Types of Tonneau Cover

Tonneau covers is a protective cover that is installed on a pickup truck bed. This accessory helps protect the pickup bed from different elements such as dust, heat, water and snow. Besides securing a cargo, the tonneau cover also provides improved air resistance to the vehicle, while it is in motion.

This essential pickup truck accessory is available in two types, hard and soft. Soft covers are more popular because it is the less expensive option. The material is made of vinyl.

Roll-up tonneau covers consist of a vinyl cover that is secured to a bed rail. Like the name suggests, this type of cover is rolled up to open. Some roll-ups covers can be secured or sealed with different types of enclosures such as clip ons, velcros and snaps.

The Folding type is a bed cover that is both available in hard and soft options. Its soft folding version features a vinyl material while the hard variety is made up of a hard, solid panel. It is typically available in tri-fold and multi-fold designs.

Another popular variety is the retractable type. This type of tonneau cover is made up of a hard material, usually madeup of aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass and polycarbonate. Retractable covers are designed to be unleashed/retract from and into a plastic canister. It can be power operated, and controlled by a remote control for easy opening and closure.

The Hinged type is usually madeup of ABS plastic or fiberglass material. This easy-to-remove cover feature side hinges and are available in one or two keyed lock options.

Recently, heavy duty plastic lids and painted fiberglass lids have gained popularity. The second option is more popular because they can be customized to have the same color as your pickup truck.

Tonneau covers can be easily ordered online via auto parts and accessories store or through your local dealer. Tonno Pro, Extang, Retrax, Roll-N-Lock, Access, Lund, Undercover and TruXedo are some of the brands that you should check out when you start shopping for your truck bed cover. Prices can range from as low as $100 to as much as $1000, depending on the brand and the type of cover that you will choose.