Folding Tonneau Covers - Without Doubt, the Best Truck Tonneau Cover

With gas prices getting out of control, it makes more financial sense than ever to fit a truck tonneau cover; they will save your gas bills by about 8-10%. However, with so many types on the market you might still be unsure which type is best. A folding tonneau cover is the best option and here's why.

Most folding tonno covers are soft lids made from industrial strength vinyl. The reason why they are so popular isn't surprising when you do the research. Let's take a quick look at the other types that are on offer and point out why they're inferior.

Hard covers made of aluminum, fiberglass and plastic polymer made sound great at first; they look good, can sometimes be painted-matched and are touted as being weather-tight. Well, there's no denying that they do look good, but a hard tonno is no more weather tight than a well-made folding vinyl cover. While, aluminum and fiberglass can be paint-matched, this is an additional expense; most of us won't be able to do this ourselves, so you can just about double the cost of these already expensive covers if you want them the color as your truck.

But, without doubt the biggest downside with solid, hard lids is when you need to remove them so you can haul large cargo. Both aluminum and fiberglass are heavy (they can weigh up to 150lbs) so taking them off and putting them back on is often a two-man job. And, while polymer versions are much lighter, all hard covers need to be stored somewhere when not in use. Not every manufacturer supplies a wall frame to store it and not many folks have the garage wall space either.

Of course, you could opt for a soft roll-up version. They're cheap to buy, easy to install and, when you need to haul large cargo, you can roll the cover all the way back to the cab and use the full length of the truck's bed. But, access isn't as convenient as hinged lids. You have thumb-numbing snaps or cheap looking Velcro seals to contend with.

A vinyl folding tonneau cover is the best of both worlds. They usually come in three sections making access easy as each section is hinged; you simply lift the lid like you would do with a hard version. And, when you need to use your truck's full bed area, you can fold back all sections and secure them up against the cab; you don't need to remove them like you would do if you had a hard lid fitted.

As stated, the better brands are easy to install, as weather-tight as any lid, allow full access to the truck bed and will reduce your gas bill.

If you want a heads-up on the better brands you should check out lids like the Access Trifecta, BAKFlip G2 and Lund Genesis Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover. All of these are great covers with each of them offering different styles and options.

The best truck tonneau cover is a folding one. So, if you want the best, then buy folding; no other tonno is as versatile, as easy to install or as easy to use. by Robin OBrien