Choosing a Truck Bed Cover
by Hunter Jones
March 19, 2008

Adding a truck bed cover to your truck can give you great looks, but what else are they good for? How do you choose the right style of truck bed cover? What's the difference between hinged bed covers and pneumatic strut supports? These are just a few of questions that you will be faced with when choosing a truck bed cover. Let's begin with a basic discussion of what a bed cover can provide.

So, what does a truck bed cover do? Basically, it acts as a protective shield for anything that you might have in the bed of your truck. This can be accomplished just as well with a camper shell, but they lack the flair that a flat truck bed cover provides. They can also help make a truck slightly more aerodynamic, though do not expect to see a dramatic increase in fuel mileage. Trucks, by their nature, use a lot of fuel. What else does a truck bed cover do? It can greatly add to the look of your truck, as well.

What kind of configurations can you find in truck bed covers? Your two basic choices will be hinged bed covers and pneumatic strut supported covers. Hinged bed covers are usually cheaper, though they are somewhat heavy and cumbersome when lifting them. Pneumatic strut supports are familiar to anyone that has ever opened the rear hatch on a minivan or an SUV. These are gas powered struts that lift the truck bed cover for you, enabling easier access to the bed and its contents.

What sort of materials are truck bed covers made out of? Well, you'll find two dominant types: plastic and fiberglass. Both of these materials are lightweight enough that they work well, yet durable enough to provide a long lasting solution. There are a couple of drawbacks to both, though. Fiberglass is famed for cracking when it ages (Corvette front ends come to mind). Plastic, on the other hand, fades and discolors over time. Dry rot can also be a problem with plastic. As with any other truck accessory, care and maintenance are vital to getting years of use out of these devices.

What are the drawbacks to using truck bed covers? There is only one considerable drawback to using these devices. They decrease the height of the load that you can carry, by a considerable amount. Anything that you place in the bed must be short enough that it will not interfere with the bed cover. This can be somewhat offset if you can manage to prop the bed cover open in the back, allowing it to rest on the material in the bed (lumber or other items not easily damaged). However, bed covers can be removed when necessary, though you will need two people to carry out the task.

One option that can get around this drawback is a newer kind of truck bed cover. These are sildable or retractable bed covers, offering you the opportunity to simply slide the needed portion out of the way and place your cargo inside. This way, you can still use a portion of your bed for tall loads, without having to completely remove the bed cover. A tonneau cover is another good option. A soft tonneau cover can be opened at almost any corner, while retractable options work much the same as a standard retractable bed cover.

Defining your need for a bed access is crucial to getting the right truck bed cover. You'll find many different configurations available, all based on different types of usage. Choose the one that best suits your needs, rather than the way the cover looks on your truck.

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