Tonneau cover comparisons ??

I am getting ready to buy a Ford F150 pickup with crew cab. I want to put a tonneau cover on the bed but I am looking for a INDEPENDENT COMPARISON or RATING of the different ones on the market. So far all I get is the manufactures web sites who all claim to have better features than anyone else.
My application will be that we spend the first three months of the year in Florida on the ocean. So I will get HIGH UV RAYS and constant SALT SPRAY. I would like it to be as water tight as possible and easy to operate to haul small or bigger loads. Since this will be a working truck I am more interested in durability rather than impressing the chicks. I don't want to spend the money and then find out it does not fit my needs. Soft or hard, roll up, folding????????   THANKS  Dave Shank  

I would say roll-up or soft. The hard tonneaus look nice, but aren't very practical if you're hauling bulky or tall items often. Pace-Edwards has been around for quite a while in the roll-up market. There are some newcomers in that segment as well. In terms of the soft tonneaus, Extang is probably one of the best-know soft tonneau companies. I haven't had personal experience with either. Anyone have any experiences with these companies or recommendations?  

Thanks for your response. I guess the best approach is to go with a NAME BRAND company. There seems to be a lot of choices out there.
How WATER TIGHT are the roll up type? Is there any certain features or bed rail seals that are better than others??? THANKS  Dave Shank  

Roll-ups should be relatively water-tight, but they do sit under or level with the bedides, as opposed to hard fiberglass tonneaus that sit on TOP of the bedsides. The only longer-term issue I could see with the roll-ups is some cavitation and oxidation of the aluminum with the salt spray. Most of the roll-up ones are either anodized or powder-coated, so they should be pretty durable, but nothing is 100% impervious, given enough punishment.

Have you considered getting a camper shell? Some people don't like the looks of them, but that might be your best all-around compromise. The newer ones are color-matched, and basically make a full-size truck look like an SUV, not the tacky old slab-sided ones from the '70s and '80s.  

I had a Extang on my 03 Dakota and I liked it alot! It looked cool and was very functional... I would reccomend it!  

SNORTTY: Which model of Xtang did you purchase??  Where was best place to buy?? Are you using a Bed Mat???   THANKS  Dave Shank  

I did find on U TUBE where a number of manufacturers have posted a video of installation instructions. That was very helpful. Some are more complicated than others....  THANKS...   Dave Shank