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Selecting a Tonneau Cover

All tonneau covers add value to your truck, increase security, and improve gas mileage. But, you may not have considered a broad range of other available features and options. When selecting a tonneau cover for your pickup truck, it's ultimately up to you to decide which tonneau cover is best. Just remember to take these factors into consideration when selecting your truck bed cover:

Easy Installation

Most tonneau covers require less than hour to install. But there are some exceptions. Soft tonneau covers are the easiest to install, while other types of tonneau covers may require time to align various components for smooth, trouble-free operation. Most manufacturers now offer no-drill installation tonneau covers. Some models from manufacturers such as Extang only require a few minutes to install.

Easy Access - Easy Operation

The purpose of having a truck bed is haul stuff! If you regularly load and unload items from your truck, then you need to have easy access to your truck bed, without the tonneau cover getting in the way. Many folding, hinged, and retractable tonneau covers give you quick and unrestricted access to your truck bed. Some retractable tonneau covers even come with remote controlled options for hands-free operation.

Weather Condition

The type of climate you live in can play an important factor in determinting which tonneau cover is best for your truck. If you keep your truck outside, snow can pile up on top of a soft tonneau cover, causing the material to stretch. Cold weather also makes it very difficult to fold or roll soft vinyl materials. Extreme weather conditions can play havoc with soft tonneau covers, so in cold areas, a hard tonneau cover is usually the best option.

Truck Bed Security

The crime rate in your area can actually determine the best type of tonneau cover to get for your truck. While all tonneau covers offer increased security by keeping your items "out of sight - out of mind," a locking tonneau cover may be required in some areas to offer even more security. Hard truck bed bed covers are also the better option when you want the best security, since a thief can just slice right through a vinyl tonneau cover.

Looks and Styling

Perhaps one of the most common factors in picking a tonneau is how great it will make your truck look. While truck bed covers offer a wide variety of features and options, you may be only concerned with the appearance. Many manufacturers now offer low-profile tonneau covers and even colored tonneau covers to match the paint of your truck. Some people also like the more industrial look of an aluminum tonneau cover.

Tonneau Cover Price

Perhaps the single biggest factor when choosing a tonneau is the price. Truck bed covers range in price from just under $200 for a vinyl snap-on version to more than $1,000 for the feature-packed retractable units. Your personal budget will determine which tonneau cover is right for you. Just remember to weigh the value between purchasing a cheap tonneau cover and a slightly more expensive version that may offer you more features or a better warranty.