Truck bed protection is often the first concern a new owner has after buying a pickup. Whether it's the first one in the family or a replacement for an old friend, keeping the bed corrosion-free and its contents safe from the weather and opportunistic bystanders has often been the first concern to address with accessories.
Of course, the best way to do this has changed over the years. Where camper shells once dominated the truck accessory industry, today's top pick is often a tonneau cover. If you're looking for one for your new pickup, make sure you shop someplace with VIN number lookup so you can find a perfect fit.
Safety Features
There are a lot of different choices when it comes to tonneau cover design, but there are a few things that most of them have in common. They are all able to keep the contents of the bed safe from environmental hazards like rain and snow. They also discourage theft by simply reducing the visibility of valuables. Even simple tonneau designs that snap in place provide enough of an obstacle to casual theft that they're typically left alone. Who wants to spend a few minutes messing around with someone else's truck just to find an empty bed, right?
Most designs also have some kind of locking mechanism, with the exception of single-piece snap in place soft covers. Hinged hard-top tonneau designs often have safety features to keep the hinge open when you're accessing the bed, too. Keep that in mind as you consider your options for a new Lund tonneau cover.
Versatile Options
If you are wondering what choices you have when it comes to a new cover, you might be surprised at the variety.
- Hinged hard-tops in a single piece
- Single-piece soft tops
- Tri-fold designs
- Rolling tonneau covers, both hard-top and soft
- Hybrid designs that make use of multiple elements and bed organization tools like accessible toolboxes
The more organizational and security features there are, the more expensive the cover generally is. That means if all you need to do is keep rain out of the bed, your most cost-effective solution is probably a single-piece soft-top. If you're looking for the best security, hard-top options are great, especially lockable models like hinged single-piece designs and tri-fold tonneaus.
Find the Right Fit
Every tonneau manufacturer has to build their offerings to suit a wide range of truck bed sizes across the various automakers that produce pickup trucks. That means once you settle on a specific design, you still need to make sure you've got the size that suits your vehicle. It should be common sense, but sometimes buyers don't stop to consider whether a cover is built around a smaller, older pickup like the mid-90s Ford Ranger or a large-bodied Super Duty from the last few years. Luckily, you can find help with the right tonneau cover choice pretty easily. All you need to do is shop at the same place you count on for the right Dodge Ram-2500 starter when you have a repair to make.
