Truck Tonneau Covers
One of the most popular customizations on a pickup truck is a tonneau cover which can be both decorative and functional. Not only can they hide the contents within the truck bed from being seen, especially when those contents are unsightly, a tonneau cover can also protect whatever is in the truck bed from the elements such as snow, sleet and rain. They are often simply referred to as tops or pickup bed covers and they come in either hard or soft styles.
Hard Truck Tonneau Covers
Of the two basic types of tonneau covers, hard covers are the most expensive but do afford the greatest protection. Most often they are manufactured from fiberglass, aluminum or molded plastic and the covers can be folding, retracting or hinging. Aluminum tonneaus can be either all metal or manufactured with a vinyl laminate. Retractable covers obviously retract back into a canister while folding would have panels that fold up and back. One of the benefits of multi-fold truck tonneau covers is that they can easily be folded up to be stored behind the truck’s cab. However, hinging tonneaus are the easiest to operate because they lift up and can be operated with just one hand, leaving the other free to hold materials or keep a trolley in place.
Soft Truck Tonneau Covers
Although soft tonneau covers are the least expensive, they do afford a certain amount of protection. Usually they are constructed with a metal frame and a vinyl cover and there are five basic styles to choose from. Those styles include:
- Tri fold tonneau covers
- Hinging tonneau covers
- Roll-up tonneau covers
- Snapless tonneau covers
- Snap tonneau covers
Soft tonneaus are also convenient and both the snap and snapless designs are easily removed to allow quick access to the entire bed. Also, because they can be removed easily it is possible to carry taller cargo because the cover can be replaced once the truck is unloaded. Roll-up covers may be a bit pricier but worth the additional cost because they have the ability to be rolled up quite compactly which greatly adds to the convenience.
DIY Installation
Whether you choose a hard or soft truck tonneau cover, they are usually quite easy to install and they come with complete instructions that are easy to follow. However, some truck owners choose to purchase their tonneau covers online and then take them to their local body shop to have installed. Most often this does provide a significant savings, but of course a DIY installation would be the cheapest solution. With a few power tools the entire installation can be accomplished in just a short time. Also, there are a number of videos online that actually walk you through the process so that you will get a visual prior to actually doing the installation.
Not only are truck tonneau covers functional and often quite attractive, once they have been installed the value of the truck immediately increases. If you should decide to sell or trade in your truck at some point in the future, the asking price can be significantly higher. You can find them easily online and will even be able to compare prices as well as features to be assured that you are getting the very best in terms of cost and features. In fact, a savvy shopper may even find a site that offers free or expedited shipping. No matter what type of pickup you own, truck tonneau covers are available or can easily be customized.
