Truck bed covers have been a very important accessory for pickup trucks since around 1982. This is not a product that is going to end anytime soon. There may be different types and models, but they have eliminated the pickup truck problem of not having a place to store your gear and keep it dry. Sure there are truck tops, but the problem some people have with truck tops is that they are not good for carrying higher type cargo and you have to crawl into the cargo area to get to anything in front of the truck. cabin, not to mention that they contribute to fuel consumption due to poor wind resistance.
The manufacturers of these truck bed covers keep coming up with great designs that solve different problems among truck owners. One of the latest designs is the Extang Encore, which is a tri-fold hardcover. What is unique about this tonneau cover is that you can open it from the front near the cab, as well as from the rear near the tailgate. It also shuts down completely in seconds, which can really come in handy.
There are so many different manufacturers of truck bed covers today, but not all of them make the same type of top cover. By the way, if you haven’t figured it out yet, truck bed covers and tonneau covers are exactly the same thing. The word tonneau basically refers to a cover used to hide a compartment and protect it from the sun and weather.
Many of the hard bed covers come equipped with locks that add even more security. Retractable type truck tonneau covers usually come with locks installed on them. These retractable covers are quite unique in that they roll up into a bin located behind the cab on the other side of the truck bed. They remind me of a roll-top desk. There are even some electric models that open and close with a remote control. So you’re not stuck in a power loss situation, you can also open them manually if needed.
Many of the soft truck bed covers, as well as the hard bi-fold covers, require the tailgate to be opened to reach the latches to open the lid. If you add an aftermarket tailgate lock, it improves the security factor to a great extent. Since they were installed, they have been known to greatly reduce theft. You don’t even have to have a lock on the lid. Just having one installed keeps your cargo out of sight out of mind. Some of the hard tops have locks fitted, creating a very secure area to store your gear, much like a car trunk.
Some of the main advantages and disadvantages of the different types of truck covers are as follows. Hard fiberglass has the advantage of being one of the best for keeping your cargo area dry and they look great painted to match the color of your truck. The main disadvantage of the fiberglass cover is that they are expensive and the fact that you only lift from the rear and you cannot use your truck for high load. Roll-up soft covers are available at a lower cost and you will be able to use your truck for any type of cargo. One downside to roll up covers is the fact that they are not as secure as a hard cover and take a bit longer to fully open and close. Retractable covers allow quick and easy access to your cargo area and allow the use of most of your truck bed, but they are expensive. Soft folding covers are cheaper and provide quick and easy access to your cargo area, but they are not as secure as hard covers and most only fold up to two sections, not giving you full access to your cargo box higher type. Hard bifold tops provide pretty good security, if you add an aftermarket tailgate lock they are great for security and some fold all the way up to the cab allowing most of your truck bed to be available for higher load.
You can probably find many more pros and probably cons to these truck covers, but I’ve listed a few to get you thinking before you run off and make a purchase. When you go shopping for one, you need to consider how and what type of cargo you are carrying. I hope this article has helped you in your search to purchase one of the many types of truck bed covers that are manufactured.