Cover Lid Hinges

Decisions Between Gaylord and Undercover Hard Bed Covers

When I wanted a new truck bed cover for my 99 Sierra, I ran across quite a dilemma. Do I save a few bucks and buy the Undercover Tonneau Cover my buddy has? Or, do I blow his truck away with a custom painted truck bed cover from Gaylord’s? The internal struggle was quite wrenching.

A guy at the local truck parts place once told me that I was wasting my cash and time by buying a tonneau cover. His theory was that nobody west of the Rockies needed to cover their bed, because snow was the only thing worth keeping out of the payload. He figured that water would get past a cover anyways, and probably dry out fast. Knowing he was a fool, I bought one anyways—a cheap, soft one. So, when I went through a round of having pieces of my vinyl tonneau stolen about a month later, I returned to grill the same idiot again. After all, if nobody needed one here, and nobody wanted one here, then why was my cover worth treating like a Sprint in the salvage yard? He had no reply, just a stupid grunt.

My next step had two parts: 1. find a new truck parts shop with fewer blowhards (after all, I could just go to Kragen for that kind of entertainment), and 2. Pick a cover without loose, accessible or soft parts that could be picked clean like strands of meat dangling from a hot wing. I arrived at a hard truck bed lid as my best option. They cost considerably more than the vinyl designs, but I discovered that you really get what you pay for. On the flipside of the price tag, they also look many times better and are infinitely more secure—which was now my de-facto area of greatest need.

The first one I looked at was getting a custom Gaylord truck bed cover. There are many brands out there making a truck bed cover in this style: fiberglass construction, gas strut lifts, keyed opening, and custom paint matching. There’s no question that a lid like Gaylord’s makes is quite impressive; the price is just a bit tough to tackle—roughly 6 times higher than the softy cover I was replacing. And, it’s heavy, which means a few drawbacks for hauling a large load. First, you have to lift off the truck after undoing the struts and hinges. It’s a two-man job for certain. Then, there’s finding a place to hang the lid where the paint won’t get jacked up. I had such a place to hang the cover, and a wife who loves to prove she can handle lifting from time to time. All I had to do was get comfortable with the price.

I decided to take a look at my friend’s bed cover. He found his receipt for it so that he could tell me the brand (it was a gift, so he didn’t really know it himself). It was called an Undercover tonneau cover, and it’s much different than the Gaylord’s, despite initial similarities. First, the Undercover wasn’t smoothly painted to match; it was actually kind of rough to the touch. No big deal, I thought, because the black surface would look fine with my dark blue GMC, and it has to cut several bills off the price tag. It’s also not fiberglass, but a lighter plastic material, making removal a one-man gig. That’s another bonus, but it also contributes to the cover looking a little flimsier, and a lot less like a custom, professionally crafted item. The price tag on the Undercover (about half of the Gaylord cover) started to look nicer and nicer.

I thought about how I used my truck, which didn’t provide many answers. While I don’t carry big stuff that often, and my bed isn’t usually full, I do like being able to use my truck like a real truck when I need to. That means not worrying about scratching my lid the way I worry about the rest of the paint. Speaking of paint, I wasn’t sure how I felt about looks. I like to keep my truck sharp, but it’s hardly one of those decked-out rigs with $20K in extra work done that makes you either whip your head around or just shake it. So, a custom painted cover isn’t a must, but it wouldn’t look that bad.

Ultimately, I picked the Gaylord truck bed cover, and I did it for two reasons. First, I couldn’t get the same thing as my buddy has. Second, I was due for a prostate exam later that week, and figured I’d treat myself to the nicer lid if I survived.

About the Author

Picking between Gaylord truck bed covers and the Undercover tonneau cover was quite a dilemma, but ultimately I ended up happy (and still kind of sore).

Krups Cover/Lid $1.99 Cover/Lid

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HP Left/Right Hinges w/ Cover 6K4F5CS008 $34.4 HP Left/Right Hinges w/ Cover 6K4F5CS008

Cuisinart Pitcher Lid/ Cover $7 Pitcher Lid/ Cover for the CJE-1000 Juice Extractor.

Krups 105 FILTER LID/ cover Black $5.99 105 FILTER LID/ cover Black

Soho Universal Lid Cover $20 Soho Universal Lid Cover is available from bedbathstore.com for only $14.99. Shop bedbathstore for the best price and quality with Free Shipping.

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Dell Latitude D620 LCD Cover & Hinges JD104 $20.54 Dell Latitude D620 LCD Cover & Hinges JD104

HP 430473-001 Left/Right Hinges w/ Cover 430473001 $34.4 HP 430473-001 Left/Right Hinges w/ Cover 430473001

Cuisinart Blender Cover with Pour Lid in Black $10 Blender Cover with Pour Lid in Black for SPB-6, SPB-7, SPB-7CH and BFP-703

Enclave Stripe Toilet Lid Cover $19 Enclave Stripe Toilet Lid Cover is available from bedbathstore.com for only $12.99. Shop bedbathstore for the best price and quality with Free Shipping.

Bentley Shag Toilet Lid Cover $17 Bentley Shag Toilet Lid Cover is available from bedbathstore.com for only $11.99. Shop bedbathstore for the best price and quality with Free Shipping.

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Spyder Chrome Trunk Lid Cover $28.42 Spyder Accents, Covers, & Overlays in stock now! Read Spyder Chrome Trunk Lid Cover customer reviews. AutoAccessoriesGarage.com has the best selection of Spyder Chrome Accessories at the lowest prices around. Spyder Chrome Trunk Lid Cover are chosen by auto enthusiasts everywhere to personalize their vehicles. Spyder Chrome Trunk Lid Cover available now at AutoAccessoriesGarage.

Ion Dust Cover (Hinges not included) $29.99 The Ion dust cover is designed specifically for ION turntables and provides a custom-tailored fit and classy appearance with sleek lines and a slight ultraviolet tint. Far from a simple cosmetic accessory, the dust cover is a crucial component of any serious turntablist's arsenal of equipment, protecting both turntables and vinyl records. The dust cover has a specially designed cutaway for the tone-arm counterweight so that records can play unobstructed, edge to center, with the dustcover in place. Strategically located rubber feet ensure that DUST COVER can be placed on a working turntable, minimizing noise and functioning as a diffraction eliminator. DUST COVER was designed with the real world in mind and is constructed of shatter and scratch-resistant polycarbonate. It's compatible with the Profile LP turntable. Turntable sold separately.

Trash Receptacle Hinged Lid $56 Trash Receptacle Hinged Lid Quality Craftsmanship & Design As a solution to keep out those pesky critters, we offer an optional hinged lid complete with stainless steel hinges that can be added to our trash receptacle. Use this with Garden item number G27474. Ships Quickly!

Convenient Pot Lid/Cover Holder (Color Assorted) $2 - Made of high quality plastic- Pot-lid holder serves as an ideal home for lids- Hold almost any size lid

Lid Lifter for Dutch Oven Cover $12.5 With this Lodge Manufacturing A5 Lid Lifter you can handle your dutch oven without burns. Made from cast iron the Lodge Manufacturing A5 Lid Lifter will last without bending and has a useful three hook end with a twisted handle. This Lodge Manufacturing A5 Lid Lifter is perfect for the outdoor cooking enthusiasts.

Half Size Flat Lid $11.99 Keep your food pan covered with Half Size Flat Lid. Constructed of 18/8 stainless steel for years of service this food pan lid also features a handle making it easy to cover or uncover your food pan.

Signature Pin Dot Toilet Lid Cover $18 Signature Pin Dot Toilet Lid Cover is available from bedbathstore.com for only $12.99. Shop bedbathstore for the best price and quality with Free Shipping.

Ribbon Bath Elongated Lid Cover $12.99 Mohawk® Ribbon elongated lid covers are thick, sumptuous nylon pile with a natural sheen that will brighten any bathroom. Fade resistant. Easy care too, machine wash and dry! USA. Express delivery not available.

Ribbon Bath Standard Lid Cover $11.99 Mohawk® Ribbon standard lid covers are thick, sumptuous nylon pile with a natural sheen that will brighten any bathroom. Nonskid backing and fade resistant. Easy care too, machine wash and dry! USA. Express delivery not available.

Lid For Ice Bucket HI-2015-CL $5.5 Store and serve ice the simple way with this stylishly designed G.E.T Enterprises HI-2020-CL Lid. Featuring knob top the G.E.T Enterprises HI-2020-CL Lid is made of clear polycarbonate that has an attractive crystal appearance and will fit G.E.T Enterprises ice bucket model HI-2015-CL. Perfect for catering events or for the home entertainer the G.E.T Enterprises HI-2020-CL Lid is a convenient way to cover ice at any gathering that is sure to turn heads.

Royal Tahiti Patio Storage Trunk with Lid $343 -Made from yellow Balau wood. -Comparable to teak wood in strength and durability. -Lid is secured with folding hinges. -Can be used as a trunk or coffee table. -Assembly required.

Krups Lid $1.99 Lid

Krups LID $7.99 LID

Reservoir 10 Gallon W/ Lid & Porthold Cover: A $76.42 Botanicare’s MULTI-RES™ Reservoir was designed for simplicity in maintenance and performance. Each reservoir comes with a specially designed lid containing an access port and a raised grip porthole cover. This standard option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir. The MULTI-RES™ Reservoir also comes equipped with built in bulkhead ports in front and on each side, enabling the grower to add a centrifugal pump outside the reservoir. This feature also gives the gardener the ability to join reservoirs together inline or side by side to achieve increased water volumes. MULTI-RES SIZES Gallon Size: W x L x H 10 Gallon: 14.5'' x 24'' x 12'' 20 Gallon: 20'' x 26'' x 12'' 40 Gallon: 30'' x 38'' x 12'' 70 Gallon: 31'' x 54'' x 12'' 115 Gallon 42'' x 42'' x 15'' Options: Lid: Each reservoir is available with a specially designed lid to protect against water loss through evaporation and keeps debris from entering and clogging wather pump and plumbing. Porthole Cover: The Porthole Cover with its raised grip fits into an access port on the Multi-Res Lid. This option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir.

Reservoir 70 Gallon W/ Lid & Porthold Cover: A $225.17 Botanicare’s MULTI-RES™ Reservoir was designed for simplicity in maintenance and performance. Each reservoir comes with a specially designed lid containing an access port and a raised grip porthole cover. This standard option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir. The MULTI-RES™ Reservoir also comes equipped with built in bulkhead ports in front and on each side, enabling the grower to add a centrifugal pump outside the reservoir. This feature also gives the gardener the ability to join reservoirs together inline or side by side to achieve increased water volumes. MULTI-RES SIZES Gallon Size: W x L x H 10 Gallon: 14.5'' x 24'' x 12'' 20 Gallon: 20'' x 26'' x 12'' 40 Gallon: 30'' x 38'' x 12'' 70 Gallon: 31'' x 54'' x 12'' 115 Gallon 42'' x 42'' x 15'' Options: Lid: Each reservoir is available with a specially designed lid to protect against water loss through evaporation and keeps debris from entering and clogging wather pump and plumbing. Porthole Cover: The Porthole Cover with its raised grip fits into an access port on the Multi-Res Lid. This option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir.

Reservoir 115 Gallon W/ Lid & Porthold Cover: A $314.42 Botanicare’s MULTI-RES™ Reservoir was designed for simplicity in maintenance and performance. Each reservoir comes with a specially designed lid containing an access port and a raised grip porthole cover. This standard option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir. The MULTI-RES™ Reservoir also comes equipped with built in bulkhead ports in front and on each side, enabling the grower to add a centrifugal pump outside the reservoir. This feature also gives the gardener the ability to join reservoirs together inline or side by side to achieve increased water volumes. MULTI-RES SIZES Gallon Size: W x L x H 10 Gallon: 14.5'' x 24'' x 12'' 20 Gallon: 20'' x 26'' x 12'' 40 Gallon: 30'' x 38'' x 12'' 70 Gallon: 31'' x 54'' x 12'' 115 Gallon 42'' x 42'' x 15'' Options: Lid: Each reservoir is available with a specially designed lid to protect against water loss through evaporation and keeps debris from entering and clogging wather pump and plumbing. Porthole Cover: The Porthole Cover with its raised grip fits into an access port on the Multi-Res Lid. This option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir.

Reservoir 20 Gallon W/ Lid & Porthold Cover: A $83.68 Botanicare’s MULTI-RES™ Reservoir was designed for simplicity in maintenance and performance. Each reservoir comes with a specially designed lid containing an access port and a raised grip porthole cover. This standard option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir. The MULTI-RES™ Reservoir also comes equipped with built in bulkhead ports in front and on each side, enabling the grower to add a centrifugal pump outside the reservoir. This feature also gives the gardener the ability to join reservoirs together inline or side by side to achieve increased water volumes. MULTI-RES SIZES Gallon Size: W x L x H 10 Gallon: 14.5'' x 24'' x 12'' 20 Gallon: 20'' x 26'' x 12'' 40 Gallon: 30'' x 38'' x 12'' 70 Gallon: 31'' x 54'' x 12'' 115 Gallon 42'' x 42'' x 15'' Options: Lid: Each reservoir is available with a specially designed lid to protect against water loss through evaporation and keeps debris from entering and clogging wather pump and plumbing. Porthole Cover: The Porthole Cover with its raised grip fits into an access port on the Multi-Res Lid. This option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir. This ships as oversize.

Reservoir 40 Gallon W/ Lid & Porthold Cover: A $118.92 Botanicare’s MULTI-RES™ Reservoir was designed for simplicity in maintenance and performance. Each reservoir comes with a specially designed lid containing an access port and a raised grip porthole cover. This standard option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir. The MULTI-RES™ Reservoir also comes equipped with built in bulkhead ports in front and on each side, enabling the grower to add a centrifugal pump outside the reservoir. This feature also gives the gardener the ability to join reservoirs together inline or side by side to achieve increased water volumes. MULTI-RES SIZES Gallon Size: W x L x H 10 Gallon: 14.5'' x 24'' x 12'' 20 Gallon: 20'' x 26'' x 12'' 40 Gallon: 30'' x 38'' x 12'' 70 Gallon: 31'' x 54'' x 12'' 115 Gallon 42'' x 42'' x 15'' Options: Lid: Each reservoir is available with a specially designed lid to protect against water loss through evaporation and keeps debris from entering and clogging wather pump and plumbing. Porthole Cover: The Porthole Cover with its raised grip fits into an access port on the Multi-Res Lid. This option allows the gardener easy access to the reservoir without taking the entire lid off, ensuring a more functional routine of adding solutions, nutrients and water to your reservoir.

Regency Universal Toilet Seat Lid Cover by Mohawk Mills $21 Regency Universal Toilet Seat Lid Cover by Mohawk Mills is available from bedbathstore.com for only $16.99. Shop bedbathstore for the best price and quality with Free Shipping.

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Cambro Sliding Lid $72.41 The sliding storage lid from Cambro manufacturing is virtually unbreakable. This quality sliding cover is allows access without removing the lid.Camware polycarbonate constructionReplaces hinged lidsReduces cross-contaminationFits Cambro storage boxesDishwasher-safeNSF-certifiedMeasures 18 inches long x 12 inches wide x 1.5 inches high

Cambro Large Sliding Lid $107.34 The sliding storage lid from Cambro manufacturing is virtually unbreakable. This quality sliding cover allows access without removing the lid.Camware polycarbonate constructionReplaces hinged lidsReduces cross-contaminationFits Cambro storage boxesDishwasher-safeNSF-certifiedMeasures 26 inches long X 18 inches wide X 1.5 inches high

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