How To Measure Your Truck Bed For Tonneau Cover

Last Updated on July 14, 2021

The best part about having a truck of your own is that you can haul almost anything you need if the cargo is within the weight limits. Items in the back of the truck, on the other hand, might be vulnerable to theft or severe weather. A tonneau cover comes very handy in this situation.

A tonneau cover protects and keeps your goods dry. A cover that fits perfectly on your truck bed will save your goods from thieves and any water leaking problems. It will keep all your possessions out of harm’s way. So, how do you take measurements of the truck bed to get a tonneau cover that will perfectly fit?

Are you unsure of the size of your truck bed? Don’t worry, this doesn’t involve the same kind of arduous measuring that your tailor must take. We have a few fast ways to check the measurements, so if you decided to buy a tonneau or simply looking into it, we’ll bring you the information you need in no time.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you measure the truck bed and then get the ideal tonneau cover for your needs.

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Measuring Your Truck Bed For a Tonneau Cover

1# Do It The Old Fashioned Way

You can get the measurements in many different ways but some of them might introduce complexity and confusion. To save you from that, we recommend doing it the old-fashioned way. Just grab a measuring tape and get ready to do some calculations. Don’t worry, it’s nothing fancy. Just some inch to feet (divide by 12) or feet to inch (multiply by 12) conversions.

2# Measure The Outside Rails

Begin by measuring the length between your truck’s outside bed rails. If you get a tonneau cover that is slightly less than the total outer measurement of your truck’s bed, it may not remain rested on the rails or provide less support.

A larger tonneau, on the flip side, will cause your truck’s bed rails to overlap, and the mounting holes may not connect with the top rails of your truck’s bed.

3# Measure The Inside

Now you have to measure the distance that is between the bed rails. You should start from the inside and go all the way to the inside of the rail. The measurements of your new tonneau cover should be an inch or half-inch smaller than the dimensions you will get from here.

4# Now The Truck Bed

For the final measurement, take your measuring tape and start going for the inside edge of the tailgate starting from the bulkhead (the backside of the passenger cabin).

One thing to be aware of is the kind of liner you have. Is it an over-the-bed or a tailgate liner? For the latter, you will have to subtract the thickness of that liner from the total measurement.

Some Things To Remember:

1# Don’t Worry About Inch-perfect Measurements

When taking the measurements, you won’t have to take the inch-perfect readings. All we need are some ballpark figures. Most trucks are only available in a few various lengths, and those lengths are typically 1-2 feet apart or more.

Furthermore, different brands measure the beds in different places, and a bed liner can mess that number up anyway, so you will never get the advertised measurements.

You’re OK to go as long as the measurements are around a few inches of one of the available bed lengths.

2# There Is A Shortcut

If you are too lazy or too busy to measure the truck bed the old-fashioned way, you can search for your truck model and see the factory specs of the truck. That will have the measurement of the truck bed.

We don’t recommend it because there are some things that might mess up the measurements given by the manufacturer. So, it is best to measure it yourself to avoid any confusion.

Conclusion

Getting a tonneau cover for your truck bed is one of the best decisions you can take for your truck. We think we can agree on the fact that tonneau covers are quite attractive. They add a stylish touch to your truck’s image by concealing the dirty bed, which is usually apparent. However, the advantages of a tonneau cover go far beyond the aesthetic appeal.

So, don’t waste any more time. Start measuring your truck bed and find the best tonneau cover that fits the requirement. You won’t regret it.

Daniel Galbreath