Why Pickup Bed Covers And Which Ones Function

Truck bed covers turn a pickup box into a giant lockable trunk, much like a vault... These are a popular add-on to many pickups and make for a more useable vehicle and a finished look at the same time. Features vary much between types of covers and even among brands. The soft cover option makes for great value with a lot of protection for cargo and bed itself. At the other extreme are retractable covers that put a layer of metal over the bed and sit low and out of the way while allowing easy access to anywhere in the bed. Following are tips for getting the right cover.

Hard pickup bed covers offer advantages over soft covers. If you need security this is where to look first. Though some of these tonneau covers cost far more than soft versions, some models cost just a little more than the better soft models. Then as you move up to some of the tilting models and then to the metal retractable lids, you get what is a virtual lock box for a pickup bed. The truck bed then becomes a locking box almost exactly like a locking car trunk but giant in size and with lots more potential...

Sealing between covers and the pickup bed is critical. To keep out moisture and dirt requires quite an effort in design. Several methods are employed to get a good seal that works. Especially with soft covers which are of course not rigid the methods used vary in ease of use and effectiveness. No cover is completely waterproof but some come very close. The best way to find out what to expect may be to check out all the owner comments online...

As the weight of covers go up, so often goes up the difficulty of installing the cover. That's so especially with some of the tilt covers and especially that is true because of the bulk of these covers. But no longer is drilling holes in the bed sides part of installation on most covers. That reduces the stress associated with getting the covers in place and makes for less chance of a spot for rust to start. Clamp on mounting replaced bolt on and that makes installation far simpler.

Pick the retractable metal tonneau and you can get instant access. Now this only applies to the retractable covers with remote open and close, but with those you get more. You get remote access much like a remote trunk with the same advantages. You can open the bed from across a parking lot and close it when you're ready. All that gets done with just one hand operation of a button. Is any of that necessary? Not really but the results are equivalent to a remote trunk... not a bad option...

Hard pickup bed covers come in tilting, folding and retractable versions. Superior protection comes with the hard versions but at a higher price tag than the soft covers. On the other hand, the soft tonneaus may be all many people need. And in fact the soft covers at a low price are easy to install, offer good protection and are often lighter in weight so that may help on fuel mileage as compared to hard covers. In addition the soft covers of the roll up design make full bed access easy and hauling any size cargo is no problem.

See other tips if you're considering a roll on bed liner.



For ideas while choosing pickup bed covers check out another article.