Tonneau open or closed during snow?

[Laserboy1054]

Just a quickie: we're about to get hit with the first significant snow since getting the R1T. (Not super-serious: should be about a foot of snow with, maybe, a bit of freezing rain. Certainly nothing compared to what folks in Buffalo have posted!) I'm just curious if people have any meaningful opinions about whether or not to leave the tonneau closed while the truck is parked. Seems like closed is marginally better, but open wouldn't be much of a problem. But maybe I'm missing a detail. Thanks!

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[68wske]

You don’t want to drive around with snow in the bed raining down on everyone behind you and blocking your back glass. And you absolutely don’t want to have to shovel out a few hundred pounds of snow if you don’t have to. Tonneau closed all the way.

 

[Laserboy1054]

You don’t want to drive around with snow in the bed raining down on everyone behind you and blocking your back glass. And you absolutely don’t want to have to shovel out a few hundred pounds of snow if you don’t have to. Tonneau closed all the way.

Works for me! I've had other pickups but never had a tonneau to think about.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[onesoil]

If you have nothing in the bed, and you don’t mind clearing a little snow out of the bed, open has the benefit of your tonneau not icing over/jamming. I always leave it closed, and just deal with the fact that I often can’t open my Tonneau in the winter due to it being iced up ??‍

Closed is really easy to clear if it’s light snow/freshly landed and you have a good extendable snow tool (not all are created equally, and by far my favorite is this one that True Temper makes). The flat surface makes snow clearing a breeze. Frozen rain or refrozen slushy snow can render your tonneau inoperable if it’s closed (it won’t open until it thaws), but I also don’t use my bed nearly as much in the winter, and when I do, I don’t mind sliding things in and out from the tailgate if the tonneau isn’t working. I actually often use the aforementioned extendable true temper snow brush to slide boxes/bins in and out when needed.

My one major irritation with the system so far is how often the tailgate freezes to the tonneau gasket… with almost no place to grab hold of the tailgate firmly enough to break the frozen seal. I’ve used my AAA card the last couple times (swiping down the length of the gasket/tailgate top), but as soon as things warm up I’m going to try a wipe on product I’ve heard prevents freezing: Gummi Pfledge Stift (which sounds make-believe, I know lol). I’m hoping that improves the charge port door and frunk freezing I’ve experienced a few times, as well as the almost daily tailgate freezing thing. I swear these cars must have been designed in California or something… ? oh, wait ?

 

[Laserboy1054]

If you have nothing in the bed, and you don’t mind clearing a little snow out of the bed, open has the benefit of your tonneau not icing over/jamming. I always leave it closed, and just deal with the fact that I often can’t open my Tonneau in the winter due to it being iced up ??‍

Closed is really easy to clear if it’s light snow/freshly landed and you have a good extendable snow tool (not all are created equally, and by far my favorite is this one that True Temper makes). The flat surface makes snow clearing a breeze. Frozen rain or refrozen slushy snow can render your tonneau inoperable if it’s closed (it won’t open until it thaws), but I also don’t use my bed nearly as much in the winter, and when I do, I don’t mind sliding things in and out from the tailgate if the tonneau isn’t working. I actually often use the extendable aforementioned true temper snow brush to slide boxes/bins in and out when needed.

My one major irritation with the system so far is how often the tailgate freezes to the tonneau gasket… with almost no place to grab hold of the tailgate firmly enough to break the frozen seal. I’ve used my AAA card the last couple times (swiping down the length of the gasket/tailgate top), but as soon as things warm up I’m going to try a wipe on product I’ve heard prevents freezing: Gummi Pfledge Stift (which sounds make-believe, I know lol). I’m hoping that improves the charge port door and frunk freezing I’ve experienced a few times, as well as the almost daily tailgate freezing thing. I swear these cars must have been designed in California or something… ? oh, wait ?

Thanks! Seems quite sensible.

 

[Ohm Boy]

LaserMensch, thanks for posting this question. The different perspectives will be really helpful and already are. Not much snow yet where my wife and I live. But we hope that changes soon.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Closed. Many trucks during WI winter snows and the tonneau closed makes it easier to clear snow.

 

[Riviot]

Closed. Many trucks during WI winter snows and the tonneau closed makes it easier to clear snow.

Here here.

Hear hear?

 

[schlosrat]

Here here.

Hear hear?

Hear here?

Agree with others. Tonneau closed for practical reasons.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

Clearing extra snow certainly seems easier when the tonneau is closed.

Or maybe: Since it may get stuck, sometimes for days, consider leaving it in the position you would least dislike it being stuck in?

Best to all!

 

[Greg Chick]

I thought this was going to include the weight of the snow being an issue?

 

[Ohm Boy]

I thought this was going to include the weight of the snow being an issue?

Not sure if you’re serious about that but it is clearly a good question.

Snow is like ingredients for baking bread - an amount by volume is way less accurate by which to measure compared with weight. Here in Colorado is average 90% air. So a go fo foot of snow here on a tonneau cover would usually not be of concern. A foot of snow in the Midwest and east coast one would think would be more dense and thus heavier.

 

[Greg Chick]

Even still, I'm in the Sequoia Mtns. in Ca. the snow can be either light or heavy. I keep my truck in the garage!

 

[bike123.com]

If you have nothing in the bed, and you don’t mind clearing a little snow out of the bed, open has the benefit of your tonneau not icing over/jamming. I always leave it closed, and just deal with the fact that I often can’t open my Tonneau in the winter due to it being iced up ??‍

Closed is really easy to clear if it’s light snow/freshly landed and you have a good extendable snow tool (not all are created equally, and by far my favorite is this one that True Temper makes). The flat surface makes snow clearing a breeze. Frozen rain or refrozen slushy snow can render your tonneau inoperable if it’s closed (it won’t open until it thaws), but I also don’t use my bed nearly as much in the winter, and when I do, I don’t mind sliding things in and out from the tailgate if the tonneau isn’t working. I actually often use the aforementioned extendable true temper snow brush to slide boxes/bins in and out when needed.

My one major irritation with the system so far is how often the tailgate freezes to the tonneau gasket… with almost no place to grab hold of the tailgate firmly enough to break the frozen seal. I’ve used my AAA card the last couple times (swiping down the length of the gasket/tailgate top), but as soon as things warm up I’m going to try a wipe on product I’ve heard prevents freezing: Gummi Pfledge Stift (which sounds make-believe, I know lol). I’m hoping that improves the charge port door and frunk freezing I’ve experienced a few times, as well as the almost daily tailgate freezing thing. I swear these cars must have been designed in California or something… ? oh, wait ?

Thanks for the recommendation on that extendable brush scraper.
Surprisingly priced below my eBay sources , though we don’t like HD much.
For STICKY SEALS doesn’t pre-treating regularly with something like Prestone silicone do the trick?

 

[bike123.com]

Even still, I'm in the Sequoia Mtns. in Ca. the snow can be either light or heavy. I keep my truck in the garage!

We assumed garages were for bicycles and clutter you haven’t needed in decades.
What a great idea- vehicle in garage.
Not for this family cursed with the OCD of hoarding

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