June 29th, 2009 - Pickup Tonneau Bed Covers Explained
What’s so great about a tonneau cover? It keeps your personal items dry and secure. Tonneau covers make for a great addition to any pickup truck. They keep your stuff out of the rain, sleet and snow and it discourages thieves. The aerodynamic design helps increase gas mileage
One can purchase tonneau covers to cover differently. The least expensive cover is the roll-up canvas tonneau cover. Also there are the retractable tonneau cover, the fiberglass tonneau cover, the folding tonneau cover style and aluminum and “drop down” truck bed cover styles.
Roll-up tonneau covers for pickup trucks are the cheapest in cost and are popular. They are attached with clamps and some may require a little drilling to install. This may not be the best choice if you live in a high crime area as your valuables will not be protected. However, the tonneau covers take up little space and you can easily roll them up and set them aside.
Tonneau Covers that are retractable give you the ability to transport larger things without having the cover removed from the bed. It does take up some space in the front of the bed for the cover container but it is a good value all around.
Tonneau covers made of fiberglass are exceptionally weather-tight but are heavy. It is necessary to remove it to transport large things and removing it is a bit time consuming. They weigh about 150 pounds and are usually the same color as the truck.
Tonneau covers that fold are affordable and a good alternative to the very pricey hard or retractable covers. However, they could leak a little water. But their durability comes at a more affordable price than the fiberglass cover.
Aluminum tonneau covers are engineered to give you the ability to transport large items without taking the cover out. These types of covers require some space for the container at the front.
Retractor Type “Drop Down” Truck Bed Covers: These are new to the scene of bed covers. They allow access to the truck bed without removing the aluminum cover. The retractor can be locked down every 12 inches if needed.