Your recommended pickup truck accessories

[JP.mpls]

I'm all hyped up about my new pickup truck, and I want to add a bunch of accessories.

Do you have any products to recommend?
Also products to avoid?

Things I'm considering:
- Tonneau cover.
- Some type of bed mat.
- Maybe a bedliner.
- Running boards.
- Protective 3M plastic on the hood.
- Bike holders over the tailgate, or possibly on a rack held by the trailer hitch.

Thanks for your comments. JP

 

[RE2Boys]

Shouldn't this be under "Blow That Dough"?

 

[RAE]

I'm all hyped up about my new pickup truck, and I want to add a bunch of accessories.

Do you have any products to recommend?
Also products to avoid?

Things I'm considering:
- Tonneau cover.
- Some type of bed mat.
- Maybe a bedliner.
- Running boards.
- Protective 3M plastic on the hood.
- Bike holders over the tailgate, or possibly on a rack held by the trailer hitch.

Thanks for your comments. JP

I'd get a tonneau cover, for sure. The lockable ones made of hard material are best (especially if you are hauling valuable cargo, like tools), but of course they are more expensive than the softer tonneau covers. I also have a bedliner in my Toyota Tundra, and that has saved the bed from getting scratched and nicked-up. I don't have the 3M plastic on my hood, but I can see where that might be useful also.

 

[Janet H]

I have a Toyota Tundra with 150K miles on it. It's been hassle free and reliable. The TRD models have a stiffer suspension and mousier transmission - highly recommended.

 

[zinger1457]

Besides the obvious ones already mentioned I upgrade the stereo system (kept the head unit and replaced all the speakers and added an amp) in my 2016 Tacoma and it was money well spent, the OEM speakers were total junk. While doing the upgrade I also installed sound deadening material in all the doors and the back wall, definitely helped in reducing the outside noise. Not sure what truck you ended up buying but check out online forums for that model, no shortage of ideas on how to 'blow that dough' on your truck. When I bought my truck it was a new Tacoma design, it took a few months for most tonneau cover manufacturers to make the necessary changes.

 

[JP.mpls]

I'd get a tonneau cover, for sure. The lockable ones made of hard material are best (especially if you are hauling valuable cargo, like tools), but of course they are more expensive than the softer tonneau covers. I also have a bedliner in my Toyota Tundra, and that has saved the bed from getting scratched and nicked-up. I don't have the 3M plastic on my hood, but I can see where that might be useful also.

RAE,
Ronstar also recommended a solid tonneau.
They look nice.

I keep thinking the cover would get in the way all of the time if I wanted to haul larger objects.

Did you get one of those solid plastic liners, or the spray on type?
Do you think a fitted rubber mat type liner would be a decent alternative?

JP

 

[RAE]

I have a Toyota Tundra with 150K miles on it. It's been hassle free and reliable. The TRD models have a stiffer suspension and mousier transmission - highly recommended.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I love my Tundra also. It's a 2012, 90K miles on it, and zero problems so far. Super reliable truck.

 

[JP.mpls]

Zinger,
My new truck came with an upgraded Bose stereo system. No idea if it is any good, but most likely way nicer than I need.

I have a friend who owns and runs a store selling high level audiophile equipment.
He gets upset visiting me, because I use a small Yamaha boom box unit as my home stereo system .

Take care, JP

Besides the obvious ones already mentioned I upgrade the stereo system (kept the head unit and replaced all the speakers and added an amp) in my 2016 Tacoma and it was money well spent, the OEM speakers were total junk. While doing the upgrade I also installed sound deadening material in all the doors and the back wall, definitely helped in reducing the outside noise. Not sure what truck you ended up buying but check out online forums for that model, no shortage of ideas on how to 'blow that dough' on your truck. When I bought my truck it was a new Tacoma design, it took a few months for most tonneau cover manufacturers to make the necessary changes.

 

[MRG]

I added a hard cover and spay on bedliner to my GMC.

 

[RAE]

RAE,
Ronstar also recommended a solid tonneau.
They look nice.

I keep thinking the cover would get in the way all of the time if I wanted to haul larger objects.

Did you get one of those solid plastic liners, or the spray on type?
Do you think a fitted rubber mat type liner would be a decent alternative?

JP

Well, if you are worried about the tonneau cover getting in the way at times, you can get one of the fold-up models, or another type that is easy to remove if necessary. So you can use the tonneau when hauling stuff down to Florida (keeps everything out of the weather and relatively safe), and then maybe remove it once you get there, if you think you will need to haul larger/taller items once in a while. That's about what I do.


I got a spray-on bedliner. I had a solid plastic liner on a previous truck, and I did not like it as much. Water would get trapped between the mat and the metal truck bed, which started causing some rust/corrosion issues after a while.

 

[Janet H]

I see upon reread that the OP was asking about add-ons. I have a hard sided cover/cap, the line-x was sprayed sprayed on to the bed first. Don't have a bed mat as mine gets loaded up with dirt, hay and gravel with some regularity. I like running boards but they make the leg stretch getting out of the truck longer. The running boards get muddy and you'll want to keep your pants leg away. Nice for getting in however. I've also added kayak racks to the top.

My favorite useful thing is a hitch step like this one:

https://www.weathertech.com/bumpstep-original/

 

[JP.mpls]

RAE,
Hijack away. I like hearing about dependable vehicles.

I hope my Colorado holds up just as well.

Street says he has a Colorado with 160k miles that keeps handing the abuse of being a work truck on a ranch. You've got to like that.

JP

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I love my Tundra also. It's a 2012, 90K miles on it, and zero problems so far. Super reliable truck.

 

[Lakedog]

I keep thinking the cover would get in the way all of the time if I wanted to haul larger objects.

Never wanted a cover (or shell) for a pickup as that somewhat defeats the purpose of having a truck (for me anyway).

My previous Toyota did have a hard plastic bedliner which I really liked.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Tonneau cover. I like the soft roll-up ones because then I can haul objects that are higher than the walls of my truck bed. I like the low profile ones like the Access Larado.

I've had bed liners and spray-in bed coatings in my previous trucks. I didn't like the bed liners because they reduced the capacity of the bed and water could get under it and pool in the truck bed. I liked the bed coating better than the liner, but since I load/unload a bed full of cardboard boxes on a weekly basis, the texture of the spray coating made it difficult to slide the boxes from the front of the bed to the tailgate area. Now I simply scavenge some large cardboard boxes and custom cut a bed liner from cardboard and lay it in the back. Must have a tonneau cover for this to work properly. Once a year I replace my custom cut cardboard liner. Cost = $0.00

 

[ugeauxgirl]

Rubber floor mats. Weather tech makes great ones customized to your truck, but you can buy them from many truck manufacturers too. The weather tech mats can hold an entire spilled canned soft drink without spilling any on your carpets. Ask me how I know...[emoji23]

 

[OldShooter]

I have a rollup bed cover on my current 2004 Nissan Frontier and previously had one on my 1994 Chev K1500. I just checked the vendor web site and found a bewildering number of models, but I think I have had this one: https://www.pace-edwards.com/jackrabbit-matte

To open things up, you just turn a release knob and give the cover a little push -- it then is spring wound into a box at the front of the bed. No effort or screwing around at all and you have maybe 90% of your bed exposed to the sky. One-handed operation. As you pull the cover back to the rear you can lock it in position every foot or so. Installation is quite easy; IIRC four clamps to position and tighten and you're done.

The disadvantage of the product is that there is a storage "canister"/aka box that it rolls into, shortening your bed by maybe 8-10". There is storage room under the box but the height above the bed is limited to maybe 8." You can see it in the installation instructions: https://www.pace-edwards.com/images/Products/JackRabbit/JR_STANDARD_0611.pdf The instructions also show a long "pull strap" that looks like a hassle to work with. On mine I have had a short strap, maybe 8", so I just go to the side of the truck to pull the cover rearward and lock it. Even after years it pulls quite easily.

The cover does lock, as does my Nissan's tail gate but someone with a pry bar could probably get in with little effort and in the process ruin the cover.

The other thing I have in my Nissan is a rubber bed mat. It came with the factory sprayed bed liner, which looks nice and is probably very tough, but it is incredibly slippery. Put a box in the rear of the bed, drive a little bit and hit the brakes and I would find that box all the way forward in the bed. With the rubber mat, things pretty much stay put. JC Whitney IIRC; it was not expensive.

 

[zinger1457]

I bought a Fold-A-Cover G4 Elite tonneau cover for my Tacoma and liked it. It's a hard cover that folds in 3 sections so you can ride with about 2/3 of the bed exposed. Can open the cover from both the front and back sections and both sections have key locks. The locks could easily be bypassed with a crowbar but better than nothing. Lots of choices for covers, no one cover fits all needs, have to decide on what features you want.

 

[Winemaker]

I had a 2004 Colorado for 13 years, it had 242,000 miles on it when I junked it, actually gave it to my mechanic. The sub frame completely rusted out to the point the truck as bowed down in the middle, otherwise I would still be driving it. It was the ultimate deer slayer with over 15 kills, 16 impacts.

I tried to replace it with a 2019 Extended cab Colorado or Canyon last year, but none were to be found. Just normal cabs and crew cabs. I got a 2019 Tacoma instead. While it is a very nice ride, I miss my Colorado. My Tacoma is a complete nanny-mobile, with bells, bleats, gongs, whistles, light dimmers and a back up camera, but there is no key fob, but a manual light switch (no automatic DTRL,just on, off), no variable speed windshield wipers ( just on, off, and go like hell). The biggest issue I have with it is the transmission, and I didn't notice it when test driving, (the shop says the truck has to learn my driving habits). Whenever I take my foot off the gas and want to coast down a hill, the truck will downshift and about throw me out of the seat. If I slow down to make a downhill turn, when I try to accelerate, the tranny is up in some high gear, and I whiz for a few seconds until it downshifts and begins to drive.

My accessories are seat covers, and a tool box behind the cab. The truck is used for a truck; and hauls lumber, mulch, stuff for my rentals, and of course, juice and grapes during the spring and fall wine seasons.

I still miss my Colorado.

 

[Tom52]

Access soft tonneau cover, Bedrug bed liner. Unless you are hauling gravel or filthy stuff in the bed.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

How about one of those plastic bug deflectors for the leading edge of the hood -- the ones people use to write messages like "Grandpa's Toy."

I've always wanted one for my Ford Ranger, with the inscription, "Mister Ranger Sir!" (a la Yogi Bear).

Seriously, the spray-in Rhinoliner is a good investment, although the bed can also rust from underneath. I'd have the undercarriage sprayed with Fluid Film or Wool Wax every year or two to keep the corrosion away.

 

[Walt34]

My favorite useful thing is a hitch step like this one:

https://www.weathertech.com/bumpstep-original/

Thank you! I had no idea those even existed. I bookmarked it and will order one or something similar.

My GMC has a full shell on it since one of the reasons I bought the truck in the first place was hauling large R/C model airplanes. They don't weigh much of course but they can be big and bulky. Yes it limits the height of what you can conveniently carry but it also keeps the wind and rain out of the bed, which is what mattered most to me. That's an old photo but you get the idea.

And to accommodate my increasingly painful knees when I have to crawl forward in the bed I bought a Bedrug bed liner. It's sort of a marine carpet with about a 1/4" foam backing that greatly increases comfort. Nothing like kneeling on a stray bolt or something hard when you're trying to untie a large R/C airplane at the front of the bed! At the time I bought it in 2003 it was $300 and has proven to be worth every nickel to me.

And if you meet one of Jeff Foxworthy's criteria for being a redneck "...if you've ever had sex in the back of a pickup truck" it would be much more comfortable than one of the plastic or spray-in alternatives. Not that I would know personally of course....

 

[MRG]

I bought a Fold-A-Cover G4 Elite tonneau cover for my Tacoma and liked it. It's a hard cover that folds in 3 sections so you can ride with about 2/3 of the bed exposed. Can open the cover from both the front and back sections and both sections have key locks. The locks could easily be bypassed with a crowbar but better than nothing. Lots of choices for covers, no one cover fits all needs, have to decide on what features you want.

I had a Fold-A-Cover for my 2014 GMC and loved it. It was my first cover every in 25 years. I had the same concern as the OP but I loved it! Best pickup accessory ever for me!

OP how does the Colorado store the spare? If it's under the bed like my last 2 GM trucks be careful. The safety spring on my Chevy trapped me when I attempted to remove it, EMTS had to come rescue me.

 

[frankbrenowitz]

May not be terribly relevant, but I have a solar powered trickle charger for my 78 GMC Sierra. I don’t drive it frequently but it is always rarin’ to go when I climb into the cab.

 

[Ronstar]

My 2017 F150 accessories include:

Undercover tonneau cover - solid cover that is great for covering and locking items that can be stored below the top level of the bed. I have to take the cover off when I haul items higher than the bed depth, or keep the top on and open. I never hauled anything on my snowbird trips that couldn’t fit under the cover.

Bedrug - great accessory as others have also stated. Amazing because I can crawl around in the bed without hurting my knees on the bed ribs. I have the one that only covers the bottom of the bed. It’s fine, but I should have blown the extra dough and got the one that covers the sides also. That would have prevented the few scratches that I have now in the inside bed sides. I had a sprayed bed liner in my last truck which is good if your hauling a lot of heavy stuff that could damage the bed, but I prefer the bedrug for light hauling because it protects the bed and it’s comfortable to crawl on.

WeatherTech floor liners. Great if you get in and out in muddy conditions. Can easily be taken out and cleaned. Keeps the interior clean.

WeatherTech seat cover. I got one for only the drivers seat. Keeps my seat clean when I’m getting in and out when I’m doing yard work and getting dirty. I take the seat cover off for long trips where I know I’m staying clean.

Rear wheel liners - plastic inserts that keep the wheel wells looking good.

Lots of bungee cords and cargo straps. Great for holding things in place in the bed

Plastic bin with jumper cables, foul weather clothes, a few tools and tarps.

 

[travelover]

In my neck of the woods, the first thing any pickup needs is a lift kit, a set of huge noisy tires, darkly tinted windows, loud exhaust and several flags in back.