3 Unconventional Uses for Your Tonneau Cover

Look. Everyone who has a pickup truck probably already has a tonneau cover mounted over the bed. I mean, who hasn’t heard of all the benefits that come with a tonneau cover? Perhaps if you and your Ford Ranger spent a lot of time isolated on the island of Malta performing austerities and studying the healing properties of indigenous water, you may have missed out on the benefits of truck bed covers. But it is so rare that people perform austerities these days.

However, I would not want to go on to discuss the top three unconventional uses of a tonneau cover without first covering the top three conventional uses. Here’s a refresher course for everyone who hasn’t been to Malta in the last five years:

charging protection

You know when you’re floating down a lazy river on an inner tube at a water park and you come to the bridge where the kids can throw quarters into the water cannons and blow you right into your zinc-covered nose? In this analogy, your truck bed is the inner tube, your cargo is the zinc-coated nose, and the kids on the bridge are Mother Nature. When you drive without a tonneau, rain, sleet and snow can wreak havoc on your cargo. But, a Chevy or Dodge tonneau acts like an umbrella, protecting your stuff from downpours.

theft deterrent

Believe the local news reports: green-eyed thieves riding balls of chumps roam parking lots everywhere looking to loot your gear. If it can be pawned, it will be pawned. However, these blurry-eyed bandits are opportunists. They’re going to chase down easy prey, and a tonneau cover discourages these pirates in two ways: they can’t see what you’re stuffing into your truck’s payload, and many truck bed covers lock in place.

best pop

The next time you’re on the freeway, stick your hand out the window. You will feel a lot of resistance pushing against your fingers and you will have to use a little extra energy to keep your hand from falling backwards. That resistance is called drag, and it’s a real problem for trucks because a tailgate is essentially a giant hand sticking out the window. But, a tonneau cover softens the aerodynamics of your gear, allowing air to flow cleanly over your bed instead of bumping into your tailgate and slowing you down.

So those are the three big advantages of a tonneau cover. Now, here are three little-known benefits:

1) The canvas of a soft roll-up awning can double as a makeshift layer in case you need to fight crime in an emergency.

2) In a pinch, the aluminum frame can be converted into a small soccer goal post.

3) They allow you to safely transport albinos in broad daylight.

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