The Pros And Cons Of Retractable Tonneau Covers

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The history behind the tonneau cover's name predates its use as a pickup truck bed covering. The earliest examples of tonneau covers were actually meant for the passenger compartments on earlier cars, since the word tonneau was used to describe the shape of the open rear passenger area. Today, however, tonneau cover nearly always describes a truck bed cover.

There are a few different styles of tonneau covers, starting with hard or soft shell designs. Some roll up from the tailgate toward the cab, others have sections that flip one on top the other, one hard cover design lifts up in one piece like a giant trunk lid. Of course, there's also the retractable tonneau cover. 

Each design has its unique list of pros and cons. Although the list of pros for retractable tonneau covers is substantial, they have some drawbacks that might make you reconsider your options. Among the biggest pros to having a retractable tonneau cover on the bed of your pickup truck are its secure storage, sleek design, and easy one handed operation. On the other hand, they are on the more expensive side, require complex installation, and require a canister that consumes under-cover bed space near the cab whether the cover is deployed or retracted.

The most practical reason for installing a retractable tonneau cover on a truck bed is security. While other tonneau cover designs offer various levels of security, retractable covers often feature hard shells and independent locking mechanisms. Soft covers are easily defeated with nothing more than a sharp knife, and other types of tonneau covers rely solely on the locking tailgate to prevent unwanted access.

Once unlocked, the retractable tonneau cover slides open from back to front on a roller and track system. This allows easy one handed opening and closing, whereas other designs require lifting heavy or awkward sections or rolling the cover by hand. Another perk of the retractable locking design is its ability to lock in nearly any position from fully open to partially closed to accommodate items that don't fit under the cover.

While the one-piece hard tonneau covers that hinge near the cab and lift from the rear offer an attractive and sleek design, they're not nearly as functional as the retractable covers. The retractable ones offer a design that rivals that of the one-piece covers, sitting flush with the top of the truck's bed rails and no exposed mechanisms. In addition, many of these retractable covers allow mounting racks, one a few accessories compatible with tonneau covers, to the truck's bed rails for carrying cargo, ladders, or other interesting items.

Budget restraints might prevent spending upwards of $2,000 on a quality retractable tonneau cover from the highest rated brands, like the RealTruck RetraxPro MX found on Amazon. Amazon lists more affordable retractable tonneau covers, with prices as low as $699.98, but the prices will vary depending on the exact make, model, and bed length of your truck.

Other tonneau cover types are easier to install than retractable covers. The roller and track mechanism that makes them easy to open and close requires alignment tolerances not found when installing a section hard cover or soft roll-up types. In addition, once the retractable unit is installed it's not as easy to remove as other types when access to the full truck bed is required, although some newer designs offer improved removability.

Another downside to the retractable tonneau cover's design is the canister into which the rolled up cover retracts. It lives permanently under the cover near the truck cab, often bolted to the cab, taking up valuable cargo space. If you require maximum under-cover height the full length of your truck bed, you should consider an alternative tonneau cover design.