Bed covers or tonneau covers are among the most popular items we sell for trucks at Prestige Car Audio & Marine. If you want to skyrocket the usefulness of your bed, then you are reading the right article.
Who doesn’t love trucks? We sure do, especially for their usefulness. Having the ability to carry large and bulky items with ease is one of the main benefits of owning a truck. But have you ever been concerned that someone might want to help themselves to the cargo in your bed? Or maybe you have been concerned that a rain shower might damage your stuff. The good news is that a bed cover can make your cargo secure and weather-resistant.
Truck bed covers come in two main styles – soft covers and hard covers. Here are our most popular styles in each of the two categories.
Hard Truck Bed Covers
Hard Truck Bed Covers: Solid Covers
Hard, or solid, bed covers are far and away the most popular these days. Years ago, they were limited to one-piece designs that were made of fiberglass and were very bulky. Nowadays, they still come in one-piece hinged designs, but our models are made of a composite that weighs a lot less than fiberglass. These covers will pivot up from the cab side of the bed and use lift supports to hold them up. They are very easy to open and close, and are some of the best for both security and weather protection. We can also order these covers painted to match your vehicle for an elegant look. The downside of this cover is storage. If you need to remove it, you have to find a place to store it, as it is the same size as your bed opening. It also limits bed access from the sides.
Hard Truck Bed Covers: Folding Covers
Folding truck bed covers are the next evolution in design and offer an easy-to-use design that is less bulky than the one-piece cover. The idea here is that the cover is divided into three panels that hinge up for easy bed access. You can open one panel for partial access, or fold it up completely for full bed access. Some models flip up against the cab and store out of the way for full bed access, and other models are designed to be removed completely in seconds. As each panel is much smaller than a one-piece design, finding a place to store it when not in use is pretty easy.
Hard Truck Bed Covers: Retractable Covers
The latest evolution in cover design here at Prestige Car Audio & Marine is the retractable cover. If you have ever seen a rolltop desk, then you understand how this cover works. Inside of the bed right up against the cab, a small canister gets mounted and the cover itself then retracts inside of the canister as you open it. You simply flip a lever and, depending upon the style, the cover will either retract by you moving it manually, with a spring mechanism similar to a garage door or by an electric motor. These covers are by far the easiest to use and offer great security and weather protection. They use a channel system to keep your cargo dry by funneling any water that gets past the cover, down into the canister and out through a drain tube. As these covers are much more complex, they are also the most expensive. But if you want the nicest bed cover available, they may be perfect for you.
Soft Truck Bed Covers
Soft truck bed covers are where it all started decades ago. Over the years, they have evolved tremendously, and now come in many different styles. In more recent years, the soft covers have become available in folding and hinged designs to mimic the hard-cover styles. The cover is usually made of a durable, black, marine-grade vinyl. The main advantage to soft covers is their lower price and lighter weight. The traditional rollup style cover gets stored against the cab when you need to use the whole bed.
The disadvantage is security. If someone wants to get into your bed through a soft cover, all they need is a pocket knife to cut the vinyl. For many people, though, the idea of keeping their cargo away from prying eyes is good enough. And these do offer decent weather protection for your contents.
Stop By Today To Learn More About Your Cover Options
Prestige Car Audio & Marine offers expert installation on all of our truck bed covers. We invite you to stop by our facility with your truck and let us get to know you better. After spending time with you and looking over your vehicle, we will offer you what we feel will be the best solution to fit your needs.
You can also contact us here for more information about any of our products and services.