Tonneau Cover Buyers Guide by Ken Bishop

I put together this tonneau cover buyer's guide to help some people find what they are looking for in a truck bed cover.
When buying a tonneau cover for your pickup truck, one of the first things you should do is ask yourself, what do I use my truck for? By this I mean do you use your truck bed often, do you carry high cargo loads or low loads below the truck bed rails or do you use your truck bed very seldom. Are your pockets deep or like many others shallow and you need an inexpensive cover. Do not just go out to buy a tonneau cover because you seen one on another truck and it looked great. That truck may have a cover that takes time to open and that would be no good if you use your truck bed often. Below I will throw some of my personal ideas at you just to get you thinking.
Inexpensive:
If you are looking to get a one that protects your cargo but is inexpensive or so called cheap, The Mile Maker by Tonneau Masters is about the cheapest you will find with runners up the Slant Side also by Tonneau Masters and the Seal N Peel and Snap Soft both by Lund Genesis.
Quick Roll Up:
You may want to get at your truck bed quick and easy but still want to keep the price down, I would suggest the Extang Express. This is a great cover if you use your truck bed but not continuously.
Inexpensive and fast:
If you are looking for one that is inexpensive but allows you very fast access to your truck bed I would suggest the Hinged Tonneau by Lund, the hinged Slant Side by Tonneau Masters or FullTilt by Extang. These are all great products, if you use your truck bed often and want quick, easy access to your truck bed and you are carrying low loads.
Inexpensive, Quick and High Loads:
You are trying to keep the price down but you need to be able to get at your truck bed fast, often and maybe with high cargo loads. If this is you then a soft folding bed cover would be a great way to go. The Extang Trifecta or the Trifold by Lund. These lids fold open allowing you to drive with them open for full access to your truck bed when hauling higher cargo loads.
For a more expensive product and more security for your cargo I will make the following suggestions.
Easy access:
If you use your truck bed often or just want a truck bed cover that can be matched to your trucks paint, the fiberglass hinged lids by Gaylords will do very nicely as long as you aren't carrying high cargo.
Easy Access and Higher Loads:
The Bakflip by Bak is an ABS plastic folding tonneau which is very popular. Reds Beds make a folding aluminum diamond tread plate cover which will give you great security and full access to your truck bed quickly and easily.
For a class all on their own, not cheap, allow you quick access to your truck bed and open up completely allowing you to carry higher cargo loads any time.
Retractable Tonneau Cover:
These covers retract into a canister behind the cab of your truck. Pace Edwards has the Roll Top, JackRabbit, Full Metal JackRabbit and even one that opens and closes electrically with a remote called the Bedlocker. Bak offers the RollBak and Truck Covers USA offer their American Roll.
If you are not concerned about access to your truck bed they are many more tonneau covers available in roll up, with snaps or with velcro to secure them.

About the Author
All rights reserved. You can use this article but do not change it. This resource text must remain and the links usable. You will find all the tonneau covers above and many more at prices you can't miss out at Ken's Website http://www.truckbedtonneau.com