If you have a truck, adding a
tonneau
cover is a
necessity. Why? Because they provide you with an
organized storage for whatever you transport. It also
provides coverage from weather conditions, like rain,
snow and extreme sun.
1. What are Tonneau Covers?
Your pick-up truck has a bed that is used to
transport
items. These beds are usually exposed to the weather.
Tonneau covers provide shelter for the items stored in
your truck bed. They turn your truck bed into a
sheltered compartment. They are different, however, from
camper shells that turn the truck bed into a camp-like
compartment.
2. History of Tonneau Covers
Tonneau covers are also known as
truck
bed
covers.
They have evolved from a number of versions that have
been designed for different uses, and because of this,
no one person can claim to have invented the tonneau
cover. Soft covers gained became popular on major
speedways. Sport truck racers used
soft
tonneau
covers to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag. Hard top
tonneau covers rose in prominence as an alternative to
camper shells. These highly-customized
truck
bed lids
evolved to suit the various needs of truck drivers.
3. Tone - what?
The name tonneau comes from the French word that means
rear seating compartment of a vehicle. While your truck
bed isn't a seating compartment, the term is still
appropriate.
Sometimes tonneau is spelled tonno. Even though this is
the case, tonneau is still the best known variation of
the cover's name.
4. Tonneau Cover Storage Basics
When you need to transport items ranging from groceries,
to heavy furniture, the tonneau cover does the trick.
The cover shield your items from view, from the weather
and from damage. Even simple covers can sufficiently
protect your stuff. In some instances, tonneau covers
employ strategically-placed weather seals that channel
the moisture away from the covers. With such equipment,
truck owners have a greater peace of mind when
transporting items sensitive to such.
5. Added Security
If you can't see it, you can't steal it. Since tonneau
covers hide your items from sight, thieves would most
likely pass over your truck when considering which to
victimize. Some models of the tonneau provide added
security: locks, alarms, and designs that make stealing
from them hard.
6. Tonneau Styles
- Heavy-Duty Soft Tonneau
- Hard Tonneau
- Retractable Tonneau
- Toolbox Tonneau
7. It Saves Gas!
Believe it or not, tonneau covers save gas! Closed air
truck beds lower air resistance (this is why they are in
high demand in racecars). Less drag means you will be
driving a faster, more energy efficient truck! As air
flows over the front end of your vehicle, it careens
into the hollow bowl of your bed and produces opposite
force to your truck. This could easily provide you with
several miles of additional gas every single trip! Using
a well-designed tonneau cover could extend gas mileage
by about 10%. In essence, purchasing a tonneau cover
today would be a great investment since these covers
pays for themselves in the long run.
