Tonneau Cover Breakdown - What you need to know

Lets start with a working definition of a tonneau cover (pronounced "tonn-oh"). We tried to pull a definition from Websters but it didn't really make sense, so we came up with one on our own: 

"Tonneau Cover - a truck accessory that covers the bed of your truck, protecting your belongings, that sits relatively flush to the bed rails of the truck" 

The last part of the definition was an attempt to distinguish between a cap and a tonneau cover. A cap is entirely different from a tonneau cover, as it matches the roof line of the truck.

Now that we have a concrete definition of what a tonneau cover is, lets look at the main variations. 

1. Trifold Tonneau Cover - a folding tonneau cover. it can be 2 folds, 3 folds, or even 4 folds. they come in a variety of different materials - from a soft vinyl to a rigid aluminum 
2. Roll Up Tonneau Cover - a roll up tonneau cover. it rolls back. comprised of either vinyl or sometimes aluminum slats
3. Retractable Tonneau Cover - this is a cover that retracts back, providing bed access. these are typically made of a harder material, such as aluminum 
4. Retractable Tonneau Cover with t slots - same as a retractable cover but it has integrated t slots along the bed rail, that allow you to bolt items, or a bed rack to

As mentioned, these are the main variations available on the market. 95% of tonneau covers will fall under these categories.

Alright - we've got the major types of tonneau covers defined - but what's that mean to you???

We decided to keep things simple (we like to do that here at BillieBars) and use 4 categories to rank the 4 main types of tonneau covers, with an actual example of each.

We're going to use the following metrics, in a 1-10 score, with a brief explanation for each number.  For consistency on pricing, we're using a 2022 F150 as the vehicle. 

1. Cost 
2. Ease of Installation 
3. Security 
4. Bed Rack Compatibly 

We'll start from the top. 

Trifold Tonneau Cover - Extang Solid Fold (Either ALX or 2.0)

• Cost - 6.3 - right around $1000 
• Ease of Installation - 9.1 - super easy to install, minimal parts 
• Security - 9.5 - this tonneau cover is 1" thick, UV resistant hard plastic and is highly durable. hard to break into. 
• BillieBars Compatibility - 7.2 - our 5" and 8" bed racks are highly compatible. our 3/16" thick brackets sitting nicely under the cover. if you want full bed access, you'll need to remove the crossbars - which is easy to do with our thumb screws or T40 bit 

Roll Up Tonneau Cover- Tyger T1

• • Cost - 10 - cheapy - under $300
  • Ease of Installation - 6.8 - fairly simple, a few more parts than the Extang Solid Fold but easily achievable by one person 
  • Security - 3.8 - it's vinyl so someone could cut into it - but out of sight, out of mind applies here 
  • BillieBars Compatibility - 8.1 - with a minor modification of the weather stripping, our brackets sit under the rail. we'd recommend our 8" brackets, so you can easily roll the cover under our crossbars (6.5" of clearance)

Retractable Tonneau Cover - Peragon LandMark 

• • Cost - 6.5  - anywhere from $1000 to $1700. American Made. 
  • Ease of Installation - 6.7  - even a few more parts then the Tyger T1, but doable by one person
  • Security - 9.2 - lockable. strong material makes it hard to break into 
  • BillieBars Compatibility -8.3  - it's a tight fit, but no modifications are needed. the cover retracts back, for easy bed access  

Retractable Tonneau Cover with T Slots - Retrax XR 

• • Cost - 2.8  it's expensive - especially the Pro model. over $2,000
  • Ease of Installation - 4.2 it's the most involved tonneau cover installation out of the bunch. if you're not handy you may want to go to your local shop or call in a favor to your buddy
  • Security - 9.2  -  same ranking as the Peragon cover. very secure 
  • BillieBars Compatibility - 9.6 - our brackets bolt into the integrated t slot, making the installation very easy. does not disrupt the seal of the cover what so ever  

There are a lot of variations of the 4 covers listed above. We used them because we have had direct experience with these tonneau covers.

If you have any questions about a tonneau cover you already have, or are looking to buy, you can check it's compatibility here or feel free to contact us here - we'd love to help!

If you know what you want, select the correct bed rack here! 

*note, BillieBars does not currently sell tonneau covers