The Different Types of Tonneau Covers for Your Truck

Are you going to carry items in the truck bed of your pickup truck? Then most probably, you would like to protect them from being stolen or exposed to potentially damaging weather conditions.

This is probably the best reason to invest on a tonneau cover. There are different types of tonneau covers in the market and in selecting the best one for your truck, you must first identify your budget and the style you prefer to have according to the type of truck bed your truck has. You have a choice of having a solid bed cover or a soft cover.

Soft covers are often made of vinyl and much cheaper than solid covers since these are made of fiberglass, usually. You can also choose from different varieties of mounts and your selections should be based on the items you would be carrying in your truck bed and how often you use the truck bed for cargo. Make sure that the cover you choose can be installed easily and can also be opened and removed without hassle. There are also a lot of ways to lock or secure such covers and same goes with unlocking them. The most important consideration should be that the cover would fit properly over your truck bed.

Here are several types of tonneau covers for your reference:

Soft Roll Up - the least expensive of all types and the easiest of all to install. This is usually made of premium vinyl, would keep your truck bed items out of sight, and protected from the weather. Make sure that it would have a backing of woven polyester with reinforced edges. This would help to minimize sagging or stretching.

Roll Up - this type can be easily rolled up to effectively store and tidy the cargo on the truck bed. It can be attached with clamps and requires some drilling to be installed properly.

Retractable - this is quite a flexible and multifaceted cover because it is a solid or hard tonneau cover that can haul larger items without having it removed completely.

Fiberglass - very weather resistant and tight but they could also increase the effect and weigh of your gas mileage. In order to haul larger items, one has to take off its cover completely and the removal requires the help of another person and extra hands to remove it safely.

Folding - it functions well as a cheaper alternative to retractable or solid covers. They are folded and hinged thus may cause water leakage onto the truck bed in case it is being used during bad weather conditions.

Aluminum - highly engineered covers that are almost like the retractable type. It comes with canister storage in front of the truck bed that would require you to provide some space.

Retractor or Drop Down - this makes room to access the truck bed quickly without having to take off the aluminum cover. If you require it, it can also be locked down every 12 inches.