Tonneau Covers Old As Trucks, Yet There’s Always Something New... By Tom Balek & David Herrmeyer Photo By David Herrmeyer

In the 1967 film The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman was a young man without a plan. At a party in his honor, a boozy business tycoon took him aside and gave him a one-word piece of career advice — "Plastics!"

Fast forward to the SEMA automotive show 37 years later. After trudging countless miles through the truck accessories aisles, here’s my advice to a new graduate — "Tonneau Covers!"

If the number and variety of product offerings are any indication, the tonneau cover has to be the hottest accessory on the market — and with good reason. Trucks continue to gobble automotive market share; and what distinguishes these regal machines from their lowly cousin, the automobile? The bed, of course.

Every pickup truck has a bed. What makes each truck/owner marriage unique is how that truck will be used, and that is the primary question an accessories dealer must address with each customer. At first blush, it seems like a pretty straightforward issue, but as you will see, it can become complex in a hurry.

There are so many good reasons to install a tonneau cover — security, improved fuel mileage, styling, and cargo management are high on the list. As with any purchase decision, each choice involves some tradeoffs.

Tonneau covers can be generally categorized as one-piece hard covers, soft or hard folding covers, soft or hard roll-up covers, and soft bow-support covers. Innovative manufacturers continue to blur the distinctions between these styles, seeking to address as many needs for as many drivers as possible. A truck owner who has never had one will ask, "Do I need a tonneau cover?" That’s easy. Yes! Next question!

You Gotta Know When To Roll ‘Em — Know When To Fold ‘Em

Forgive the attempt at a Kenny Rogers pun, but it helps describe the choices tonneau manufacturers provide. It’s all in the process of evolution. Early tonneaus were little more than tarps held in place with snaps. Hard tonneaus had a manufacturer’s excise tax on them which was later repealed, so they did not become popular until the ‘70s, but their growth has been steady ever since. Bill Gaylord started making fiberglass tonneau covers in 1964 and Gaylord’s "lids" remain a hot seller today.

Because the most popular early tonneau covers were of the one-piece fiberglass variety, many truck owners have this version in mind when they first inquire. Many truck enthusiasts consider the painted fiberglass version the "prettiest" tonneau cover, hence its appeal to custom truck owners. The buyer of a quality one-piece fiberglass cover can expect a good fit, excellent security, and a smooth, glossy finish, usually matched to the vehicle color. The smooth finish makes a perfect canvas for airbrushed artwork. Custom details are available, such as a raised "wing" edge at the back, carpeted inside surface, or a cargo light. While most one-piece covers lift from the back of the truck, some, such as the HardTop 4-Way, can also be raised from either side.

Not all one-piece covers are fiberglass. New advanced plastics, such as Undercover’s ABS "Geloy" material, and STK’s thermoformed resin, offer lightweight but sturdy alternatives. Durakon Industries and a few others have also introduced composite tonneaus. These and most other non-fiberglass one-piece hard covers are shipped with a black textured scratch-resistant finish that can be painted, but that too has changed. Undercover has just introduced a new painted composite tonneau. Be sure you read about in the product coverage section of this article. Steel one-piece covers, such as the GT Classic by GemTop, also offer durability, security, and great looks.

And not all one-piece covers are hard. A number of manufacturers offer soft vinyl-covered lids on aluminum frames with struts, which offer easy lift-up access from the rear. Extang’s "FullTilt" tonneau cover goes both ways — it can be lifted at the back, or rolled up to the cab (removal of bows is required).

Let The Good Times Roll-Up

A driver who hauls cargo taller than the sides of the truck bed should consider an alternative if he doesn’t wish to frequently remove his one-piece tonneau cover. A customer lamented to me that he had attended an auction sale and was thrilled to find and buy a piece of rare furniture — only to realize he had no way to haul it home. He couldn’t drive his truck with its one-piece lid open, and he couldn’t remove it and store it in the bed. (Happy ending — a friend delivered it for him.)

Some trucks are not destined for a life of ease. A truck that is called upon to do some occasional heavy lifting — perhaps towing a fifth-wheel trailer or bringing home a big-screen TV — needs a more convertible tonneau cover. Fortunately, there is a plethora of choices.

Folding hard covers offer many of the advantages found in one-piece hard covers, such as superior security and hard-line styling. The Fold-A-Cover brand product uses a lockable four-panel design, which can be opened from front or rear, and the cover can travel safely while partially opened. Several companies offer a soft vinyl folding cover with similar functionality.

Hard roll-up tonneau covers are constructed of interlocking metal panels that retract into a canister at the front of the truck bed. The Roll-N-Lock cover has vinyl-clad aluminum slats, while BAK’s version is powder-coated. A unique feature of this style of product is the ability to lock the cover open incrementally. It utilizes a spring mechanism or electric motor to "pull" the cover open, and the hard panels and rigid construction offer excellent security. The American Roll Cover, by Truck Covers USA, will bear 500 lbs. of weight. Its use of double-wall panels adds rigidity, but also cost.

By its nature and design, the hard roll-up style is the most complicated tonneau cover, requiring some mechanical savvy for installation and maintenance.

The soft roll-up tonneau cover, by contrast, is utterly simple — a vinyl-and-fabric tarp with built-in reinforcement bows, which attaches to side rails by hook-and-loop strips. Ease of installation, moderate cost, and simple operation makes the soft roll-up tonneau cover an attractive option for almost any truck. Tastes are trending toward the sleeker "low-profile" look. The Truxedo low-profile cover features hook-and-loop strips that slide in the side rails, enabling the spring-loaded tensioners to keep the cover taut for its entire length.

Traditional soft covers require the installation and removal of aluminum bows to close and open the cover, and are attached to the rails by snaps, Velcro strips, or "peel" type clasping edges.

So Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really Want

As I said, there will be trade-offs. If the top priority is a sleek look and color that matches the vehicle, the one-piece fiberglass or steel tonneau cover is the answer. The customer should be aware that he will have to remove and store the cover — without damaging it — if he hauls anything big. If he wants a one-piece cover that is a little bit lighter and more manageable, a composite cover is in order. These lids lock securely, so a thief will require at least a crowbar or a big hammer to get at your treasures.

A hard folding cover offers benefits similar to a one-piece hard cover plus the ability to travel while partly opened. However, unless it is completely removed, full access to the bed will always be restricted by at least one panel. Security is comparable to the one-piece as well. Soft folding covers offer the same functionality at a lower cost, but sacrifice some security (a razor knife will get the bad guy right in) and durability.

Hard roll-up covers offer great security, good looks, and the ability to lock open in increments. They are relatively costly, more complex, more difficult to install and maintain, and can be more prone to problems. The roll-up canister also takes up some space at the front of the bed.

Soft roll-up covers are moderately priced, easy to install and operate, can be custom-built for use with toolboxes and less-common beds, and will accommodate bed caps and rails. The combination of value and functionality is hard to beat, and if you’re not storing gold bars in the back, this can be a good way to go.

Truck drivers on a budget should steer toward the bow-type traditional soft tonneau cover. Opening and closing the cover takes a little more work, and your choices are "on" and "off," but your truck will look good and your stuff will stay clean and dry.

Wait, There’s More

The popularity of tonneau covers has spawned a number of related accessories and opportunities for add-on sales. While some of the newer trucks have locking tailgates, most still don’t — so a tailgate lock is a great addition for soft cover buyers. And who hasn’t cussed when the groceries slid all the way to the front of the bed at that stop light? A cargo bar or a bed organizer is the solution.

Anyone who drives on gravel roads knows that a tonneau cover causes a "vacuum" action that sucks dirt into the bed through the tailgate gap, drain holes, and stake pocket holes. A BedRug or similar soft bedliner system is the best solution for keeping dust out from the bottom, while bed caps, bed rails, or "pop-up" style cargo hooks will do the job on top. A variety of stick-on tailgate sealers are available as well, but in extreme dust conditions, a metal-flanged sealer with a large rubber bulb strip may be more effective. Soft tonneau covers should be kept clean and treated with a quality vinyl protectant.

Some manufacturers offer factory-built toolbox/soft cover combos. These units look great and fit well, but offer less storage than a traditional crossover box and generally cost more. Soft covers can be ordered custom-built to fit behind a crossover toolbox; be sure that a good weather seal is provided at the front edge of the cover. A good alternative is a full size cover with a chest toolbox. A 57" box will fit between the rails of most covers and provide plenty of storage at a modest cost. However, this does prevent loading materials, such as sheet goods or lumber, to the front of the box on the floor.

For the discriminating customer, don’t forget the availability of remote control keyless operation, dome lights, and tailgate locks.

Best Of All, It’s Free

Most customers are cost-conscious, and one of the first questions is, "How much will this tonneau cover cost me?" My stock answer usually gets quite a reaction. "Why, it’s free!" I tell them. "If you drive 50,000 miles with this truck, the gas you save will pay for your cover!" Of course, it would take a Cray supercomputer, a wind tunnel, and a bunch of guys in white coats to get precise results for every driver/truck/cover combination, but common sense says a covered bed will get better mileage than an open bed with a closed tailgate. And that’s reason enough to put one on every truck. I know there have been some under-reported tests that show no mileage gain, but the number that do document a gain give me enough of a comfort level to tout them.

If customers still need more convincing to spend a little money, it helps to remind them that thieves are reluctant to break into a truck bed when they don’t know if they will be rewarded with anything more than a bag of trash. The bed can actually be a safer place to store valuables than in a locked pickup where they are visible.

Knowing what solutions are out there and their use is the mark of a true professional. It is easy to just sell what you want to sell, and tell customers you have done the research for them and determined that xyz brand is the best value. That may be appropriate, if you are certain it is true and you fully understand the customer’s needs.

You can give customers too much selection, confusing them into indecision, but don’t let that be an excuse for laziness. You need to know what’s right for your customer. If you accept the responsibility for his decision, you’d better be right.

From here it is important to review the product innovations for tonneaus and caps and related products below. This is part of our continuing effort to keep you up to date on the most important innovations in the tonneau and cap category. Tonneaus are as old as trucks, but there really is plenty of news.