Truck tonneau covers come in many different sizes, shapes, intended applications, and types. The sheer number of combinations can be very confusing to consumers looking for a great deal on an affordable way to safely protect a truck and/or keep its cargo intact while in transit. It is possible to alleviate this confusion with a little bit of information. Here is what anyone shopping for truck tonneau covers needs to know:
• Truck tonneau covers are all about fit – Fit is very important when picking a tonneau cover and there are two general types of fits: one-size-fits all and custom fits. One-size-fits all approaches are not actually meant to be interpreted as a single size tonneau cover that will work on any and all trucks, but rather a specific size tonneau cover that will work on many different makes and models over a wide range of years. Custom fits cost more but offer a much greater degree of protection.
• Tonneau covers save gas – Trucks are not exactly the most aerodynamic group of vehicles, a fact that only hurts their collective fuel efficiency. While truck tonneau covers cannot reduce a truck’s other fuel efficiency problems such as the weight or inefficient high-power drive train, it is possible to reduce drag with a well-chosen tonneau. A small investment in a truck tonneau cover could conceivably pay for itself with increased fuel efficiency over the course of many thousands of miles.
• Applications are important too – Different types of chores require different types of truck tonneau covers. Some truck tonneau covers are meant to keep fine materials such as sands and/or dehydrated concrete in place while others are meant to keep items inside of a truck bed inside the truck bed. Yet other truck tonneau covers keep contents in while simultaneously keeping them safe from the elements.
• To weatherproof or not to weatherproof – There are different levels of weatherproofing available, and the decision to weatherproof can be based on the weather/climate or based on what one is transporting. Others may not want or care much for weatherproofing and the associated costs that accompany weatherproofing features.
• Security concerns – Some tonneau covers are built with heavy duty materials to ensure that it takes more than a modest amount of effort to remove them. Combined with solid materials that do not permit passersby to peer within the bed of a truck.
• Trade-offs – There are trade-offs to be had when considering the different features available. In most cases the major trade-off is price. In other words, the more features that are desired, the higher the likely price of any given truck tonneau covers. Combining more features requires significantly more money.
• Installation – Some truck tonneau covers are easy to install without assistance for those with even a modest amount of skill while other tonneau covers, especially custom fit models, require professional installation that will add a significant amount of cost to the equation. Either way, installing a tonneau cover on a pickup is usually not a very time consuming task and is likely to take no more than an hour in most situations.