How to Choose the Right Ute Cover for Your Truck
A ute cover can be what you need to protect whatever you're carrying in the back of your truck, and to ensure those items don't go flying out while you're on the highway. When you start shopping for ute covers, you may see a larger variety than you realized, so note a few tips for choosing the right one for your truck.
Soft cover pros and cons
A soft cover is good for when you only need light protection for your items; it can keep out rain, sand, dirt, and mud, and offer some shade for anything that might wilt under direct sunlight, such as live plants. Soft covers are easy to remove completely, for when you want full access to the back of the truck. They're also very inexpensive, so they may be best for those on a budget.
However, note that soft covers don't offer complete protection for your items, as these covers are hooked or connected to the sides of the truck bed with Velcro or other fasteners that aren't necessarily watertight; rainwater and humidity can still make their way into the truck and damage your items. Soft covers may also tear if you have sharp tools stored in the back of the truck, so landscapers and contractors may need a sturdier hard cover.
Choosing hard covers
Hard covers offer more protection from the elements, as mentioned; they may also come with a locking mechanism, for maximum security against theft of anything you keep stored in the truck.
Hard covers also open in a few different ways; one design is a solid piece, with a set of hinges that sit at the front of the truck bed, under the cab window. This can be cumbersome when you only want to quickly retrieve something small from the truck bed. Other hinged covers are designed in a few small sections, with each section having its own hinge. You can then quickly open just the one section and have easy access to the truck bed.
Retractable hard covers are also sectioned, and usually motorized. The cover opens by each section sliding under the other, and then folding down to sit flush with the truck wall, under the cab, for full access to the truck bed. These are typically the most secure, as the sections sit inside a frame that is permanently attached to the bed of the truck, so it's difficult to pry open the cover or any individual section.
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