Pickup trucks really are fantastic, capable and versatile vehicles, and nowhere else in the world seems to appreciate them quite like we do here in the U.S. As well as being able to specify a new truck from the manufacturer in more ways than most people can possibly imagine, there are also loads of aftermarket accessories available to enhance them and make them the perfect vehicle for their chosen application. One such accessory is a tonneau cover, but what exactly is a tonneau cover and why would you want one? To provide the answers to those questions and more, here's a quick tonneau covers 101 to explain matters.
The name
As you may or may not have guessed already, the word 'tonneau' is a French word. However, it's quite an old word, and there are differences of opinion about its English translation. Some claim it translates as 'tunnel', while others insist it means 'cask.' Either way, it seems to suggest something that has things inside it at least, which makes sense.
Origins
In its earliest incarnations, the tonneau cover wasn't particularly intended to cover tools and other inanimate objects in a vehicle. In fact, a tonneau was originally an item to shelter passengers in a car – a little like today's convertible soft tops. If we think about the earliest of cars they were more like carriages with an engine instead of a horse. Although they had doors and a windshield, the driver and passengers were sitting on what were effectively benches that were open to the elements. To protect the car's occupants, and the car interior itself as cars were extremely expensive in those early days, people quickly began making covers that became known as tonneau covers.
Why have a tonneau cover today?
As we know, a tonneau is now an accessory for a pickup truck to cover an open bed. But surely the whole point of a pickup is its open bed, so why would we want to cover it and wouldn’t that effectively turn it into just another SUV? Well, if all tonneau covers were the hard box varieties that are sometimes painted the same color as the bodywork and can even have windows in them, then there might be an element of truth in that. But in fact there are a number of different types of tonneau cover these days, and they have more benefits that just keeping the elements at bay.
Being able to transport items of all shapes and sizes in the bed of a truck is just so convenient, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t drawbacks too. The most obvious disadvantage is the fact whatever you put in the back is there for all to see. And if your truck is left unattended in the wrong place, what you put in the bed might not be there when you get back to it. A tonneau keeps your stuff hidden from prying eyes, and many can even be locked for additional peace of mind and security.
Items being transported in the back of a truck are exposed to the elements. And while this might not be a problem for some items, but there are plenty of things that might not take too well to rain, snow, ice, wind etc. A tonneau can provide waterproof protection for whatever you have back there, and they're easily removable so access isn't badly impaired by installing one.
That's not all though. You'll find some tonneau covers are fairly utilitarian and plain, but others can be very stylish indeed and can enhance the look of a truck at the same time as providing the protection we've already mentioned. And although there are differences of opinion on just how effective they are when it comes to improving fuel economy, there's no doubt the streamlining effect they have on a truck's aerodynamics does deliver improvements in gas mileage.
Types of cover
There are a number of different types of tonneau cover to suit all sorts of trucks, owners, and applications. The most affordable and basic is a soft cover, and there are hard covers that sit above the bed and can sometimes be as high as the vehicle's roof, or even higher in some cases. But in between there are also roll-up covers, folding covers that are a combination of hard and soft materials, retractable covers that can be retracted into a canister at the front of the truck bed, and easy to remove, flat, high impact plastic lockable lids.
If you’re not a tonneau cover aficionado already, you'll soon find there's one that's just right for you whatever truck you have and whatever you’re using it for.
Tonneau covers 101