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Toolbox Tonneau Covers | The Best Of Both Worlds

If you’ve mounted a toolbox in your pickup bed, you may think a tonneau cover won`t fit. Here, we discuss tonneau covers designed for compatibility with pickup toolboxes.
Toolbox Tonneau Covers | The Best Of Both Worlds
Tool Box Tonneau Covers Options

Tonneau covers that fit over the top of your pickup bed offer a number of advantages. First, they give any truck a smooth, finished look - concealing any dents and scratches that inevitably find their way onto bed floors. Second, they keep any cargo you're carrying out of sight and out of the weather. And third, they eliminate wind drag from air that gets caught in the back of open pickup bed areas - creating greater fuel economy and saving you money in the long run.

Tool Box Tonneau Cover Product Note
Most tool box tonneau covers do not come with a tool box. Such products will display this note.

If you're planning to mount a tool box in your pickup bed or have already done so, you may be under the impression you cannot install a tonneau cover. That's simply not the case. In this article, we'll look at tool box tonneau covers that are purpose-built to be compatible with virtually any pickup bed tool box. These tonneau covers come in a variety of styles - all of which allow easy access to your tool box, regardless of whether they're opened or closed. While most of the covers we offer do not come with a tool box, some do. In cases where a box is not included, you'll see a note indicating so near the top of the product page.

Because we offer a wide variety of styles when it comes to tool box tonneau covers, we make it easy to find just what you're looking for. Along the left side of the screen on the main page of our tool box tonneau covers section, you'll find a series of check boxes that will allow you to narrow down your search as much or as little as you like. And if you're not entirely sure what you prefer, check boxes will allow for easier comparison. If you'd rather just see all the styles available without narrowing things down, simply leave the check boxes blank.

Tool Box Compatibility

For example, you may want to start by letting our system know if you want to purchase a toolbox with your cover. If you already have a tool box in your bed, selecting "Yes" in the Tool Box Compatible category will narrow the search down to covers that that do not include boxes but are designed to be compatible with any existing ones. If you do not own a toolbox and want to purchase one together with your tonneau cover, select "Included". You'll also be able to narrow your search to see only hard or soft cover variations, standard or low-profile designs, and covers with different methods of attachment (Velcro, snaps, or no snaps).

Hard Tonneau Covers

Hard Tonneau Covers Options

Hard tonneau covers are thicker and have a rigid surface that doesn't flex or flap in the wind. Generally, these offer a higher level of protection from theft and outdoor hazards such as heavy snow accumulation, falling branches, or other flying debris. Selecting "Hard" in the Cover Type will narrow your search to the two types of categories for hard toolbox tonneau covers: "Folding" and "Retractable"

Hard Folding

Hard folding tonneau covers are designed with solid panels that fold up into three sections which stack just behind the tool box when fully opened. When closed, covers of this type can support an evenly distributed load of 250 pounds or more when closed. We've got the Advantage Truck Assemblies Hard Hat Toolbox Tri-Fold Cover and the Extang Solid Fold 2.0 Tool Box Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover. These covers do not include tool boxes.

Extang Solid Fold Tool Box Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover
The Extang Solid Fold 2.0 Tool Box Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover.

Hard Retractable

Hard retractable tool box covers are made up of a series of aluminum slats placed in sequence next to one another. A specially designed shallow toolbox sits completely above the level of the bed rails and the tonneau cover. When you open this type of cover, the hinged slats roll into a canister mounted underneath the tool box and out of sight. Close the cover, and the slats can support up to 400 pounds. While the canister takes up space in the front of your bed that could otherwise be used for storage, these provide a barrier that's harder to penetrate.

American Work Retractable Tonneau Cover
The American Work retractable Tonneau Cover.

When it comes to hard retractable tonneau covers, we've got two such variations from Truck Covers USA that are available with tool boxes. If a smaller box is all you need, take a look at the American Work Jr. Tonneau Cover with 5.5" x 10" dimensions. For those that prefer a larger tool box, the American Work Tonneau Cover offers one that measures 15" x 20". Both versions are available in a choice of white or black powder coat finish.

Soft Tonneau Covers

Soft Tonneau Covers Options

Soft Roll Up Covers

If you regularly need access to all parts of your bed, soft roll-up tonneau covers open at the rear of the truck by the tailgate. They are literally rolled open similar to the way a sleeping bag is rolled up, and can be secured in place at any position along the way. When closed, the cover piece is snugly secured onto included bed rails with snaps, Velcro, or tongue-and-groove seals. Roll-up tonneau covers feature a layer of vinyl bolstered by aluminum framework underneath.

Extang Classic Platinum Tool Box Snap Tonneau Cover
The Extang Classic Platinum Tool Box Snap Tonneau Cover.
Access Toolbox Roll-Up Tonneau Cover
The Access Toolbox Roll-Up Tonneau Cover.

We've got the Access Toolbox Roll-Up Tonneau Cover, Extang Tool Box Tonno Roll-Up Tonneau Cover, and the Extang Classic Platinum Tool Box Snap Tonneau Cover - all of which would be used with your existing toolbox.

Soft Folding Covers

Soft folding tonneau covers typically feature aluminum framework with a layer of soft, flexible vinyl stretched over 3 or 4 sections that are hinged together. When the tonneau cover is closed, the sections fold flat and the cover layer of vinyl stretches out into one solid, unbroken sheet. When the cover is opened, framework sections fold on top of one another - stacking just behind the tool box. Soft folding covers offer the advantage of light weight, and are a good choice for larger tool boxes that extend farther down into the truck bed. We've got the Advantage Truck Accessories Torza Tool Box Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover and the Extang Trifecta Tool Box Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover - both of which do not include tool boxes.

Extang Trifecta Tool Box Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover
The Extang Trifecta Tool Box Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover.

Soft Hinged Covers

Half Open Extang FullTilt Tool Box Hinged Tonneau Cover
The Extang FullTilt Tool Box Hinged Tonneau Cover.

Soft hinged tool box tonneau covers feature a 1-piece aluminum skeleton that does not fold or retract. The vinyl top layer does not roll up, but stays permanently attached to the frame piece - which lifts up as one whole thanks to hinges positioned just behind the tool box. Gas struts make raising the cover easy, and they keep it safely suspended in the open position. These offer the advantages of lighter weight, easy opening, and clearance for deeper tool boxes, at the expense of possibly limiting your access to the front of the bed. If you prefer this style, we've got the Extang FullTilt Tool Box Hinged Tonneau Cover - available with snaps or without snaps.

Standard Height Vs. Low Profile Tool Box Tonneau Covers

2 Types Of Tool Box Tonneau Covers Design

Another search category choice you'll be presented with is "Standard" or "Low Profile" designs. Standard profile tonneau covers have framework that sits above the level of your bed rails - creating a visible bump-up around all edges of the cover. In most cases the horizontal surface on top of the tonneau cover is about 1-2 inches higher than the bed rails. Most tonneau covers are standard profile designs - so clicking on this check box will present you with the greatest number of choices. Standard profile covers offer the advantage of more storage space inside the bed that's unencumbered by low-hanging frame rails, hardware, or support pieces.

Standard Tool Box Tonneau Covers Design
Some examples of "standard" height tonneau covers.

When it comes to lower profile tonneau covers adapted for tool boxes, choices are limited to hard retracting designs. We've got two such variations from Truck Covers USA - both of which are equipped with boxes that sit completely above the bed rails. For more product details, we'll refer you to the paragraph further up that discusses Hard Retractable covers.

Low Profile Tool Box Tonneau Covers Design
An example of a low-profile design: The American Work Tonneau Cover.
Low Profile Retractable Tool Box Tonneau Cover

In closing, we want to reassure you that while the tool box tonneau covers we sell are built to adapt to a variety of tool boxes, you'll find they're an exact fit for the rest of your truck bed. This means each cover is built with the precise dimensions needed to look right and fit tight on your specific year, make, and model. It also means brackets, rails, and other mounting hardware are designed around the placement of factory stake holes, hooks, and assorted contours of your bed's sheet metal. So things will continue to function well for a long time to come.

If you have a pickup truck, and the existence of a toolbox AND a tonneau are both important to you, why not visit the choices which give you the best of both worlds? As we've just shown you, you can have both when you peruse our selection of toolbox tonneau covers!

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