4 is better than 3
In the beginning, tonneau covers were nothing but cheesy tarps. Then came the advent of the one piece fiberglass tonneau cover that took the industry by storm. Their popularity still exists to this day in the way of ARE, Leer, Undercover, Snug Lid etc. However, having owned one of these before, I can tell you with certainty that while they look great, they are more of a pain than anything else. Let's face it, nobody really wants to remove a monstrosity like that everytime they need to use their truck beds.
So, as forward thinking Americans we figured out that if you split a tonneau in two, you get to use half your bed, while the other half is still covered. Hence came the bi-fold tonneau cover that while innovative, really never took off properly. Gaylords produced one with a "butterfly" feature (split down the middle), but this again was just not a very appealing option for those that had been burned by the one piece in their past.
Finally, the tri-fold tonneau cover popped it's head up and pretty much blew the lid off the industry. However these covers didn't really solve problems like wasting 1/3rd of your bed, or covering stake pocket holes etc. They were nice, but not that nice.
As with razor blades that started with a switch blade, then became two blades, then three, then four and now five, the tonneau cover has seen a similar type of metamorphosis. The one piece evolved to two, then three and is now available as a Quad-Fold in the way of the patented BAKFLIP TONNEAU COVER. The BakFlip, actually has 5 panels. 4 that fold and one tiny one that is stationary.
BakFlip Quad-Fold Tonneau Cover
Like anything in life, things keep getting better. In the instance of tonneau covers, 4 panels are better than 3.
Let me know what you think? BAK Industries is about to release a new tonneau cover that we feel will stir up some emotions. The new cover also has multiple panels. Join our twitter account or visit us here periodically to stay in touch with the tonneau leaders.