at the tailgate end.

Same basic idea: pull the strap, slide the cover. We still wanted the carry option too. This setup let you do both. Several additional buckles allowed the strap to be unhooked, wrapped around your panel stack, and carried away.

So we started shipping this as the new standard. For existing customers, we offered 
The Strap Kit: for anyone handy enough to install the hardware themselves.
The Ready-to-Go Kit: same strap, but pre-installed on two replacement panels for easy swap-in.

What We Learned: Over-Engineering Isn’t Always Better

The feedback rolled in. It was clear: the strap was too complicated. Converting from the carry configuration to the pull configuration was confusing. Most folks just left the cover in the truck bed anyway, they weren’t carrying it around. The strap was overkill for what people actually needed.

Also, the carry feature made the strap longer. That meant more material hanging into the bed, getting in the way, or just being ignored.

Back to the drawing board.

V3.0: Simpler, Cleaner, Finally Right

The current strap ditches the carry feature, shortens the design, and keeps the same mounting hardware. It still attaches at the cab-side panel and clicks into a magnetic receiver on the tailgate panel.

No more dangling loops. No more melted Velcro. And for customers with older covers, we still offer the V3.0 Strap Kits, both DIY and Ready-to-Go.

Bonus for the Brave: The DIY Tonneau Cover Kit

If you’re feeling ambitious, we also include the V3.0 strap in our full DIY Cover Tonneau Kit. That one’s for the serious tinkerers.

It comes with:

• V3.0 strap and hardware
• UHMW slide pieces
• Weatherstripping

All you need are the aluminum panels and tools. You build the cover yourself from scratch. Our original strap was born in a garage. Now you can make yours there, too.

Got an OG Cover?

If you’re still using the original Velcro-patch cover, don’t worry. Every version of the strap kit is backward-compatible. Whether you want to install it yourself or get a Ready-to-Go panel pair, you’re covered. Literally.