A tonneau cover keeps snow out of your bed all winter, but Minnesota cold, ice and road salt are hard on any cover. A few minutes of care keeps it sealing, latching and rolling the way it should until spring.
Before the first snow
- Clean the seals. Wipe the rubber seals and rails so dirt does not freeze into them.
- Check the drain tubes. Retractable covers and many others drain water out through tubes. Make sure they are clear, not kinked, and still routed out of the bed.
- Tighten the clamps. Clamps can loosen over the summer. Snug them to the maker's spec.
- Clean the top. Use a cleaner made for your cover's material, not harsh solvents.
After a snowfall
- Use a soft snow brush. Never use a metal shovel or an ice scraper on a vinyl or painted cover.
- Clear heavy snow soon. Most covers are not built to carry a big wet snow load for days.
- Brush snow off before you open the cover so it does not fall into the bed.
When the cover is frozen shut
- Do not force a frozen latch or panel. That is how handles and hinges break.
- Let the truck warm up in a garage, or let the sun do the work.
- Do not pour hot water on it. The water runs into the latches and tracks and freezes again, often worse than before.
Tips by cover style
Soft roll-up covers like the TruXedo Pro X15: vinyl gets stiff in deep cold, so roll it slowly. Many roll-up covers have a tension adjuster, and a quick tweak in late fall keeps the top tight as temperatures drop. The Pro X15 is tested from -40°F to 180°F.
Hard folding covers like the BAKFlip MX4: brush snow off each panel before you fold it, so snow does not pack into the hinges. Check that the latches at the tailgate end close fully.
Retractable covers like Retrax: ice and grit in the side tracks are the most common cause of jams. Keep the tracks clear and the drain tubes open, and follow the maker's care sheet for the tracks.
Car washes and road salt
- Rinse road salt off the rails, clamps and hardware every few weeks.
- A hand wash or a touchless car wash is the safe choice. Check your cover's manual before using a brush wash.
- Our washes and cleaners work well for the rest of the truck.
Still shopping for a cover?
Read our guides on hard folding vs roll-up vs retractable covers and how to measure your truck bed, then browse tonneau covers by your truck. Need a part or an adjustment? Call Truck Covers MN at (218) 308-0045, Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 5.