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.

The Jackrabbit tonneau cover by Pace Edwards is a retractable tonneau or as some may call a roll top. To briefly describe what a retractable cover is I will try to give you a rough idea. The tonneau itself is made from aluminum panels, which in this case are laminated with a water resistant padded polymer. It has sort of a leather look. The frame is powder coated aluminum. The cover slides in tracks which extend from front to back along your truck bed rails. It rolls up into a canister which is located at the front of your truck box, below the cab rear window. This particular model has the option of stopping every 12 inches along its route so you don’t have to open or close the cover all the way. Water is directed from the cover to the side rails and through drain hoses to the canister and then through drain hose out through small holes in plugs in your truck box.

This cover has been purchase many times and most people loved what they received. Some say it was easy to install others say, actually most said the instructions sucked. Some give advice to read the instructions all the way through, then read them again, while others say make sure you have all the parts then throw the instructions away so you don’t get confused. All in all, customers for this cover did the installation themselves and were rewarded with many compliments for a great looking tonneau cover.

If you have a bed liner you will probably have to do some modifications to install this cover. Usually where the canister sits is a likely place for changes to your bed liner. From what I read I would get some help installing the cover so you don’t end up scratching your truck and just to make the installation a whole lot easier. I have read, a middle age woman installed it herself with little problem. I guess being mechanically incline will help.

A lot of people say their truck bed stays dry while other complained about water getting in between the tailgate and the cover. Just off the top of my head, maybe some extra stick-on weather stripping may help as it does on some other tonneau covers.

Even with lousy directions and water leakage this cover has been highly regarded for its operation and looks.

The Jackrabbit tonneau cover by Pace Edwards is a retractable tonneau or as some may call a roll top. To briefly describe what a retractable cover is I will try to give you a rough idea. The tonneau itself is made from aluminum panels, which in this case are laminated with a water resistant padded polymer. It has sort of a leather look. The frame is powder coated aluminum. The cover slides in tracks which extend from front to back along your truck bed rails. It rolls up into a canister which is located at the front of your truck box, below the cab rear window. This particular model has the option of stopping every 12 inches along its route so you don’t have to open or close the cover all the way. Water is directed from the cover to the side rails and through drain hoses to the canister and then through drain hose out through small holes in plugs in your truck box.

This cover has been purchase many times and most people loved what they received. Some say it was easy to install others say, actually most said the instructions sucked. Some give advice to read the instructions all the way through, then read them again, while others say make sure you have all the parts then throw the instructions away so you don’t get confused. All in all, customers for this cover did the installation themselves and were rewarded with many compliments for a great looking tonneau cover.

If you have a bed liner you will probably have to do some modifications to install this cover. Usually where the canister sits is a likely place for changes to your bed liner. From what I read I would get some help installing the cover so you don’t end up scratching your truck and just to make the installation a whole lot easier. I have read, a middle age woman installed it herself with little problem. I guess being mechanically incline will help.

A lot of people say their truck bed stays dry while other complained about water getting in between the tailgate and the cover. Just off the top of my head, maybe some extra stick-on weather stripping may help as it does on some other tonneau covers.

Even with lousy directions and water leakage this cover has been highly regarded for its operation and looks.

A lot of these tonneau covers have been sold. Probably because they are inexpensive and they give you great access to your truck bed just by folding up the three piece design. The trifecta is custom made to fit the make model and year of the vehicle it is intended for. This cover is made of heavy duty vinyl sewn to an aluminum frame. This particular cover uses spring clamps to latch closed at the tailgate. It is kept secured with straps whiled opened up to the cab. You can drive with it opened or closed. This tonneau cover is shipped fully assembled and installs quickly and easily with no drilling. You get a 10 year tarp warranty and lifetime on the frame. Of course as with other lids it improves fuel mileage. So if you want quick easy access to your truck bed and without the heavy cost of a retractable, this cover is probably for you. Although security isn’t as good as a retractable, it does keep your cargo out of sight out of mind. If you have an over the rail bed liner you will probably have to do some minor cutting to get this cover to fit.

What others are saying about the Extang Trifecta Tonneau Cover!

No stretching, no snaps and completely removes in less than five minutes. You can’t beat that…. A great cover that is easy to install and use, their may be possible paint damage along the bed rails after time due to wear and tear…. Everything is great about this cover including cost, installation and quality, that is why I have purchase my second and third one…. Super easy to remove and put back on. As for looks about an eight on a scale from one to ten. Easy to install and sturdier than the Torzo…. One person complained the cover didn’t quite completely cover the stake holes, about a half inch left but still praised his cover…. Another person loved his tonneau cover but had complained about two missing clips. After then receiving the clips one bolt stripped quite easily but was overnighted a new clip…. Someone was very happy with their cover but said they had to buy extra weather stripping to go behind on the bed rails below the rear window…. This person speaks he did a lot of checking around before buying. The fit was good and it literally went on in 5 minutes no problems except… The rear spring clamps would not stay clipped up inside the aluminum arch rails. when you folded cover up, the clamps would swing down toward the cover unless a person on each side held them up. Extang is aware of problem and after 3 calls to them he ended up crimping the rails tighter together as they suggested to remedy the problem…. One person says he had this cover on his Tacoma for 3 weeks now and it works flawlessly and it was great with very little or no leaking in very hard rains. It has even been said that it stayed cool under the tonneau after being in the sun all. There were a few complaints on how after a while there was a little puffiness where the Extang trifecta tonneau cover folded. One person gives this advice “Be sure to follow the directions on the bars that warn you about the clamps. They should be clipped into the bars and as far to the sides as possible before folding the cover to avoid damage.”

In Summary

Hey come on. If you your hinge is covered with the soft material you are bound to get some puffiness. I just wanted you to know what to expect. Over all most people who purchased this tonneau absolutely loved their cover and how easy it was to install and the price they paid for it. A few did not like it because they thought it was very light weight, cheaply made so to speak. Others called this a benefit. They were after having snap up covers and loved how easy it was to get access to their truck bed with the trifecta. Some were after having a fiberglass tonneau and loved this one because it was so light and easy to take completely off. Many people have commented on how dry their bed was staying after hard rains. Just think about what cover will suit you as far as how and what you use your truck bed for. You can get a free report to help you decide what type of cover is best for you, by visiting my website mentioned in the resource text below.

When it comes to RC cars, electricity saves you money, but gas makes it real. Gas powered RC cars go faster, sound more realistic and give you the thrill of the race in a way that their electrically controlled counterparts just can’t do. Of course, you have to understand that when you hear the term gas powered RC cars, you’re really not talking about gasoline.

Gas powered RC cars are actually powered by a fuel combination more often referred to as nitro. But even if you don’t actually put gasoline into the cars, gas powered RC cars still look for all the world like miniature automobiles as they zoom at high speeds around the track.

Gas powered RC cars have engines that require fine tuning and that roar with all the excitement of a full sized car. In fact, the faster they go, the louder they get, just like the real thing. The excitement of racing gas powered RC cars doesn’t end with the sounds however. As they face like lightning, vapor trails of exhaust shadow their route. That’s a sight that you just can’t get from electrically controlled RC cars.

Aside from the cool sounds and sights, there are some other differences. Typical gas powered RC cars get owe their higher sense of realism to an internal combustion engine. The “gas” is actually a nitro methane fuel mixed with lubricating oil to protect the engine. The replace for a real car’s spark plugs in gas powered RC cars is something called a glow plug.

This plug is heated by a battery-powered starter that continuously ignites the fuel, allowing gas powered RC cars to race far longer at a time than electric ones. Unless, that is, your glow plug goes out on you. Because this eventuality is not exactly unknown in the world of gas powered RC racing, it always pay to invest in a backup or two.

If you are still reading this, that means you are probably new to the world of gas powered RC cars and maybe haven’t even bought one yet. Rather than starting out with a top of the line model, you should probably go for entry-level car. Most of these models don’t need electric starters because they come with pull-starters like a go-kart engine. If you do get one that comes without this, you’ll have to invest in a starter. You have a choice here: either an electric starter box or a 12V starter with a car adaptor.

Gas powered RC cars bring the excitement of RC car racing to another level. The sounds, the sights and even the smells of a race between gas powered RC cars are so much more realistic than a race between electric cars. If you are looking to get in on one of the fastest growing hobbies in America and you truly want to experience it to the ultimate, then gas powered RC cars is really your only choice.

Honda has come up with the most amazing 4-wheel-drive system, not for off-roaders but to improve the handling and stability of fast cars. It is being used first in the new Acura RL (Honda Legend).

Why is it so advanced? This SH-AWD system has the potential to increase cornering power and cornering safety by leaps and bounds. It will be ideal for supercars as well as luxury coupes.(More information about supercars at http://www.fast-autos.com/supercars.html )

First, it allows the amount of power sent to the wheels to be varied from 30% front and 70% rear to 70% front and 30% rear. True, some other systems get near that, but this allows the system to adjust itself to completely different conditions. On top of that, it can alter the torque from zero to 100% to the left or right rear wheel.

In other words, all the power can one to the right wheel one minute, and if necessary can be reversed so that all the power goes to the other wheel in an instant. This might be needed in slushy or snowy conditions, where there was a patch of bare road for a bit on one side offering good grip, but a bit later on a bare patch on the other side.

In addition to those features, the outer rear wheel can be speeded up so that it goes faster than the inside wheel! All done continuously depending on conditions. A few years ago this would have considered desirable, but science fiction.

More power to the rear wheel for acceleration

Confused? Well, let’s start with the front-to-rear power. When you accelerate, the weight of the car is thrown on to the back wheels by the force of acceleration, so you want more power to go to the back wheels - if it all goes to the front you get wheelspin. When cornering, you generally want as much or more power to the rear wheels. SH-AWD does that.

On the other hand, when you are cruising along, you want more power to the front wheels as this increases stability. SH-AWD also does that.

More power to outer rear wheel for better cornering

The side-to-side variation in power is used to improve cornering power and stability. For example, when you accelerate through a corner, extra power through the outer rear wheel counteracts understeer, letting the car corner on rails. In fact, stability control systems used on many cars now do this by reducing the amount of torque sent to the inner wheel - this means that you actually corner slower than you could do. SH-AWD lets you corner faster.

On the over-run, you don’t need that, and less power is sent through the outer wheel for optimum stability. But that isn’t enough because when a car corners, the outer wheels have to travel further than the inner ones - by 5-10% on very tight corners, so the outer wheel normally goes slower.

Honda overcomes this with some gears in the back axle gear set which actually drive the outer wheel faster when cornering! This improves maneuverability and cornering at low speeds.

Electro-magnetic multi-plate clutches

All this is accomplished by multi-plate clutches operated electro-magnetically - a world first - and the gear/clutch set used for acceleration. In fact, these gears also serve as the rear differential.

An advantage of the electro-magnetic clutches is that the electronic controller does not need to control a hydraulic actuation system as used normally but an electric actuator - this reduces cost and weight.

Is this the best thing since sliced bread? For the person who wants to have stability and control, and doesn’t want to know what is happening to the car -yes. Such a system is bound to reduce the input the driver gets from the road.

He will be less aware of whether the surface is slippery, or whether the car is understeering more than usual because the SH-AWD system is correcting things all the time.

This tonneau cover was designed and built to fit your specific make, model and year pickup truck. Made in the USA by a man “with a working mans PHD”

Truck Covers USA boasts this retractable tonneau cover to have the smallest canister on the market sizing in at 8”x 8”.They say that this truck bed cover has double- walled panels and can support over 500 pounds. That’s a whopping quarter ton plus.

The American roll is tension driven and has stop and lock points at every 12 inches which comes in handy when carrying different loads. It has a textured black powder coat finish which is very tough and durable.

Dirt is kept out of the side rails and canister with the aid of high quality automotive grade wool and brushes. This is where some retractable tonneau covers have a problem.

This is a clamp on tonneau cover with a minimum drilling of holes for the drain tubes of the canister as is for other retractable tonneau covers. They say it can be installed within 2 hours. From what I read it can be any where from a half hour to three and a half hours. Truck covers USA designed and manufactured the clamps themselves especially for this cover. This cover is backed by a 2 year warranty which is a real plus for a retractable tonneau cover. I must say, this is a nice looking tonneau cover.

People who have installed this cover said they have done it quite easily. It only takes a few common tools. You may need some help lifting the canister into place but after that the rest should be a breeze. If you have a bed liner you will probably have to make some cuts in the liner where the clamps need to go and again at the tailgate where the lock of the tonneau cover ends up. No big problem though. If you open and close the cover a lot you may find having to unlock the cover a bit of a pain. This cover locks automatically. It’s great for a fifth wheel. A quite of few people have commented on how strong the cover is.

As is with other retractable tonneau covers you may get slight leakage with a lot of water. I must say that this has to be my favorite manual retractable tonneau cover. Lets just go over some of the good points. It will save you gas - it will deter thieves by keeping things out of sight out of mind not to mention the added locking system which is one of the better locks on tonneau covers today – the American roll will allow you to use your truck bed for tall loads without removing the cover – Easy installation – the cover will stop every twelve inches to accommodate your load - It comes with a 2 year warranty.

Now some of the negative points. May have slight leakage in heavy rain – You need to unlock the cover every time you use it – If you have a bed liner you may have to cut small sections of it for the clamps.

Now you decide if the American Roll tonneau cover is the cover you want for your truck bed and to protect your belongings.

The Rollbak tonneau cover has so many features I could probably sit here and type all day long about it. I will try to resist myself and make this short and sweet. The Rollbak truck bed cover is made by Bak Industries and is one tough tonneau cover. It is a retractable tonneau cover which retracts into a canister behind the truck cab. The canister is made of a rugged ABS which is very durable and with its rounded design is made to expel water. The average canister is about 8.5 inches in diameter and some are even smaller which leaves you with an added space under the canister in the front of the truck bed.

The side rails are lined with high density polyethylene which is even better than Teflon as Teflon freezes. You never have to grease this, and it will work well in all types of weather. Hot, cold, wet or dry, this cover is made for all weather.

The slats of the rollback retractable tonneau cover are made of powder coated industrial strength aluminum strong enough to withstand over 400 pounds. The slats are designed to channel water to the side tracks and then to the ABS canister and then out the bottom of the truck through hoses. The way the slats are designed, even if any water does get through the surface of the slats, it is still channeled to the side tracks.

The system is designed to stop every twelve inches as you close it so you can close it pretty much anywhere you want. The Rollbak truck bed cover locks automatically when closed all the way. There is no visible latch or locking system as it latches underneath the tonneau cover. You have to open the tailgate to access the latch for the truck bed cover. Then if you install a locking tailgate latch your tonneau cover is a very secure storage area. You can lift or lower the tailgate without moving the tonneau cover and the stake holes along the side of your truck bed remain uncovered which is great for any type of rack you use or tie downs.

The powder coat flat paint is a very durable finish which you can wax as you would the rest of your truck body. The installation is a no drill clamp system, but many applications use two self tapping screws at the front inside corners.

Listening to testimonials, mostly everyone loved the look and action of the Rollbak tonneau cover. However they pretty much all had a problem with the instructions that came with the truck bed cover. They were pretty vague and conflicted with the installation video on the Bak Industries website. It seems they were all able to get through the installation but would be much faster at it if they had to do it again. Even with the poor installation instructions they all said it was worth the troubles once they had it on.

Fuel injection services are growing in popularity for the following reasons in the order of motive.

1) Increases service center’s profit 2) It’s an easy sell with today’s gas prices 3) Offsets manufacturers’ maintenance reductions 4) Poor gas quality 5) Poor adherence to vehicle maintenance

Notice that “It’s required” did not make the list. That’s because fuel injection services are not required the majority of the time.

However, injector services are at times beneficial, even necessary. See the following frequently asked question and answers…

What do they do? Depending on the product, injection services clean naturally forming carbon deposits from the fuel injectors and fuel rails—some will even clean the fuel tank, and valve carbon deposits.

Do they work? In short, yes. Provided it’s a premium product (such as BG), and the service is performed correctly. Fuel injection services can do amazing things. They can improve fuel efficiency, increase horse power, and repair some performance concerns, although these benefits are rare.

Whether or not fuel injection services will do all the above “every time” for your car is another story.

I have even seen fuel injection services quiet horrendous carbon knocks–a knocking noise from the engine due to excessive carbon build-up coming in contact with internal engine components.

Are they worth it? Maybe. It really depends on the condition of the vehicle. If the service achieves any of the advertised claims, it may be worth it. In truth, most cars don’t need it. The consistent use of quality fuel, and proper vehicle maintenance should be all that is necessary to keep a car running properly.

However, consistent use of cheap gas and poor adherence to an auto maintenance schedule, as well as certain driving styles can significantly increase the accumulation of carbon deposits. Thus the possibility of poor fuel efficiency, decreased horsepower, and performance issues increases–all of which could be helped by injector maintenance.

The other factor to consider is the expense. How much fuel savings justifies the cost of the fuel injection service, and how long is the pay off. BG claims that their product will pay for itself in a year’s time. However, remember that the condition of the vehicle is a big variable! If the car doesn’t need it, there’s no benefit.

How often should it be done? It depends on the product, but generally between 15,000 to 30,000-miles.

Are they necessary? It depends: See the discussion under Are they worth it?

Can a fuel injection service do any damage to my engine or car? Not if done correctly. Done incorrectly, anything goes. A technician could conceivably hydro-lock your engine, or blow a hole in the piston—although both scenarios are rare.

If anything does go wrong, there is usually an underlying problem, which gets exacerbated by the fuel injector auto maintenance.

Why doesn’t my manufacturer recommend fuel injector cleaning auto maintenance? No manufacturer recommends fuel injector cleaning auto maintenance under normal operating conditions. From a manufacturer’s viewpoint: take care of your car right (i.e., as the manufacturer dictates) and you’ll be fine.

However, depending on the problem, some manufacturers will recommend fuel injector cleaning auto maintenance as the cure—especially carbon knock. With the wide variety of fuel qualities available, manufacturers are reconsidering fuel injector cleaning auto maintenance.

How much does fuel injector cleaning auto maintenance cost? Prices vary depending on the service center and the actual procedure performed, and product used. The procedure you want should clean the entire fuel system including the tank and should not cost more than $150.

Also, make sure the service is actually performed as fuel injector maintenance is a common scam across the industry.

Lastly, fuel injection maintenance is often presented in such a way as if it is the magical cure for all your car’s quirks–it not!

When in doubt, don’t do it.

Vanity license plates drive me crazy. Especially when I can’t figure out the cryptic six or seven letter message the car owner is expressing. Sometimes the car owner helps out with a hint or two posted on the license plate frame.

I always wanted to get a vanity plate for my new car, but I’m usually intently focused on negotiating the best possible deal and forget about the plate.

In California, the Department of Motor Vehicles gives you a second chance to order vanity plates for your new or used car. You can order special interest plates through www.dmv.ca.gov or by calling 1-800-777-0133.

The purchase price and annual renewal fees help support nonprofit organizations. Currently, California special interest plates support seven different organizations:

• www.yosemitefund.org — Yosemite plates support trail repair and wildlife protection,
• www.kidsplates.org — Supports children’s safety programs throughout California,
• www.coastforyou.org — Funds coastal access trails, beach cleanups and wetland restoration,
• www.cac.ca.gov — Art plates fund art programs for children in schools and communities,
• www.tahoecons.ca.gov — Tahoe plates fund critical restoration to the Lake Tahoe area,
• www.cdva.ca.gov — Veterans plates fund statewide veteran service offices,
• www.dmv.ca.gov — California Memorial plates support California’s antiterrorism Fund and scholarships for children of Californian’s who died in 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Arts License Plate is the most popular specialty plate in California with over 125,000 plates sold since it was introduced in 1994. Nearly half of the proceeds from the purchase and all of the renewal fees contributed to more than $7 million raised for the California Arts Council.

Vanity license plates are available year-round so you don’t need to wait until your car registration is up for renewal to purchase one. Besides supporting your favorite nonprofit organization, you also can drive us crazy by trying to figure out your personalized message to us.

(c) 2005 by Howard Young