There are rules and regulations governing the uses and applications of tonneau covers effectively. To begin with, whenever you are carrying a certain size and weight of cargo in the day, you are required to mount a red, orange or yellow flag on it, so that you can inform other road users of goods in haulage.
On whether you Can drive with your tonneau cover-up? the answer is capital Yes. However, you must not drive with only the rear panel open. The first two panels would have to be folded up into one another before you can drive with the cover open or you can remove the cover completely.
Unfortunately, not many tonneau covers will allow you to drive with only one panel opened. For the tri-fold truck covers, they are so designed as to permit driving with them either opened or closed, whichever one you wish.
Be reminded that driving with the Fold-a-Cover either partially opened or closed may result in damage to your truck cover or cargo bed contents.
To make matters worse, driving with your truck bed opened will result in the harsh elements of the weather taking a full toll on the lift assist arms of your truck and also the gas props which can lead to the damage of either your truck or its cover.
Where any cargo is transported at night, you must, as a rule, hang a red like light visible to all other road users. These precautions are all put in place for your sake as well as the safety of others on the road. This brings us to whether you can travel with your tonneau cover-up in detail.
Read Also: How Hot Does It Get Under A Tonneau Cover? Find Out
We will look at whether you can do that and possibly any repercussions it may have on either you, the cargo you are hauling or even the truck itself. Tonneau covers are recommended to all truck owners or drivers because of very many indispensable uses. To begin with, they protect your cargo from prying eyes, potential thieves, as well as all the elements of weather.
Additionally, they have this irresistible aesthetic value since they add glamour and worth to your truck. Make sure any purchase you may eventually make is done after you must have found out everything about them.
The user enclosed manual will also go a long way in guiding you with regards to most other things you may be ignorant of. Find out about them and be sure to buy from branded suppliers, and you can be rest assured to benefit lots of dividends from that.
What Would Warrant Someone To Drive With Their Truck Bed Cover-Up?
Different reasons can necessitate driving with a tonneau cover-up. To start with, you might want to haul very tall or long cargo without really wanting to either push the truck cover or even remove it. In such a situation, your only acceptable option is to drive with the truck bed cover-up.
Furthermore, an opened truck bed cover gives you ready access to all the truck bed areas, which is indispensable in order to discharge certain tasks, which may even save time in some instances as well.
Read Also: Do Tonneau Covers Save Gas Mythbusters?
On What Circumstances Would I Be Allowed To Move With My Truck Bed Cover-Up?
One such instance where you should not be allowed to drive with your tonneau cover-up is when it is likely to block your rearview or increase drag due to the influence of the wind, which will inadvertently lead to more fuel consumption.
However, regardless of everything, driving with an open tonneau cover is both legal and possible. Furthermore, you can travel with your truck bed cover up where the cargo you are hauling is liable to come into some harm or damage, should you cover it for prolonged periods. Conclusively, it is better to travel with your truck cover closed than opened.
Are There Dangers Associated With Driving With Open Tonneau Covers?
Yes, there are indeed. It is logical to reason that travelling with opened tonneau covers will expose you to some risks on the way. Let us examine these risks one after the other.
1. Lack Of Security
When driving with an open tonneau cover, you are essentially reducing the security to your cargo, since everybody can see what you are transporting and that gives rise to the possibility of someone making an attempt on it.
This is with due consideration to the fact that some goods are very valuable and hence concealing them becomes imperative for everyone’s sake. Also driving through certain areas may be risky since you are more likely to be stolen from in some places than others, right?
2. Absence Of Protection From The Weather
Environmental weather is prone to frequent changes every now and then, hence driving with your truck bed cover opened may expose your cargo and even the truck bed to some harm.
You will have to contend with not just common weather elements such as rain, snow, hail or sleet, but also powerful blasts of winds on some nights too. Such strong winds may even blow some cargo away, resulting in their permanent loss.
3. Loss Of Items
An opened truck bed cover is an invitation to getting your cargo lost, the chances of which increase with the kinds of roads you drive on. As your truck bounces around on some roads, you could end up losing valuable items along the way in the process.
4. Effects On Truck Gas Mileage
Though the effect on mileage is negligible, it nevertheless still exists. A closed truck cover reduces aerodynamic drag on your vehicle, which in turn lessen fuel consumption and by extension saves you money as well.
If I Must Leave My Tonneau Cover-Up, What Must I Do To Secure It Down A Bit To Prevent Excessive Flapping?
This depends a lot on the kind of truck cover you are using. For example, since you cannot drive with only the rear panel open, the two panels must then be folded into each other so that you can drive safely with the truck cover opened or even remove it entirely.
Luckily, no folding tonneau cover permits driving around with only one panel open. To secure your truck cover when travelling with it opened, use its straps and secure it firmly to the sidings of the truck, after making sure that both the two panels are opened and not just one of them. (Read Also: How Tight Should A Tonneau Cover Be? Find Out Now)
For retractable tonneau covers, ensure that they are fully retracted as a means of safeguarding them if you must travel with them opened. When you do all these, chances are your truck covers won’t flap unduly.
Does Driving With My Truck Bed Cover Down Help Increase Gas Mileage?
It is known that driving with your truck bed cover open increases gas mileage, though this increase is said to be so negligible that it may not in fact be noticed except by a very curious and persistent observer. Be that as it may, there is still some increase in gas mileage, if one travels with the truck bed cover opened, no matter how negligible that may be.
Can You Drive With A Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover-Up?
All tri-fold tonneau covers are designed to be used satisfactorily, either fully opened or closed, though it is asserted that doing that can in fact result in damage to your truck bed cover or the bed contents, especially with a Fold-a-cover that is partially either opened or closed.
In conclusion and answer to the topic question, yes, you can drive with your tonneau tri-fold tonneau cover-up, but you are strongly advised against doing that.
How Does Driving With An Opened Hard Truck Cover Compares To That Of Driving With An Opened Soft Cover?
There isn’t much difference between them really. Only that the hard truck cover may get damaged more easily when used this way consistently. Because they are held opened by hydraulic hinges, they are more susceptible to quick damage.
Read Also: How To Fix Sagging Tonneau Covers With Steps In 2021
Whenever you require to transport any huge or bulky cargo, which may take up your entire truck bed, you can alternatively remove the hardcover. Note that some hard tonneau covers do not affect your fuel economy, even when you drive with them fully opened.
What Is The Difference Between Hard Retractable Tonneau Covers And The Hard Folding Covers?
A hard retractable tonneau cover is capable of simply retracting into itself at the press of a button, which are manufactured from the same materials as the hard one-piece tonneau covers. Their advantage over others is that they are capable of exposing as little or as much truck bed space as you may require at any time.
This simply means that they are excellent for concealment purposes. This special provision allows for loads of all categories, sizes and shapes to peek out above the truck, while at the same time protecting your cargo.
The hard folding truck covers, on their part, require any load placed on them to be effectively balanced. They cannot also withstand much weight placed on them as they can very easily get damaged. If you must stand on hard folding tonneau covers for washing or whatsoever, try to fold them doubly so as to also double their rigidity and strength.
Can You Drive Any Truck With The Tailgate Down?
Of course, you can drive with the tailgate open, but you are advised against doing so particularly considering the fact that, in doing so, you are putting the tailgate and also the truck bed cover along with its braces to significant harm and risk of total damage.
Do Tonneau Truck Covers Prevent Theft?
All tonneau truck covers will, to a great extent, provide security to haulage in transit from potential thieves. Crimes do happen when the right opportunity to perpetuate them presents itself. Logically speaking, therefore, it means, by covering the back of your truck, you are basically removing any likelihood of temptation.
However, it must not be forgotten that hard tonneau truck bed covers offer more protection than their soft counterparts. Soft tonneau covers are easily cut through with either a razor blade or a sharp knife since they are made from vinyl or cloth, which can easily be cut open.
Hard tonneau covers, on the other hand, are tougher and more resilient to easy invasion by thieves, especially where they do not have the necessary professional tools to get the job done. For maximum effect, you are safer to get a fully retractable truck bed cover with electromagnetic locks.
Generally speaking, a tonneau cover will accord you protection and peace of mind. Privacy is also assured especially where you are transporting any cargo you do not wish to see.
Tonneau covers are just fine as they protect your cargo and also the truck from all the elements, and driving with them opened may be fine, but if you wish to safeguard them, you have to adopt very proactive measures by getting the correct ones.
What Are Snap On Truck Bed Covers?
Snap-on tonneau truck bed covers are simply aluminium frames with vinyl covers that snap into it. Their frame is known to clamp onto your truck’s bed that gives you a special means of both openings and closing the truck bed.
They are preferred to most others because they accord you ready access to the whole truck bed and they allow you to accommodate cargo of various sizes too. However, you cannot stand on them due to the fragile nature of vinyl and also their snap designs.
Conclusion
Truck bed covers do not come cheap and certainly need special attention all the while. Due to their importance and susceptibility to quick misuse, particularly resulting from ignorance, notes of caution have been repeatedly sounded concerning everything you need to know about them.
They are produced by different companies all over the world, with each manufacturer trying to outdo the other through new innovations and unique designs.
This is the predominant reason why research is absolutely indispensable. You can reach out to these companies through their websites or customer care centres, which are available daily and at all times, for any inquiry on their products.