| checkmate Fx Tonneau Cover bedrug
After rolling stock and ride height, the cargo box exerts the most influence on your sport truck's style. That's why installing a tonneau cover is one of the most effective ways to enhance the look of your sport truck as well as enhance its utility and efficiency.
Putting a sleek surface across the top of the cargo bed smoothes the usually broken visual line of the open bed and improves the aerodynamics of the truck. In addition, you get the added security of the cover, which turns your cargo bed into a large trunk, and you'll get a slight bump in fuel mileage from the improved aerodynamics of the tailgate area.
Since we wanted to get a sleek and smooth look for this truck without spending a ton of money, we chose Checker Products Inc.'s CheckMate FX fiberglass flush-style tonneau. It's a great product, and with an MSRP of $349 for a standard shortbed tonneau, it's very affordable.
While installing a tonneau cover is a great addition to any sport truck, the cargo bed isn't truly finished until you cover the sheetmetal. There are several options on the market, but one of the best and easiest to install is a Bedrug. A Bedrug is constructed from a solid plastic-polymer fiber that cannot be permanently marked by transmission fluid, oil, grease, or gasoline. So even though it feels like a cushioned carpet, acids, solvents, chemical compounds, or petroleum products will not damage the carpet-like plastic-fiber surface or foam bottom. And since the closed-cell foam bottom doesn't absorb water, any spill or stain remains on the stain-resistant plastic-fiber surface for easy cleaning. Plus, the plastic-foam backing is molded to conform exactly to the floor ribs; this creates a flat, cushioned floor that is very knee-friendly. When kneeling, sitting, or lying on floor, you almost don't feel the floor ribs.
We installed the Bedrug before the CheckMate FX tonneau, and the first step to successfully install your Bedrug is to read all the instructions beforehand. The floor and side rugs are shipped unzipped, so remove the floor and sides from the box. We recommend trial-fitting before zipping the components together in order to get familiar with all the parts.
Does A Tonneau Improve Mileage?That's always a benefit tonneau cover makers assert in their sales pitch. To this point, we tracked the mileage on our '99 GMC Sierra for several months prior to, as well as after, the install. The truck has a 4.8L engine with a MagnaFlow after-cat exhaust and a TruFlow intake; automatic four-speed overdrive driving through a 3.42:1 gear. With a mix of approximately equivalent amounts of 70- to 80-mph freeway cruising to stop-and-go driving, we averaged 18 mpg. With approximately 90 percent freeway cruise to stop-and-go, we got 24 mph. That's pretty good, since we estimate the average speed of the traffic to between 70 and 85 mph. We can't isolate how much of the mileage performance is tonneau and how much is attributable to the intake and exhaust, but the mileage we observed is pretty respectable and much appreciated.
Paint PreparationWe left our tonneau black, but if you want to paint yours, here's how to prep it:
1.Lightly scuff the surface.
2. Apply a high-build primer/surfacer in two or three heavy coats. Apply a self-etching primer to the aluminum frame.
3. Block-sand smooth.
4. Inspect surface for pinholes and fill with polyester glaze sealer if needed.
5. Apply basecoat, then apply a clearcoat with a break line where the fiberglass meets the aluminum frame.
