Truck bed covers have been a very important accessory for 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 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 taller type cargo and you have to crawl into the cargo area to get to anything in front of the cabin, not to mention contributing to fuel consumption due to poor wind resistance.
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’s 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.
Today there are so many different manufacturers of truck bed covers, but not all of them make the same type of tonneau cover. By the way, if you haven’t figured it out yet, truck bed covers and tonneau covers are the exact same thing. The word tonneau basically refers to a cover used to hide a compartment and protect it from 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 container 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 that you are not stuck in a power loss situation, you can also open them manually if necessary.
Many of the soft truck bed covers, as well as the hard folding truck bed covers, require you to open the tailgate to get to the latches and open the lid. Adding an aftermarket tailgate lock improves the security factor greatly. 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 and out of mind. Some of the hard covers have locks installed, creating a very secure area to store your gear, 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 the 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 it only lifts from the rear and cannot use your truck for high load. Roll-up soft tops can be obtained at a lower cost and you will be able to use your truck for any type of load. One downside to roll-top covers is the fact that they are not as secure as a hard cover and require a bit more time 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 ones and most only fold down to two sections, not giving you full access to your cargo box. higher type. Hard folding covers provide pretty good security, if you add an aftermarket tailgate lock they are great for security and some fold down 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 for you to think about before you rush out and make a purchase. When shopping for one, you need to consider how and what kind of cargo it carries. I hope this article has helped you in your quest to buy one of the many models of truck bed covers that are made.