How to Remove a Tonneau Cover? Steps & Guide

How do you remove your tonneau cover? Is it a simple or complex task? For my expertise, I mastered almost all the information related to the installation, cleaning, and handling of the Tonneau cover, but I was worried about one thing, how to remove a Tonneau cover by yourself? That was the question people also asked me frequently on different online platforms like Meta, Reddit, and Instagram.

After researching and removing different tonneau covers, I designed this article. This article will share all my experiences and thoughts about the removal of the Tonneau cover with all possible aspects. 

Why is it necessary to remove the Tonneau Cover?

Before going into depth, let’s discuss why I should remove my Tonneau cover. As we know very well, Tonneau covers are used for safety and security purposes of goods. But some conditions demand the removal of Tonneau covers, for example carrying a couch, giant tables, kayak, etc.

So, it is essential to remove the Tonneau cover to carry such goods on the trucks. 

Sometimes, you need to update the Tonneau cover by replacing it; for that purpose, you need to remove the Tonneau cover. Another important aspect related to the removal of the Tonneau cover is the installation of the Cargo Management System. Sometimes you have to install the toolbox or any other gadgets that also require the removal of the Tonneau cover.

Is It a Time-Taking Process?

It relies on the situation and the technique of removing the Tonneau cover. It also depends upon the nature of the cover and what kind of cover you are removing. In the case of hard Hinged covers, they need multiple hands and some more time than average. On the contrary, the soft covers only take 15 minutes, and even a single person can remove the soft covers.

It is also related to the point. Do you want to remove the cover only or the side rails? So these are some factors on which the removing duration of Tonneau cover depends.

Tools Required to Remove Tonneau Cover

To remove the Tonneau cover, along with the help of people, you required the following tools:

• protective goggles
• screwdriver
• Wrench

We will see their use in the following sections of removing Tonneau covers.

Removal of Different Tonneau Covers

Several kinds of Tonneau covers are different in their nature of installation and removal. They have different ways in this context, and also they have separate functions. So in this section, I will discuss removing the different kinds of Tonneau covers.

How to Remove Tri Fold Tonneau Cover?

I removed my tri-fold tonneau by following these instructions.

• Utilizing the included buckles, thoroughly upend the cover adjacent to the bed.
• Remove the bolts, holding the hinges to the C-clamps with a wrench.
• After, remove the folded cover from the vehicle while standing on opposite sides. Working alone, you may stand in the truck bed and remove the lid. Don’t push your back too hard.
• This technique will maintain the rails on your folding tonneau if it has any. Keep the tonneau cover rails in place; if you intend to reinstall the cover quickly, keep the tonneau cover rails in place. Re-fastening the cover to the rails won’t be difficult.
• You must take the tonneau cover rails off if you need to remove the cover permanently. See the “How to remove tonneau cover rails” section for details.

How to Remove a Hard Tonneau Cover?

The process of removing the hard tonneau cover includes:

• To begin, remove the lid clamps while seated in the truck bed. To begin loosening the bolt on the clamp, use a wrench. By hand, keep releasing the bolt until the clamp is freed from the truck body. 
• Remove all clamps on both sides of the truck bed by moving down. To prevent it from falling on you, make sure the tonneau is already flat.
• Two to four individuals must raise the cover and carry it off the truck bed once the lid has been completely removed. If you don’t want to harm the fiberglass cover, set it up on a stand or some sawhorses. in case you are looking to install the tonneau cover, you can check our extensive guide on this.

How to Remove Tonneau Cover Rails?

This section will also cover the question; How to remove tonneau cover clips? The removing procedure is given below:

• The C-clamps to the truck bed rails can be loosened with a tool.
• Remove the rails when the C-clamps have been released. Lift each rail slowly to prevent damaging your truck in any way.
• Peel off any seals; that were affixed to the bulkhead and tailgate. Isopropyl alcohol may be required to remove any sticky buildup from the seals.

How to Remove Tonneau Cover Ram 1500?

When it comes to removing the tonneau cover of the Ram 1500, you need to follow these steps.

1. Clean the truck bed thoroughly before removing the cover.
2. Keeping front clamps secure and attaching them with buckles. 
3. If using bows, remove them from the slots between side rails by applying pressure and pulling them out.
4. The tailgate rail will keep the corner connectors attached as you pull it back from the two side rails.
5. You may apply upward pressure to lift the side rails from the bed rails and detach them from the pickup truck bed rails.
6. Now remove the rail and keep all the tools secure.

Conclusion

This article covered all relatable factors to the removal of the Tonneau cover. It will help all those people who have a variety of Tonneau covers. Moreover, by reading this article carefully, removing the cover becomes much more accessible.