Judge A Truck By Its Cover: The DECKED Drawer System Or Traditional Tonneau Cover

 

 

Truck people remember the feeling of getting their first pickup truck. There’s a sense of youthful freedom that swells up in the first-time truck owner. Fledgling truckers are filled with the  exhilaration of being able to go further than any road runs and tackle any rugged job that gets thrown your way. Like all ownership though, this sense of new found freedom eventually begins to reveal its ever present counterpart: responsibility.

 

Owning a truck can be a lot of work. Pickups need a unique type of attention to keep running well and looking good, especially when they’re driven hard. Cleaning out the truck bed, lugging gear in and out to the garage, and dealing with weather conditions make owning a pickup more work than owning a Civic, no doubt. Also, car owners don’t have to empty their trunks every night, but open truck beds aren’t that simple. There are ways to make truck life a little easier though. A DECKED Drawer System or a tonneau cover offer solutions to some of the unwanted pickup chores. Let's look at how these systems could lighten the burden and restore the feeling of why you fell in love with trucks in the first place.

 

Cover Up: The Trusty Tonneau Cover

 

 

A truck tonneau cover is a protective lid that goes over the bed of a pickup truck. Generally used to keep your gear out of the rain and out of thieves' greedy paws, they also keep your truck looking sleek. It’s said you can even save gas by having one because it reduces the drag caused by the truck bed.

 

The retractable tonneau cover comes in a plethora of styles. There is the tri fold tonneau cover that folds back in panels onto itself. A roll up tonneau cover, as implied, rolls up like a rug to reveal the truck bed below. They are constructed in a range of materials, like steel, aluminum, canvas, PVC, or carbon fiber. With such a wide variety of materials you can choose between a more durable hard tonneau cover or a lighter soft tonneau cover. There are plenty of brands to choose from. Here are a few to help you decide what the best tonneau cover is for you:

 

• Gator Tonneau Cover: Gator is one of the most trusted brands in the tonneau cover game. They offer a wide range of styles from the modest roll up to the high tech electric retractable cover. Everyone can find a style that suits their needs best with Gator. One of the most popular models is the Gator EFX Hard Fold tonneau cover. This model is made from aircraft-grade aluminum and has an EPDM hinges and seal to direct water away from your truck bed. It is a folding tonneau cover, so it easily folds down in panels towards the tailgate. It has a weight capacity of 300lbs evenly distributed, but this is more intended for supporting the weight of snow than the weight of hauling. It’s powder coat black finish and ultra-low profile make any truck a head-turner.

 

 

• Bakflip Tonneau Cover: Bakflip is another truck bed cover provider that has been around for ages. It offers a stacked catalog of different material and style covers. Their range of covers starts with the simpler G2 aluminum folding models, but also includes the high end F1, fiberglass reinforced polymer line. They proudly boast America’s #1 selling hard folding tonneau cover: the Bakflip MX4 tonneau cover. It is an all-season heavy-duty cover with a folding top allowing 100% bed access. The new version of the MX4 comes with tonneau cover clamps, elevator bolts, and corner caps included. These tonneau cover parts come in a sharp matte black finish for a more streamlined look.

 

• Truxedo Tonneau Cover: As the name suggests, these covers are going to have any truck looking like it's ready for a night out on the town. Each sleek cover has its own advantages depending on the driver's needs. Jobsite vets might opt for the top-tier Sentry CT line, featuring heavy duty woven fabric pressure bound to durable aluminum slats. A hard tonneau cover roll up style allows this cover to grant full truck bed access without blocking the rearview mirror. Another model is the Truxedo Truxport tonneau cover, highly ranked among reviewers for its overall value. The DIY homeowner, the outdoorsman, and the hardened workman can all find a suitable tonneau cover at Truxedo.

 

Undercover Boss: The DECKED Drawer System

 

 

Each of the various tonneau covers we’ve looked at have different pros and cons depending on what they’re being used for. Through innovation in design the DECKED Drawer System aims to shed the disadvantages and maintain the benefits of other truck bed covers. It also brings a whole new element into play with modular organization being introduced. You’ll find there’s more than meets the eye once you pull back the cover.

 

The DECKED Drawer System is a modular tool storage system that custom fits most midsize and full-size truck beds and cargo vans. It is molded to fit around the wheel wells and is fastened down securely using J-Hooks. The corners are equipped with ammo cans to make sure no space is wasted. The system is constructed out of heavy-duty materials like anti-corrosion treated steel and High Density Polyethylene so it is tough on wear and can handle any lifestyle,be it rugged or reserved. The system is also weatherproof, so your stowed items will be safe from rain and snow. With a 2000lb payload there’s no trouble hauling anything in the bed. You can haul everything from a grocery run to a pallet of cinder blocks right on top of the system and your gear, tucked below in the drawers, won’t be disturbed.

 

The two rolling drawers inside the system open towards the tail gate. They roll on urethane sealed bearing wheels – not sliders, which have a tendency to warp and snag. These drawers open smoothly each time so you don’t have to break your back awkwardly reaching into the truck bed. Simply open the drawers and let your gear come to you. Each drawer has a capacity of 200lbs, so you fill it with whatever you need to, with little care for economizing. Once loaded, the drawers can be locked to keep would-be thieves at bay.

 

 

The stand-out ingenuity of the design is the Drawer System’s modularity. The ease with which items can be stored and organized is a game changer. No more milk crates of junk sliding around the truck bed. Have all of your stuff in its proper place. Using DECKED Accessories, fit everything neatly where it suits your needs and swap in and out components in seconds, without effort. This possibility of customization means your truck bed is unique to the situation at hand. At the end of the week, the workman can trade in his hard-hat for his dad-hat and swap his tools for the kids' hockey equipment in seconds flat.

 

The DECKED Accessories include items like the Crossbox and D-Box that are hardy storage boxes, perfect for tools, camping and fishing gear, and roadside safety gear. The Drawerganizer is a clever open top bin that wraps around the interior handle of the drawer. Toss whatever gear you want easy access to in here like a flashlight, bug spray, or a couple old tennis balls for a quick game of catch with the family dog. The D-Bag is a versatile accessory for work and play. Pack this bag with your tools or hunting gear; it manages both handily.

 

All of these components can be interchanged with their counterparts seamlessly and are fully integrated into the Drawer System for a snug and tidy fit every time. This is more than just a toolbox tonneau cover. The DECKED Drawer System doesn’t just cover your truck bed, it transforms it.

 

Looking Past The Cover: Go Beneath The Surface With DECKED

 

 

The final consideration is whether you want a tonneau cover truck or a DECKED truck. Which one will clear up some time spent worrying about what’s going on in your truck bed, so that you can get back to the sense of freedom you felt behind the wheel of your first truck.

 

The fundamental reason for getting a truck bed cover is to protect the items inside it. Whether from debris, weather or crooks, you want your stuff to be safe. Unloading your truck bed every evening to avoid a thief in the night gets old. Running back to the parking lot because it started to rain is no fun either. While a tonneau cover will keep your gear safe from weather (some better than others), they aren’t as tough on thieves as the DECKED Drawer System. The Drawer System is so tough it’ll make a crowbar cry. Many tonneau covers can’t stand up to a determined thief and a razor or pry bar will be their undoing. The Drawer System shuts out the elements and crooks alike.

 

The DECKED Drawer System really runs away with this race when considering how functional your truck bed is once the system is installed. A tonneau cover of any style can’t keep up with how multi-faceted the Drawer System is. The system has a 2000lb payload while most tonneau covers are built to handle little more than a heavy snowfall. Inside the Drawer Systemy the easily accessible drawers make the idea of rolling or folding back a tonneau cover seem inconvenient. Forget having to reach under a cover to grab something, the Drawer System puts everything you need right at your fingertips. Everything you need will be exactly where it’s supposed to be because the system keeps your gear organized.

 

 

Organization goes to the Drawer System as well. A tonneau cover does very little by way of organization, but the Drawer System excels in this department. The modular system keeps everything tightly packed in place and allows for swapping out items in an instant for optimal customization. Even a tonneau cover with toolbox capabilities can’t offer the endless possibilities that the DECKED Accessories modular interplay can achieve. At the end of the day, whether you were working, hunting, fishing, or just hanging out with the family, when you pull the cover back, a tonneau seems hollow compared to the DECKED Drawer System.

 

More Than Just A Pretty Cover: The DECKED Drawer System Is The Smart Choice

 

 

There’s an old expression that goes ‘You don’t want to own the boat; you want to be friends with the guy who owns the boat.’ It’s a gem of wisdom about pleasure versus responsibility. Like a speedboat, everyone likes a pickup when it’s funtime. On a camping trip or on an off-road excursion, people love your truck, but they don’t want to be around for the chores when the fun winds down. And why would they?

 

If you just want to drop a few chores, like having to unload the bed in the evening or when it rains, then a tonneau cover will work for you. But if you want to have a cover that can manage those tasks and much more, look to DECKED. The system’s modular design goes beyond keeping your truck bed clean and covered. Stop crawling into a messy truck bed to find what you need. Keep your gear organized and your truck looking sexy so you can go back to enjoying the truck life again.

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