How To Remove A Tonneau Cover

Last Updated on April 21, 2022

A tonneau cover is an essential part of any pickup truck. Tonneau cover protects your truck bed from bad weather and obstacles that can damage the goods you are carrying. You might need to remove the cover from your truck. Sometimes, it can be leaked, damaged or it can tear apart. You can make your cover waterproof, Making a tonneau cover waterproof or fix leaks is easy.

Veriation of Tonneau Cover

There are different types of tonneau covers available in the market. Before removing, you should know what they are made of and how they can be removed if installed. Some covers can be removed easily. Now, let’s talk about the types of tonneau cover.

Rolling tonneau cover: A rolling tonneau cover rolls upon itself. It comes in both hard and soft options.
Retractable tonneau cover: This type of cover retracts to itself and to the back of the truck. This type of cover is made from aluminum.
Folding tonneau cover: This type of cover is made from aluminum or vinyl. It folds into three or four places to have full bed access.
Hinged tonneau cover: A hinged type tonneau cover has two, three, or four sections connected by hinges.

You will need the following tools to remove your tonneau cover. They are:

Wrench
Phillips-head Screwdriver
Protective Goggles

How to Remove Retractable tonneau cover

Open the tonneau cover and push it into the box in front of the bed. Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to unscrew the load protector from the front of the bed. Pull the drain pipes out of the factory sockets by hand.
Open the tailgate. Use the Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the tailgate profile from the top of the tailgate. Use your hands to remove the shipping nuts on the back of the rails on the sides of the cargo bed. Remove the rails from the sides of the bed.
Position your assistant on one side of the truck next to the cab. Use both hands to lift the chassis assembly off the bed at the front of the cabin.

how to remove tri fold tonneau cover

Fold the cover to the other side of the bed and close it with the attached clamps.
To secure the hinges to the C-clips use wrench to loosen the screws.
Take someone’s help and lift the folded cover out of the truck.
You should leave the cover rails on if you are intending to replace the cover much faster.
If you need to permanently remove the cover, you will need to remove the cover rail.

Tri-Fold cover installation is really easy, you can do it by yourself without professional help.

How to Remove Tonneau Cover Rails

To secure the C-clamps to the bed rails use wrench to loosen the screws.
Remove the rails after loosening the C-clamps. Lift each rail carefully to avoid scratching any part of the truck.
Remove seals, if it is installed along the bulkhead and tailgate. If there is any sticky residue left over the seals, use isopropyl alcohol to clean them.

How to Remove Hinged Tonneau Cover

Firstly, find out where the tonneau cover is attached to the truck body. You need to open the cover and let it lie on the side of the truck bed. To avoid any scratching on the truck frame it is recommended that you find a soft place between the loading area and the vehicle.
Remove the lid clips and mount them to the shock brackets on the truck side by sitting in the loading area. Loosen the screw on the clamp using a wrench. Continue the process until the clamp releases from the truck body. Remove all the clamps on both sides. The tonneau cover should lie flat so that it doesn’t fall on you.
Now, lift the cover and move it from the truck bed taking someone’s help. Be careful about placing the tonneau cover otherwise, it can be damaged.

Conclusion

No matter what type of truck you drive, the procedure to remove a tonneau cover will be the same. The model of your truck will not affect how to remove the tonneau. It is recommended that you read the user manual, which comes with your tonneau cover from the manufacturer. Leave a comment below for more assistance.