Buyer's Guide to Hard Shell Truck Bed Covers
One of the best truck accessories that you can buy is a tonneau cover. Tonneau covers have several benefits: they make your truck bed more secure, they're attractive, and they also make your truck more aerodynamic, which means you can enjoy some extra fuel savings. Truck bed covers come in many different styles, but the most secure and protective solution is a hard tonneau cover.
Why Get a Hard Shell Tonneau Cover?
A lot of truck accessories on the market are geared toward buyers with work trucks, but hard truck bed covers are more for those who use their trucks as daily drivers and family haulers.
A hard shell tonneau cover gives your truck a more finished look and many of them can be color matched for an even more striking appearance.
Hard shell truck bed covers are practical for daily driving in that they provide protection for your truck bed and anything that might be in it. These bed covers can also help you save money at the pump by making your truck more aerodynamic.
What are Hard Tonneau Covers Made Of?
Hard truck bed covers are typically made from either fiberglass or ABS polymer. Fiberglass has long been the most popular option for hardcovers, but ABS polymer is a lighter material and is becoming increasingly popular.
Fiberglass covers use a resin-filled honeycomb pattern to provide strength and durability. This unique pattern distributes stress and weight on the cover. The typical fiberglass hardcover weighs between 80 and 110 pounds.
ABS polymer truck bed lids usually weigh about 60 pounds or less. These covers are very strong and easy to use. Lightweight plastic crossbows beneath the surface evenly distribute weight and stress for long-lasting reliability.
How Hard Tonneau Covers Work
Once the cover is installed, the cover can be opened through the use of sturdy hinges or heavy-duty gas struts. Hinges are the more low-tech style and are usually attached near the cab. These hinges are designed to last a lifetime of opening and closing.
The newer style is gas struts. You're probably already familiar with gas strut openings with SUV rear windows and doors, and late-model cars and trucks often employ them for opening the hood as well. Most gas strut systems are durable enough to last over 50,000 uses.
Hard Tonneau Cover Security
One of the top reasons people buy hard tonneau covers is the extra security they provide. Soft covers can be cut and ripped by a determined thief, but hard covers are much more difficult to get into.
A would-be thief would need to be armed with a cutting torch or sledgehammer to get in. Another way that hard covers protect your gear is by overlapping the tailgate. This prevents the tailgate from being opened without lifting the cover. Most covers are also equipped with sturdy keyed locks.
What Kind of Hard Cover Do You Need?
Life is full of choices, and picking out the right hard bed cover for your truck is no exception. Hard bed covers for trucks come in many different styles and offer different features. One important choice is whether you want a color-matched cover or a standard cover.
The latter are typically black and might have a matte or glossy look. Some covers come in a semi-textured finish so you can color-match them later if you want. A customized color-match cover will require your vehicle's paint code.
Another thing to consider is how often you might carry large loads. Hard tonneau covers are heavy, usually around 100 pounds, and that makes them somewhat difficult to remove. You'll need a friend, some tools, some time, and a place to store your cover. If you rarely carry large loads, you can pick from all the options, including paint-matched covers.
If you do occasionally or frequently carry large loads, then you might consider the lighter ABS polymer style. As previously mentioned, they typically weigh well under 100 pounds and will be a lot easier to remove.
Why Choose Hard Over Soft?
Soft covers have a few benefits too. The main one is that they're much easier to remove than hardcovers. You can also get soft rolling covers that roll all the way back so you can carry a large load. However, the primary drawback of a soft rolling tonneau cover is security.
If you want your cargo to be as secure as possible, a hard cover really is the only way to go. Hard covers also give your truck a more streamlined and attractive look. They're ultimately more durable as well. You can set things on hardcovers or sit on them. You won't be able to do that with a soft cover.
Installing a Hard Tonneau Cover
If you need to measure for a hard tonneau cover, you'll need to measure the length from the inside of the bulkhead to the inside of the tailgate. Take note of both the measurement in inches and in feet. The advertised bed length of your truck can differ from the real bed length by one to two inches.
Most online retailers will allow you to filter your tonneau cover search by the make and model and layout of your truck. It is possible to install your own hard tonneau cover with some basic hand tools and 30 minutes to an hour of time. However, it's strongly recommended to get professional installation as a misaligned cover will be wobbly and won't provide tight protection.
Visit your local HH Truck Accessories store to check out the selection of hard shell tonneau covers and get professional installation. You can also see a full selection of what we carry by visiting our online shopping portal.
