Abstract: A tonneau cover is provided which has at least one hinge-mounted latch adjacent the front of the cover, at least one support prop along the side of the cover intermediate the front and rear of the cover, and at least one latch mounted adjacent the rear of the cover, with a pair of independent side rails mounted to the vehicle, at least one of which contains a bracket for releasably receiving the hinge-mounted latch, a support prop receiving bracket cantilevered below and away from the vehicle side wall, and a rear catch bracket for receiving the rearward latch independent of dimensional variations induced from thermal forces over the cover. To facilitate release of the hinge-mounted latch within close confines of the front area of the vehicle bed, a self-contained trip handle is included in the receiving bracket.