Nothing deteriorates a truck bed faster than the burning sun and freezing snow of Northern Arizona. With each day driving with an open truck bed, you’re closer to a hefty repair bill. But thankfully, there’s something you can do to keep your truck bed safe. And not only from the elements but also from the criminal minds: Install a tonneau cover.
Why? Let’s look at the benefits of tonneau covers.
Just like for all other words with unusual spelling in the English language, we have the French to blame for tonneau. It means wine cask or barrel. American car manufacturers adopted it in the 20th century to describe the newly introduced car models with open, rear passenger compartments in the shape of a barrel.
In the early days of the Bonneville Speedway races, drivers started using tonneau covers to wind-proof open areas of their vehicles to improve aerodynamics. Record-setting racers back then swore that records were broken thanks to tonneau covers.
In their first days, tonneau covers were made of leather, canvas, and even bedsheets. But two hundred years later, the industry has grown to offer hundreds of options, keeping pace with the fast evolution of the car industry.
Today, not only do tonneau covers for trucks come in more materials than you can imagine, but there are also a plethora of designs and styles to suit the different needs of truck drivers:
The type of tonneau cover you buy depends on the climate and terrain where you drive your truck and what kind of cargo do you usually haul. So having in mind the rigid landscape and often extreme weather around Flagstaff and Northern Arizona, it’s best to choose a sturdy model that will survive it all.
Speaking of sturdy and hard-wearing tonneau covers, the LINE-X Tonneau Covers are just that. Built with durability and convenience in mind, they are available in six different designs — some fully customizable — to avail all drivers and their specific needs.
The modern, aesthetically pleasing, yet heavy-duty design is common for all LINE-X Tonneau Covers, whether soft or heavy.
Apart from the fact that tonneau covers are aesthetically pleasing and give your truck a more slick appearance, there are other, more practical benefits of truck bed covers.
Aren’t you tired of your truck bed always looking like it was just hit by a hurricane — dirt, leaves, branches, and an occasional small animal? Well, a tonneau cover will keep all that away, and you won’t have to spend your Sundays cleaning it. But most of all, it’ll protect your truck bed from small abrasions that can turn quite problematic over time.
It’s really inconvenient when you need to load, unload, and reload the truck time and again, because you can’t leave the items in plain sight for the thieves to take. A tonneau cover will save you time and trouble by hiding whatever is under. And if it has a locking system — like many tonneau covers do these days — it’ll not only keep curious eyes away but hands as well.
Remember the Bonneville Speedway racers? They were right. Tonneau covers reduce air drag making your truck more fuel-efficient by 5-10%, depending on the type of truck and cover you have. This is especially noticeable on highways when driving faster. So, in other words, installing a tonneau cover will save you fuel money in the long run.
Modern tonneau covers are conveniently built to provide easy access to the truck bed when and however needed. Depending on the model, some can be unlatched at particular areas, others can be remotely controlled, or completely removed with a quick pull or push. So there’s no need for the bed to be entirely covered or uncovered all the time — you can adjust it to suit your needs.
Just because trucks are mostly used for cargo transport, it doesn’t mean they can’t be appealing to the eye. Install a tonneau cover you won’t ever have to care whether your truck bed is rusty, dirty or there’s a complete mess of tools and stuff. It works like a magic trick — it hides everything under and gives your truck a neat, attractive appearance — especially the hard tonneau covers.
No matter what make or model of truck you drive; no matter what you use it for; and no matter where you drive it — there’s a tonneau cover out there to fit perfectly on your truck bed frame, and serve you long and good. And if there isn’t, they will customize it just for you.
Driving your truck with an open bed will bring down the value of your vehicle faster than you’d like. The elements will slowly but surely take their toll, leaving the bed in poor condition. And the air drag will weigh down the engine, spending more fuel.
All this will cost you money in the long run. Especially if you decide to resell or trade it in for a new vehicle.
Installing a tonneau cover is the smartest and most inexpensive upgrade of your truck — it’ll keep its value higher for a longer period of time, and it’ll save you money on repairs, repaintings, and fuel.
Tonneau covers provide a wide range of benefits for your truck. If you’re still driving your truck with an open bed, it’s time to cover it up with one of LINE-X’s tonneau covers. Don’t let it deteriorate anymore, and stop by Flagstaff Collision Center to find the perfect bed cover for your truck.