What every pickup truck owner wants – but won’t admit!

Everyone who has ever had or who currently owns a pickup truck , at one point in time, wishes they had more room. Sure trucks are considered a large size vehicle, with 65% of the size being the open truck bed , leaves for a lot of ‘room’ not being efficiently used. The open truck bed is no place anyone wants to leave valuables or items exposed to the elements, be it weather or opportunists ready to steal anything that is not locked up.
The answer- tonneau cover. A tonneau cover, is an aftermarket accessory that
covers, protects and secures the open truck bed of a pickup. Today’s tonneau
covers are custom manufactured to OEM specifications for pickup trucks (long
bed, short bed, sport trac) and the new cross-over sport utility vehicles


(Ford Explorer Sport, Chevy Avalanche). Each tonneau cover is custom made for
the pickup and most tonneau covers do not drilling for installation. The cover is secured to the bed of the truck via heavy duty clamps. Because each tonneau cover is custom made for each truck, the leading manufacturers’ guarantee their products will be a perfect fit.
In the last ten years, demand for tonneau covers has pushed manufacturers to
design and engineer a better cover. Due to the constant refining and
reengineering consumers now have a large selection of tonneau covers to
choose from. Options such as quality of vinyl, snap or snapless, rolls, hinged, soft folding and even hard folding tonneaus are available for the customer. There are also tonneau covers that open like a hood of a car and made of rigid fiberglass materials that can be painted to custom match your pickup truck.
Be prepared for a wide price fluctuation between tonneau brands and models.
The price really does dictate the quality of (tarp/cover) material and components used in manufacturing the product.Before you shop for a tonneau cover, first determine how you want to utilize your truck bed. Do you want to have fast easy access? A snap or roll up cover would be a good fit and moderately priced. Do you want a hard cover? A solid folding or fiberglass lid type will narrow your choices and increase the cost. Is your truck a work truck with rails? A TracRac tonneau works seamless with your existing rail system. Do you have a toolbox in your truck bed?
There are several tonneau manufacturers that make toolbox compatible covers.
All of the leading tonneau cover manufacturers, (Extang, TruXedo, Bak,
Access, TracRac, Lund) feature full use of your tail gate when the tonneau is completely closed. If your truck is not equipped with a tailgate lock, it is recommended to add a lock (Pop n’lock) to your tailgate for additional
security.
The advantages of adding a tonneau cover to your truck will pay off quickly. Not only will you suddenly EXPAND your truck’s usable room, you’ll give your
truck a new, personalized look. You’ll also save on fuel! Tonneau covers are
designed to cut wind resistance which reduces drag and can help to increase
fuel economy, gas or diesel. The biggest advantage is your cargo will be safe
and secure – where ever you leave it in your truck – inside or in the truck
bed.