I need to break into my truck bed

Just pulled the handle on my tailgate to open it and it snapped on the driver's side. Unfortunately the bed cover thing is on as well. 

I can't see anything to grab with pliers just to pull it open and take it off.

Any advice?

I'll slash the tonneau if I have to, but I'd rather not. 

Does your tonneau have enough flex to get to the fasteners to remove it?

Gonna need more details, year make model, etc.

Going off absolutely no knowledge based on your post, I would suggest destroying the handle (cut it apart with a dremel tool or similar, carefully, to not damage the tailgate itself), its cashed anyway, pulling the linkage rods with a pliers, and then replacing the handle. 

Some of the old Chevys and Fords you could pop with a skillfully positioned screwdriver.  I have also had success with using a loop of coathanger past the latch, feed it around, pull it through.  Takes two helper monkeys, you sort of need to push the gate forward at the same time you pull both latches back.   

I am assuming it's his Ford ranger

In reply to Dusterbd13 :

I can barely get my fingers under the cover to pull on the gate.

It's an 02 ranger, cheap plastic garbage latch. 

Some googling tells me I can get everything out from inside the bed, but since I can't get into the bed...

Passenger side of the handle is still attached to some plastic piece, I can hear the latch moving on that side, but can't get the tailgate to move at all. 

After the screwdriver slipped and stabbed me, I tried prying up on the plastic connector on the driver's side, and it moves a little but not enough. Looking through the gap at the bed side, I'm not moving it far enough but can't get any more leverage. 

So I need to wait for helpers? Bah. 

I miss my S10 tailgate, 1" square tube with spring latches on the sides. 

Yea only way to do it is from the inside of the tailgate. 

In reply to RevRico :

Crowbar. 

Well 2 crowbar, the first one was flat and is now u shaped. So bigger crowbar, the old fashioned kind. 

Tailgate is coming offs until I can find a good metal replacement for the plastic piece.

Curious what kind of bed cover cannot be opened without first opening the tailgate? Every cap and tonneau cover I've ever had had to be opened before dropping the tailgate. 

It's a tri fold soft cover. 

 The front attaches to the bed rails with these lever things, about a foot in from the tailgate. the back has big plastic nuts holding it to the bed rails. 

I never had one before, and I'm seriously considering selling this one or storing it in the carport until it disintegrates/I forget I own it. i can see it having it's uses, and it does keep the inside of the bed dry, but seems to always be in my way. 

If people just lubricated their tailgate latches and handles, so much heartbreak could be avoided...

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

If companies weren't so concerned about a few pennies difference and used all metal parts for high  usage things instead of plastic... 

But that is a good point, when I install it's metal replacement, what should I lubricate it with? White lithium, wd40, graphite?

Any lube'll do, as long as you do it periodically. 

RevRico said:

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

If companies weren't so concerned about a few pennies difference and used all metal parts for high  usage things instead of plastic... 

But that is a good point, when I install it's metal replacement, what should I lubricate it with? White lithium, wd40, graphite?

Many years ago, they were all made out of steel.  People would yank them till they bent in half.

Lubrication is important.

Both of my Rangers have metal handles for this very reason. I think the most recent one came from Amazon.