Why a tonneau and not a soft top?

Help me out guys. I bought a truck because I like having a space that I can throw dirty stuff in and not worry about it. Dogs, mtn bikes, women, etc. That's why I didn't buy an SUV. That's also why I'm not really interested in the permanence of a hard topper. However, I acknowledge that the occasion may arise that I would want to place something back there and keep it protected from the elements. Camping gear is the first thing that comes to mind. My question is why would you buy a tonneau cover when you can buy one of the soft tops. The other 95% of the time it folds up nicely and can collect dust in the corner of your garage. But when you do need it, it gives you more room to work with in the back of the truck. The prices for a good tonneau and soft topper are close enough to be a wash in my book. It just seem the soft tops offer more flexibility. Educate me.

 

My choice is a tonneau top because it offers more security.
But I don't do camping, so a soft top may be better for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KERs5sxvSM

 

I have a toneau but I'm switching over to a soft top to be able to protect more gear from the elements, sleep in the bed of the truck if I want, be able to fold down the soft top an haul a dirt bike, and the cost is cheaper than a hard top but not much more than a toneau.

 

I wouldn't mind a soft topper like the one you posted above.

Right now I'll use the factory tonneau cover as I like being able to go shopping and have my stuff locked in the back for a short time, though anything truly valuable gets locked up front. Will it prevent a crowbar or other pry method? No. But for the most part it will keep people out.

Had a person at Home Depot last year pop open my Bak Roll X and look around my truck bed. Fortunately I didn't leave anything valuable in there. The only reason I knew about it is they didn't bother to push it back down to close it.

 

Less secure, longer to remove, same cost. Only advantage would be if you had a slightly taller item you'd want covered. That's a rare option for me so if it did happen, I'd just use a tarp.

 

I vote for the Soft Topper. Best of all worlds. I always figured the reason guys got tonneau covers was because they had a hard time using their mirrors. The toppers block their vision.

 

I went back and forth with this myself, ultimately i went with a folding tonneau for the locking plus as opposed to the soft topper. But I dont camp , I do hunt and fish. However when I have my firearm for hunting or going to the range I lock that up in the back seat. Is the tonneau more secure? Yeah very? No, but more so than a softopper. just my .02 cents

 

For me it's security. I camp out of my truck and sometimes like to use it as a mobile base camp, it's nice knowing that everything is securely locked up while I'm on the trails for a day or two.

 

I was dead set on a softy but two of my friends that had them previously loved the versatility but they didnt last very long. The materials gave out after three or four years of Ohio weather beating them down. I can't speak for any changes in quality but I would ask the manufacturer what their waranty is and ask a few of the 2 nd or 1st gen guys what their experiences have been. I think there's a thread dedicated to the soft topper.