subject: Pickup Bed Covers -- A Few Tips To Get The Best One [print this page] Pickup Bed Covers -- A Few Tips To Get The Best One
Pickup bed covers come in many styles and types to suit different preferences as well as different budgets. In each case, a tonneau cover serves at least three functions and one or more of these often describes why a truck sports a cover over the bed. Part of the reason for covers is looks, but then you have potential fuel savings as well as improved security. Often the least expensive bed covers offer a great deal of all three. But the hard covers of the various sorts offer more security and also long life and durability hard to match.
No tonneau can keep every bit of water out, but some come close. It's partly the seal system that's responsible for how well the cover waterproofs. Seals are of different sorts, especially the critical side seals. For soft covers especially the seals are critical since the cover must not only be put in place be tightened as well. Systems on soft covers that allow fastening the cover in place and then tightening it afterwards are easier to use. Check online for reviews of the cover you are considering and likely you will quickly find what actual owners think about how it works to seal and keep out water and dirt.
Maybe you haven't noticed, but some tonneaus will not work with tall cargo. For example a tilting lid will not close on anything that extends higher than the bed sides. That means if you haul a lawn mower the lid must stay up. That's not very practical. On the other hand, soft covers of the roll up sort just move right out of the way so you can haul whatever you want to whenever you want to haul it. It may not be a big deal for you, but beware that many hard covers will not close if an item in the bed is higher than the bed sides. That may or may not be a problem but just think about it...
Some of the basic truck covers cost so very little and offer quite a bit. Not all soft tonneaus are the lowest price choice but you do have many very inexpensive models to consider in the soft versions. When you consider that many soft bed covers cost half of what typical hard covers sell for, you can see the potential for a good deal. Compared to a premium retractable truck bed cover, the soft models will only cost about one-fourth as much and are almost free compared to some of the options.
Bed covers for trucks finish off the looks of any pickup but do so in many different ways. For just a little investment a soft cover offers much value. Hard tonneau covers provide more security and more durability but at a higher cost.
