History Of A Truck Bed Cover
History Of A Truck Bed Cover
History Of A Truck Bed Cover
A truck bed cover is commonly referred to as a tonneau cover. Now you must be wondering “Why is it called a tonneau (pronounced ta-no) cover?” If you want to skip the history/origin of words lesson, just go to the next paragraph. Tonneau was originally used to describe a rear passenger compartment of an automobile. Most tonneaus were fixed in place as an optional element during purchase, but some could be removed. It is a French word that means cast, container or barrel. Tonneau is derived from the Germanic word tonne that was used in the North Sea since the Middle Ages to describe a large cast. Coming back to the 20th century, tonneau covers were used to protect unoccupied rear seats. As early as the 1930s, racers covered the compartments of their roadsters with removable canvas to reduce drag. Now tonneau covers refer to truck bed covers that protect contents of your truck bed. Sometimes it is also spelled tonno, but the universally accepted spelling is tonneau.
Now that the history/linguistics lesson is over, you are probably looking to figure out which truck bed cover or tonneau cover is the right one for you. Every tonneau cover on our site is the right cover for somebody. We’ll try and help you pick the best cover for you.
FUNCTIONALITY
How much you use your truck bed will greatly affect which tonneau covers you should consider buying. Do you need quick access to your full truck bed? Do you carry items that sit above your bed caps? These are just a few questions you’ll need to consider and we can always provide a great recommendation.
If you rarely load anything in your truck bed, you have many options available. The cheapest option are snap tonneau covers. Most people do not like the idea of snaps, so the next step is a Roll up tonneau cover or a folding tonneau cover. Covers like the Access Lorado or the Ionic Tri-Fold are very easy to use compared to a snap cover. Folding tonneau covers are quick to open and close, but if you need to use your whole truck bed, most of them would have to be removed to do so. There are always exceptions – the BakFlip tonneau covers are the only folding covers that will provide full bed access and security. Retractable tonneau covers retract into a canister which will sit at the bulkhead of your truck bed taking up some of your space. Hard tonneau covers like the Undercover tonneau covers would need to be removed for full bed access.
SECURITY
Another very important thing you need to consider when buying a tonneau cover is security. All tonneau covers protect your cargo from wind, rain, and sun, but some have more features than others. Some tonneau covers are more secure than others due to latches and materials it is made from. Snap tonneau covers are the least secure because anyone can come up to a snap cover and open it up to see what is inside. Most soft covers do lock, but they stand no chance against a knife. Hard covers like the Bak covers or Undercover will provide the best security. If your tailgate locks, it will take an extreme effort to get into the bed of your truck. In the case that you don’t have a tailgate lock, we sell aftermarket tailgate locks that are simple to install.
STYLE
Visual appeal might or might not be a relevant factor when you are considering buying a tonneau cover. Some hard tonneau covers, such as the Ranch Sportwrap, can be painted to match your truck with a paint code and VIN number. Unique tonneau covers, such as a BakFlip folding tonneau cover, which can be folded up to your bulkhead to sit on like a bench. It can also be folding up next to your back window that allows full access to you truck bed. There are some tonneau covers like the Access Vanish are “low profile”, which means they sit an inch or lower from the bed caps. They offer a sleek design that some truck owners love. Some truck owners think that visual appeal and/or uniqueness is important, but some do not, so it is all about personal preference.
THE FINAL LINE
In the end, use of truck bed, security and visual appeal all are involved in buying a tonneau cover. Only YOU can decide which cover best fits your needs. At eTonneauCover.com, we carry many different Ford F150 Tonneau Covers. We are more than willing to answer any of your questions that you want to ask! We also sell truck bed accessories and truck bed liners. Just send us a PM or call our experts(1-877-226-6475) and we’ll help you pick out the best cover that matches your needs!
A truck bed cover is commonly referred to as a tonneau cover. Now you must be wondering “Why is it called a tonneau (pronounced ta-no) cover?” If you want to skip the history/origin of words lesson, just go to the next paragraph. Tonneau was originally used to describe a rear passenger compartment of an automobile. Most tonneaus were fixed in place as an optional element during purchase, but some could be removed. It is a French word that means cast, container or barrel. Tonneau is derived from the Germanic word tonne that was used in the North Sea since the Middle Ages to describe a large cast. Coming back to the 20th century, tonneau covers were used to protect unoccupied rear seats. As early as the 1930s, racers covered the compartments of their roadsters with removable canvas to reduce drag. Now tonneau covers refer to truck bed covers that protect contents of your truck bed. Sometimes it is also spelled tonno, but the universally accepted spelling is tonneau.
Now that the history/linguistics lesson is over, you are probably looking to figure out which truck bed cover or tonneau cover is the right one for you. Every tonneau cover on our site is the right cover for somebody. We’ll try and help you pick the best cover for you.
FUNCTIONALITY
How much you use your truck bed will greatly affect which tonneau covers you should consider buying. Do you need quick access to your full truck bed? Do you carry items that sit above your bed caps? These are just a few questions you’ll need to consider and we can always provide a great recommendation.
If you rarely load anything in your truck bed, you have many options available. The cheapest option are snap tonneau covers. Most people do not like the idea of snaps, so the next step is a Roll up tonneau cover or a folding tonneau cover. Covers like the Access Lorado or the Ionic Tri-Fold are very easy to use compared to a snap cover. Folding tonneau covers are quick to open and close, but if you need to use your whole truck bed, most of them would have to be removed to do so. There are always exceptions – the BakFlip tonneau covers are the only folding covers that will provide full bed access and security. Retractable tonneau covers retract into a canister which will sit at the bulkhead of your truck bed taking up some of your space. Hard tonneau covers like the Undercover tonneau covers would need to be removed for full bed access.
SECURITY
Another very important thing you need to consider when buying a tonneau cover is security. All tonneau covers protect your cargo from wind, rain, and sun, but some have more features than others. Some tonneau covers are more secure than others due to latches and materials it is made from. Snap tonneau covers are the least secure because anyone can come up to a snap cover and open it up to see what is inside. Most soft covers do lock, but they stand no chance against a knife. Hard covers like the Bak covers or Undercover will provide the best security. If your tailgate locks, it will take an extreme effort to get into the bed of your truck. In the case that you don’t have a tailgate lock, we sell aftermarket tailgate locks that are simple to install.
STYLE
Visual appeal might or might not be a relevant factor when you are considering buying a tonneau cover. Some hard tonneau covers, such as the Ranch Sportwrap, can be painted to match your truck with a paint code and VIN number. Unique tonneau covers, such as a BakFlip folding tonneau cover, which can be folded up to your bulkhead to sit on like a bench. It can also be folding up next to your back window that allows full access to you truck bed. There are some tonneau covers like the Access Vanish are “low profile”, which means they sit an inch or lower from the bed caps. They offer a sleek design that some truck owners love. Some truck owners think that visual appeal and/or uniqueness is important, but some do not, so it is all about personal preference.
THE FINAL LINE
In the end, use of truck bed, security and visual appeal all are involved in buying a tonneau cover. Only YOU can decide which cover best fits your needs. At eTonneauCover.com, we carry many different Ford F150 Tonneau Covers. We are more than willing to answer any of your questions that you want to ask! We also sell truck bed accessories and truck bed liners. Just send us a PM or call our experts(1-877-226-6475) and we’ll help you pick out the best cover that matches your needs!
Senior Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,836
Likes: 1
From: NY
I have a box on my truck currently (old pic in sig) but always wondered if you would be able to put a cover on with a box and still have it be weatherproof?? Just wondered keep everything in my box that I want locked up but the soft covers do look nice.
We do carry tonneaus that are made specifically to fit with a tool box. I cant say that would be totally weatherproof, but they should keep out 95% of any weather. We also are starting to see tonneau manufacturers starting to design toolboxes right into the tonneau covers themselves, suck as Bak with the Bakbox and a few others.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,719
Likes: 0
From: Maricopa, AZ
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,031
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From: The Shenandoah Valley
Depends I guess on what you are looking for, but Leer has a smooth finished one that looks great PTM and then there's the Undercover hard cover and then there's the Truxedo LoPro QT soft cover.
Factory Cargo Management is typically a rail system on the inside of your bed that allows attachments such as dividers and other things.