Why Get a Tonneau Cover

If you drive your truck often and place luggage or other items onto the cargo bed, then it is high time that you might want to protect it with a tonneau cover.

Installing a pickup bed cover is a good investment for your vehicle, especially these days. It serves as a mask to your truck, securing the essentials you put on the truck bed.

Usability

A pickup truck is a great vehicle to use if you are buying your family's needs and essentials. Tonneau covers are made to secure the stuff you put on the truck's bed. This can protect the bed area of the truck against dust, grime, and even the scorching heat of the sun.

When you leave the contents in your truck bed overnight or other stuff you put on the truck unattended, then a bed cover for the truck is what you need. The main purpose of this pickup truck accessory is for additional security through rear rail.

A pickup bed cover is installed into the side framework and works well when you equip your vehicle with a locking tailgate. Anyone can easily get your stuff without the cover but putting a truck bed cover provides partial open access to your cargo area. You can lock it with ease and not worry about your stuff getting stolen.

Aesthetic appeal

This sleek truck accessory can enhance your truck's aesthetic while giving protection to the area it covers. Bed covers for trucks are designed to give the versatility you need, as well as add a sporty look for the vehicle. These are made to be model specific for a perfect fit.

Some people may disagree with using a truck bed cover because they think it's an inconvenience. It will take you a few minutes just to get your stuff on the truck's bed if you have a cover that needs to be opened first. However, the pros outweigh the cons of using a tonneau cover.

If you plan to buy something such as Access roll-up tonneau cover, you can easily access your cargo bed by just retracting it. This type of cover is compatible with most truck bed accessories like spray-on bed liners, bed rails, box caps, and tailgate protectors.

Shade for any weather

A weather-resistant truck bed cover can surely shield your truck's bed, rain or shine.

Truck bed covers are created to protect your valuables from theft and weather damage. The strong ultraviolet (UV) rays and rainwater can damage your belongings. Aside from protecting your stuff from being stolen, it also protects the bed area from harsh weather conditions.

Putting a tonneau cover acts as outer protection to block off dust and other particles from the bed of the truck. If you have a pickup bed cover installed, this can also help to prevent UV rays that may damage the stuff you're putting in the rear cargo space of your truck.

Easy to use

The simple construction of bed covers allows you to remove and install it in a breeze. One great example is the Access lorado tonneau cover which is designed to easily clamps onto the side of the truck's bed.

There are tonneau covers designed to look seamless for trucks with the keyless entry option. Classic designs of the covers are made with vinyl or other lightweight materials. You may purchase a cover that folds back in thirds or something that can be folded all the way back for a total truck bed access.

No need to worry on how to clean it. The pickup bed cover is easy to clean because you can put cleaning solution to it when you're washing the exterior parts of your truck. The good thing about it is it keeps the bed liner dry when you're washing the vehicle. You can also easily wipe the dust off with a cloth and cleaning solution. This add-on part provides top-notch protection while still offering easy access to the truck's bed.

Different types to choose from

Still unsure if you can use a truck bed cover when transporting larger sized items? Tonneau covers are easy to install because it is designed based on application to ensure that it fits snuggly onto the rear rail tensioning system of the vehicle.  

Most covers are designed as flat so it can cover the whole truck bed. It is also designed to keep the driver's visibility unchanged. Here's some variation on the design which you can choose from:

  • Hard – Some brands offer a solid yet durable type of bed cover for trucks. The hinged design of this type of cover may complicate things when dealing with an oversized or odd-shaped load. However, this type is great to use for extreme weather conditions. It also ensures no leakage compared to other designs.
  • Soft – Typically made from either vinyl, polyester or canvas. This type is great if you're looking for a sleek look because it complements the overall truck's appearance better.
  • Roll-up – This cover is commonly used by truck owners to keep their cargo out of sight. It protects the truck bed from the elements. This is also a nice choice when you want a cover that won't give you a hard time in fitting taller items onto the truck's bed. It has an easy-lock design that fits perfectly to the bed of the truck without the need of drilling it.
  • Snap – The design makes it easy to lock the cover using a snapping material. One of its parts is installed in the frame. It has clamps so the cover is snapped onto it.
  • Locking covers – this is a good choice if you are looking for a truck bed cover with innovative cargo security benefits. It comes with its own lock-and-key to secure the cargo bed.
  • With storage box – this type is designed with an incorporated toolbox. You can attach the truck bed tool box to organize your tools or other small items.

Using the pickup bed cover keeps your stuff totally safe, whether if it's from bad weather or from burglary. If you usually put valuable items onto the truck's bed area, the cover with security lock is ideal to use. Dust and dirt will take shelter in the truck bed easily. You can keep the truck bed area clean when it has the cover.

Extra storage

If you are planning to go camping or an off-road trip with friends, packing up your stuff is easier when you have a pickup bed cover. Aside from keeping the things dust-free at the bed of the truck, it also keeps the things organized and in place. The bins, boxes, and other stuff you put on the truck's rear can be thrown off the vehicle when you're running on high speed.

The truck bed cover serves as a buffer to keep your load in place. It prevents the cargo from tumbling or sliding when the road is bumpy. Aside from the tailgate lock, the lockable pickup bed cover provides extra protection. You don't have to worry that the small or lightweight items you put in the truck's bed will be blown away by a strong wind.

If you like organizing your stuff, a tonneau cover with a truck tool box offers additional usability and functionality of a storage box, combined with a cover that shields your cargo area from dust and dirt.

Save on gas

The tonneau cover provides an aerodynamic design to your truck. Did you know what you can even save a few bucks on fuel when you use a truck bed cover? Putting one can get you more miles to the gallon.

SEMA made a research in 1997 and discovered that tonneau covers can reduce the Cd (coefficient of drag) by 11.81 percent. Mythbusters also did two different experiments to see if truck bed covers can effectively provide fuel efficiency. In episode 43, they experimented two exact models of trucks. They drove the vehicles up to 55 mph until they ran out of gas with both tailgate settings (up and down).

The first Mythbusters study determined that tailgate up was more fuel-efficient due to a "locked vortex flow" in the bed of the truck. They revisited the "myth" in episode 64 using a hard tonneau cover. They also removed the truck's tailgate and they installed a tailgate mesh. They determined that the hard tonneau cover used up the same amount of fuel at 55 MPH with the tailgate up. The one with the tailgate mesh got the most efficient gas mileage. They tested it using an electronic flowmeter that was hooked to the fuel line. The result of the second experiment concluded as "busted". There are other recent studies which have shown that their tests are not valid.

The experiments conducted by Mythbusters and SEMA did not include different types of truck bed covers. They have only tested at a certain speed and did not include when the truck is driven on higher speeds or city driving style. So, the fuel efficiency they have found may not be the same as the actual mileage from truck owners who installed one on their vehicle.

Using a bed cover for your truck can save you close to 6 percent, but it is based on what type of cover you use and how you drive. Do note that the actual results will vary and the estimated savings is only based on an annual 6 percent MPG increase. It may seem a little but it will pay for itself over time.

Choose a truck bed cover now

Pickup trucks are great to use for daily driving because you can carry and transport large and heavy items with it. If you frequently use the cargo area, there is a bigger chance that it is exposed to dust and dirt when left uncovered. The solution—install a bed cover for your truck.

Many truck owners put a cover to the cargo area because of its functionality. When you keep your valuables out in the open, there's a strong possibility that thieves may just walk off and steal something from your vehicle.

To get a proper truck bed protection, there are several factors you need to consider while choosing it. To help you in choosing the best tonneau cover for your truck, you can use 4WheelOnline's configurator. You can sort the brand, type, color, as well as your price to help you in searching for a suited bed cover for your truck.

A wide variety of pickup bed covers—whether a tri-fold tonneau cover, roll-up, retractable—there's a wide list of options to choose from. You can also check out the tonneau cover accessories and installation kits so you can further improve the functionality and provide a unique look to your truck.

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