Tonneau Covers

All about tonneau covers

The range of materials for tonneau covers is ever growing. You have fiberglass, vinyl, ABS plastic and Aluminum. Each material serves a purpose for your individual use. Look closely at what all your needs are before purchasing a tonneau. You want one that will do everything you ask of it and last a long time.

Let's start with Fiberglass tonneaus.

Fiberglass is an extremely strong material. It's been used for years in the automotive industry because it is strong and durable. It's easily paintable. It will withstand some pretty harsh conditions. It is flexible enough to allow some movement without cracking or bending. Most truck enthusiast who are looking for a show quality tonneau go with a fiberglass cover. It can be painted to match your truck. You can continue your paint design on the cover for a show stopping, eye catching touch. It can have vinyl graphics applied to it to match other graphics on your truck. But it does have it's draw backs. Weather such as hail, ice or windy, like tornados and hurricanes can quickly destroy a fiberglass cover. Paint chipping and cracking fiberglass are expected in these kinds of conditions. You have two choices: keep your truck in the garage during this kind of weather or deal with it and call your insurance person. This is also the heaviest type of tonneau. Some tonneaus weigh as much as 150 lbs or more. If you plan on taking the cover on and off that is a real concern.

Vinyl tonneaus are the working mans friend. They are soft covers that simply roll up when you need to use the bed or even use portions of the bed. They come with bows that attach to the sides of the bed to keep the tonneau tight. Normally snaps or velcro is used to secure them along the sides, front and rear. Using a soft cover allows you to keep the tonneau on the truck at all times and still have the complete use of the bed. The down sides to soft tonneaus is again...weather. Extreme cold and extreme heat tend to stretch and shrink the vinyl. Snow can weigh down the cover and bend the bows. This stretches the material making the tonneau look sloppy. Heat will stretch the tonneau also. If a tonneau become to loose it will start slapping in the wind and eventually fray the rear sections thus making the cover look very old.

ABS tonneaus are great for any type of weather. Because they are plastic they resist breaking, cracking, bending and the weather. A hail storm, unless very severe, will have no effect on a plastic tonneau. They are light,durable and easy to remove. You can put stuff on top of the cover without fear of scratching the paint or worrying about the weight. The typical construction of the ABS tonneau make it extremely strong. You can use it at tailgate parties, firework shows or your kids ball game. You can actually sit on the cover without fear of it breaking. The downside to a ABS tonneau is painting it to match your truck is a little difficult. It takes a complicated process to do it but it can be done. Just like the fiberglass tonneau you do not have full use of your bed. If you have to carry something large in the bed you'll have to remove the cover first.

Aluminum tonneaus are a new product on the market. They are styled similar to a fiberglass tonneau but the weight is much less. Taking an aluminum cover off is much easier than taking off fiberglass. They will not crack like a fiberglass tonneau. They are very strong and durable. They are typically painted to match the color of your truck for a great appearance modification. The streamline styling makes a small yet noticeable statement that other tonneaus to not have. The downside to this type of cover is again the weather. If your planning on keeping your truck in the garage then you won't have a problem. But if your truck is out in the weather the damage from hail will be expensive. It's just like your truck. The metal will bend and it will need to be fixed by a body shop and repainted.

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