Aluminum Tonneau Covers
Aluminum tonneau covers come in may shapes and sizes and are generally considered much stronger than a conventional plastic tonneau cover or a soft vinyl style tonneau. There are however a variety of factors which one should consider when examining whether an aluminum tonneau cover is indeed the best choice for you. Herewith follow what I see as the pros and cons of settling on an aluminum tonneau cover for your truck.
Aluminum BakFlip Tonneau Cover
Aluminum tonneau covers do not expand and contract like plastic covers will. This is a very important fact that should not be taken lightly. Since aluminum will always maintain it's actual size, there will never be a time, whether its extremely hot or freezing cold where an aluminum tonneau cover will expand or contract. This means that an aluminum tonneau will not bow or sag like many tonneau covers do. They will not pool water in the winter and they will not bow up and cause latching and install problems because they suddenly seem to be bigger in summer.
Most aluminum tonneau covers are either powder coated or painted. A powder coated aluminum tonneau will maintain a much better overall look over time than will a painted aluminum tonneau cover. Always be sure to ask if the tonneau cover is painted or powder coated. At face value they may seem the same, however I can assure you that they are not!
A downfall in some aluminum tonneau covers is how hot they can get in the summer. If you live in California, Arizon, Nevada or Texas as an example, be aware that an aluminum tonneau cover, which is n most instances black, will get so hot that you can almost fry an egg on top of the tonneau. With that said, they do cool down as quickly as they heat up and you're likely not opening and closing the tonneau every minute of the day.
On the flip side, an aluminum tonneau cover is still metal, so if you live in a climate that's exposed to a lot of hail, be aware that an aluminum tonneau cover can ding. Unless you have a really solid aluminum tonneau cover like the RollBak all aluminum retractable tonneau, you can run into an issue where you're left with a few pock-marks from hail.
In my oipnion, aluminum retractable tonneau covers are way better than any kind of vinyl retractable tonneau. That's because they're just so much stronger, more secure and overall superior in function, aesthetics etc. There are some retractable tonneau covers like the Retrax, which is made of Lexan, however again, the Lexan will not weather like aluminum and will not look as good over time. Also, aluminum retractable tonneau covers are much, much stronger than Lexan. So the clear winner when it comes to retractables are indeed aluminum retractable tonneau covers.
RollBak aluminum retractable tonneau cover
When it comes to folding tonneau covers, there is a debate that exists as to whether the above sentiment is true or not. In my opinion, aluminum folding tonneaus are great, however the hail and the heat issues are ones that don't really float my boat. I think that the perfect folding tonneau cover is the BakFlip F1 because it combines aluminum for structural integrity and incorporates a fiberglass top surface for staying cool to the touch and eliminating expansion and contraction. At the same time, it will not ding in hail. So the winner of the folding tonneau cover as far as I'm concerned is both a combo of aluminum and fiberglass reinforced polymers.
BakFlip F1
Aluminum tonneau covers can also be painted, so if you're looking for a specially custom tonneau cover, consider aluminum as you'll end up with more or less what you want, beyond just functionality and features.
April 30th, 2010 - 08:41
Thanks for a very interesting and educational article on these bed covers. I know a lot of folks go with vinyl or plastic because they probably don’t know about the aluminum ones. I personally like the retractable covers best, as they just seem easier to open and close. As you say, unless you live in the desert, the heating up of a metal cover is not going to be much of an issue. And I bet one you figure out how to deal with quickly! Sort of like your kids and the stove! These tops sure do dress up the pickups too! Thanks for the lesson!!
April 30th, 2010 - 10:40
You’re most welcome. I’m just glad you were able to gain something from the post. If there’s anything else I can do for you, just send me an email at julian@bakliner.com.
All the best,
Julian Maimin – COO
BAK Industries