Retractable tonneau covers are a highly sought after tonneau cover on the market today. The price range on these tonneau covers are among the highest for tonneau covers but with good reason.

They usually are manufactured with aluminum panels. Some are painted with a very durable powder coat finish. This is a very tough paint system which holds up to protect the tonneau from the elements. Others have a powder coated frame and hardware but the aluminum slats or panels are laminated with weather proof padded polymer to give the cover a leather look.

All these retractable tonneau covers glide along rails which are usually clamped along the top of the truck box rails. The cover rolls up into a canister which is located behind the cab of the pickup truck. The cover usually has spring tension on it to help with opening and closing the tonneau.

They are constructed to withstand a snow-load and water is directed into the side-rails and then to the canister and out of your truck box through drain hoses. They pretty much have the same basic design.

These retractable tonneau covers really look sharp on the back of a pickup truck and save you fuel at the pumps. They are pretty lightweight and allow the wind to pass over them rather than hitting against the tailgate causing a drag.

They protect your cargo from thieves in a couple of ways. They usually lock at the back to protect your cargo from thieves and they also just keep your cargo out of the eyes of people who like to take things that don’t belong to them. The hidden factor alone is a great asset for the tonneau cover owner.

The retractable tonneau covers also protects your cargo from weather conditions such as rain and snow. Your cargo is also protected from ripping winds caused from higher speeds. This is especially great if you are carrying delicate cargo such as plants.These covers are great when you need to carry larger, taller loads as you can open them up very quickly and easily giving you complete access to your truck bed.

If you are looking for a tonneau cover that opens and closes easily, looks great, saves fuel, has locking capability, completely opens for complete access to your truck bed, maybe you should have a look at the retractable tonneau covers.

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.

First let me give a brief description of the Gaylord’s traditional tonneau cover and list some of its features. The Gaylord’s traditional tonneau cover is constructed of fiberglass. You can order them in black or custom painted to match the color of your pickup truck and give it a factory look.

The traditional lid has a stainless steel crossbar and lock system. The two locks are self-tightening compression-type that helps ensure a watertight seal and add security to your cargo area. This tonneau cover by Gaylord’s also comes with two gas struts to help with opening and keeps the lid from slamming closed. The traditional tonneau cover comes with a lifetime warranty for the fiberglass structure and the paint and 2 years on the working parts. I myself think this is a very fair warranty.

The traditional tonneau cover by Gaylord’s also comes available with a speedsturr wing on the back which adds a more sporty and racy look to your pickup truck.

Some previous buyers of this truck bed cover have such comments as how great the truck bed cover looks on their truck and how happy they were with the paint job on the truck lid. I haven’t found very much in the line of negative comments about the traditional tonneau cover by Gaylord’s.

A few points you may want to think about before purchasing this truck bed cover.

The hinged fiberglass tonneau cover would be great if you are looking for great weather and security protection as far as tonneau covers go.

If you use your truck for hunting, fishing, going for groceries or other such uses where you want quick easy access to your truck bed or if you want a very sharp look for your truck, or with the speedsturr wing, a sporty, racy look, the traditional tonneau cover by Gaylords would be a great choice to make.

If you use your truck for larger, high cargo loads, this truck bed lid would not be such a great choice for you. If your loads are usually higher than your truck rails, look for a tonneau cover such as a roll up cover, folding tonneau cover or a retractable truck bed cover.

This truck bed cover comes highly recommended by previous buyers. Overall, as far as quality and looks go, the traditional tonneau cover by Gaylord’s would be a very good purchase for your truck bed.