Types of truck bed covers: their advantages and disadvantages
Truck bed covers have been a very important accessory for trucks since around 1982. This is not a product that will be ending anytime soon. There may be different types and models, but they have eliminated the truck’s problem of not having anywhere 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 hauling higher 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.
The manufacturers of these truck bed covers continue to come up with great designs that solve different problems among truck owners. One of the latest designs is the Extang Encore, which is a three-fold rigid cover. The unique thing about this tarp cover is that you can open it from the front near the cab, as well as from the rear near the tailgate. It also comes off completely in seconds, which can really come in handy.
These days there are so many different manufacturers of truck covers, but not all make the same type of truck covers. By the way, if you haven’t figured it out yet, truck bed covers and tarp covers are exactly the same. The word tonneau basically refers to a cover that is used to hide a compartment and protect it from the sun and the elements.
Many of the rigid quilts come equipped with locks that add even more security. Retractable type truck tarp 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 across the bed of the truck. They remind me of a desk with a roll top. There are even some electric models that open and close with a remote control. So that you are not caught in a power loss situation, you can also open them manually if necessary.
Many of the soft covers on the truck bed, as well as the folding hard covers, require the rear door to be opened in order to access the latches to open the cover. If you add an aftermarket tailgate lock, you increase the safety factor by a large amount. Since they were installed, they have been known to greatly reduce theft. You don’t even have to have a padlock on the deck. Just installing one will keep your cargo out of sight. Some of the hard covers have locks installed, creating a very secure area to store your gear like the trunk of a car.
Some of the main advantages and disadvantages of the different types of truck bed covers are as follows. Hard fiberglass has the advantage of being one of the best for keeping your cargo area dry and they look great painted to match the color of your truck. The main disadvantage of fiberglass covers is that they are expensive and the fact that it only lifts from the rear and you cannot use your truck for high load. Roll-up soft covers are available at a lower cost and you can use your truck for any type of load. One disadvantage of the roll-up cover is the fact that they are not as secure as a hard cover and take a little longer to open and close completely. Retractable covers allow quick and easy access to your cargo area and allow use of most of your truck bed, but are expensive. Folding soft covers are cheaper and provide quick and easy access to your cargo area, but are not as secure as rigid ones and most only fold up into two sections, not giving you full access to your box for higher type load. The folding hard covers provide pretty good security, if you add an aftermarket tailgate lock they are great for security and some fold up 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 of these truck bed 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 type of cargo it carries. I hope this article has helped you in your quest to purchase one of the many models of truck bed covers that are made.
