subject: Pickup Truck Bed Covers -- Tips For Choosing Pickup Bed Covers [print this page] Pickup Truck Bed Covers -- Tips For Choosing Pickup Bed Covers
Truck bed covers turn a pickup box into a giant lockable trunk, much like a vault... These are a popular add-on to many pickups and make for a more useable vehicle and a finished look at the same time. Features contrast much between types of covers and even among brands. The soft cover option makes for great value with a lot of protection for cargo and bed itself. At the other extreme are retractable covers that put a layer of metal over the bed and sit low and out of the way while allowing easy access to anywhere in the bed. Following are tips for getting the right cover. Keeping soft covers tight presents great challenges. Especially with snap closing, the challenge is to have a cover that's loose enough to permit closing but tight so it does not sag. It's difficult to get both at the same time. That also means that the snaps if present and the area around the snaps take a beating if the cover must be stretched to fit. That's a sure route to a torn cover in time. That problem disappears with hard covers since the cover is rigid and need not be loose for closing... ever. Then again, there are some ingenious methods for keeping soft covers tight too. Sealing between covers and the pickup bed is critical. To keep out dampness and dirt requires quite an effort in design. Several methods are employed to get a good seal that works. Especially with soft covers which are of course not rigid the methods used vary in ease of use and effectiveness. No cover is completely waterproof but some come very close. The best way to find out what to expect may be to check out all the owner comments online... Even the most basic soft covers add security by hiding what's in your bed. And that may often be all that's needed. Hard pickup bed tonneaus offer real security that will discourage all but the most determined intruder. After all, a determined intruder can get in just about anything. The weather protection features of the different covers varies too. Covers certainly aren't weather-proof, but are quite weather-resistant in most cases. Seals vary on different models and some companies offer several sealing types to keep moisture out. Check out the many reviews online to get ideas from owners about how the covers keep out water and dirt. Realize that not all hard tonneau covers cost large money. Some hard bed covers cost little more than the better soft units. For example, folding hard covers often cost just slightly more than soft versions do for about the same level of features. The folders offer easy bed access and the other advantages of soft covers but at a moderate price compared to retractable tonneau covers or even tilting lids. The folding models fit more or less between the extremes of the soft covers and the retractable metal covers. The protection provided by pickup bed covers is for many truck owners more than just an option. It really is almost a requirement. That's so if you need the security and maybe even the finished look. But picking just one cover is a struggle because of all the choices. At least looking online simplifies the process somewhat. The real advantage of looking online is the availability of so much owner feedback on the whole tonneau experience. That's a fast and inexpensive way to learn about how covers work outside of the marketing jungle.
