Many truck owners like to accessorize their trucks with useful and stylish add-ons. Two popular truck accessories are bed rugs and tonneau covers. A bed rug protects the truck bed floor and also provides some cushion and grip. A tonneau cover goes over the truck bed to protect cargo from weather and prying eyes.
A common question that arises is whether you can use a bed rug under a hard tonneau cover. The short answer is yes, it is absolutely possible to install a bed rug underneath a hard folding or retractable tonneau cover.
What Exactly Are Bed Rugs And Hard Tonneau Covers?
Before going further, let’s take a quick look at what bed rugs and hard tonneau covers are.
What Is A Bed Rug?
A bed rug is a protective liner that goes in the truck bed. It is made from durable, all-weather carpet-like material. Bed rugs come in a variety of colors and can have designs like houndstooth or carbon fiber.
Bed rugs provide 3 useful benefits:
- Protect the truck bed floor from damage
- Give some cushioning for comfort
- Provide grip to keep cargo from sliding around
Bed rugs are custom-fit for different truck bed sizes. They can be used with or without a truck bedliner.
What Is A Hard Tonneau Cover?
A tonneau cover goes over the top of the truck bed. It protects cargo from getting wet or being stolen.
There are two main types of hard tonneau covers:
- Folding covers – These have panels that fold up for truck bed access. When closed, the panels lock together to make a solid cover.
- Retractable covers – These roll up on a spring-loaded frame to expose the bed. They fully enclose the bed when closed.
Hard tonneau covers open and close manually. Soft roll-up tonneau covers use a vinyl material instead of hard panels.
Why Use A Bed Rug With A Hard Tonneau?
Putting a bed rug under a hard tonneau cover provides extra protection and utility:
- The bed rug shields the truck bed floor from damage that could occur from loading and unloading heavy cargo.
- It provides a softer, more comfortable surface for cargo than bare metal or plastic bedliners.
- The texture of the bed rug material helps keep cargo from sliding around during transport.
- A bed rug insulates the truck bed so cargo stays cooler in warmer weather.
- For truck owners who live in cold climates, a bed rug helps stop condensation from forming on the metal truck bed during winter.
- A bed rug gives the truck bed a finished, upscale look.
Will A Bed Rug Fit Under The Hard Tonneau Cover?
Bed rugs are designed to be universal fit for standard truck bed dimensions. So a bed rug should fit fine under any brand of hard folding or retractable tonneau cover.
The bed rug material is flexible and lays flat in the truck bed. Even with the tonneau cover closed, the bed rug material should not bunch up or get pinched.
It’s a good idea to check the recommended fit guidelines for a particular bed rug brand and model. But generally, bed rugs work with any type of truck bedliner or tonneau cover.
How To Install A Bed Rug Under A Hard Tonneau Cover
Putting in a bed rug under a tonneau cover is straightforward. Just follow these steps:
Step 1 – Remove The Tonneau Cover
The first step is to remove the tonneau cover so you can access the full truck bed.
- For folding covers, undo the clamps or latches and fold up the panels. Then lift the cover off the bed.
- For retractable covers, release the cover so it can roll up on the frame. Then detach the frame from the bed rails.
Step 2 – Clean The Truck Bed
Give the truck bed a good cleaning before putting in the bed rug. Make sure to remove any debris that could cause bumps or unevenness.
Step 3 – Unroll The Bed Rug
Unwrap the bed rug and unroll it so it lays flat across the truck bed floor.
Step 4 – Maneuver The Bed Rug Into Place
The bed rug should be a snug fit from front to back and side to side in the bed. Gently maneuver it into proper position.
Step 5 – Reinstall The Tonneau Cover
With the bed rug smoothly in place, you can put the tonneau cover back on the truck.
- For retractable covers, re-attach the frame to the bed rails.
- For folding covers, set the panels in place and secure all the clamps and latches.
The cover should close and seal just like normal over the bed rug.
Tips For Protecting The Bed Rug Under The Tonneau
Here are some useful tips on keeping a bed rug in good shape when using it with a tonneau cover:
- Avoid dragging or bunching the bed rug when loading cargo. Try not to scrape it on any sharp metal edges.
- Inspect the underside of the tonneau cover. File down any rough spots that could snag or tear the bed rug fabric.
- Use a bed mat on top of the rug to prevent indents from heavy objects.
- For retractable covers, attach stop bumpers to prevent the rolling cover from flattening the rug at the front wall of the bed.
- Check the underside of the tonneau periodically to make sure the bed rug is not getting bunched up or pinched anywhere.
Why Truck Owners Should Consider A Bed Rug With Tonneau Cover
Adding a bed rug under your hard tonneau cover is a great way to enhance your truck:
- The bed rug keeps your truck bed protected and looking its best for years.
- Cargo stays neatly in place instead of sliding around on a bare bed.
- Perishable or temperature-sensitive cargo stays cooler and safer inside the covered, insulated bed.
- The soft bed rug cushions fragile cargo during transport over bumpy roads.
- Your items stay dry and clean inside the enclosed, carpeted bed.
- Thieves can’t easily tell what you’re carrying or get access to the locked cargo.
So if you want the advantages of a tonneau cover but also crave the comfort and utility of a bed rug, go for it – combine both for the ultimate truck bed!