Pickup trucks are tremendously popular, but there are a good number of people who shy away from them for one single reason: the bed is exposed. It doesn't have to be that way. There are retractable tonneau covers that quickly, easily and permanently remedy that situation. Get one, and you never have to worry about things being seen that should stay out of sight, or things flying off that should stay put.

Truck tonneau covers have so many advantages that I am surprised they are not standard equipment on pickup trucks. Or at least that not more trucks have them. The other day I asked a friend what she thought of them and she couldn't stop praising truck tonneaus. She said it was the first thing her husband put on his new truck after he got it. It was easy to install and he didn't even need a drill thanks to the clamp attachment system it came with. She said that once they had the tonno, they got much more use out of the truck. Before, they'd been afraid that things would fly off the bed or that they weren't safe being exposed for everyone to see.

I think that's a key point. Truck beds offer tremendous utility in moving stuff around, but they leave everything exposed. This means you can't really take the truck on a trip unless you want to take anything valuable off the bed and stow it away when you park or stay over somewhere. This can greatly limit the way a truck is being used. But put a retractable tonneau cover on and everything is different.

Unfortunately, many truck owners don't even know just how great and flexible tonnos are. For example, they come in different styles. The basic roll-tops are just that: you manually open them and close them, and they have a lock to keep things safe. Side rails usually fit flush against the top of the truck bed, and the box mounted in the bed beneath the rear window takes hardly any space at all. Next up are "JackRabbit" tonneaus that use continuous tension springs to open automatically when you release them. Closing them is easy with a pull string. Top of the line Bedlocker tonneau covers have an electric motor and can be fitted with a remote control lock.

What if you want to keep things locked away and out of sight, and still carry bulky items? Not a problem. The better tonneaus have optional rail systems that quickly slip into place if you need them. This way you can secure and protect valuable gear while still transporting large equipment on top of the bed.

What it all amounts to is that you can use your truck for so much more with a tonneau. My friend told of weekend and vacation trips with the truck that would never have been possible without a tonneau. The full-metal construction of the JackRabbit and Bedlocker, combined with the lock, meant freedom to leave expensive gear on the bed at night, all nice and dry and protected. And she said the truck even got better gas mileage.

Retractable tonneau covers are amazingly affordable and they install easily. Adding one to a truck means tons of extra functionality. It's really a no-brainer.