Five Ways to Trick Out Your Truck

Nearly 2.2 million pickup trucks were sold in the U.S. last year. Make no mistake; trucks are the vehicle-of-choice for Americans.

Fortunately, there’s no shortage of aftermarket accessories to upgrade and personalize your machine. In fact, there’s so much aftermarket support for trucks, it can be tough simply deciding where to begin the journey. Are you rolling for business or pleasure? Off-roading or long-distance towing? Regardless of the mission, there are some things universal to all trucks. Here’s a quick list of must-haves for your pride and joy that are both functional and just plain cool.

• Heavy-Duty frame hitch

Truck pull things, it’s what they do. Many new trucks are now available from the factory with a proper frame-mounted hitch, but in the event your ride doesn’t have one, ring up any number of aftermarket manufacturers for a custom-fit hitch.

• Bed liner

Some people prefer caps, toppers, shells, whatever you’d like to call them, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Trouble is, with any of those items you give up considerable cargo capability in your pickup’s bed. Go for a spray-on bed liner instead—it seals and protects the bed so you can load up everything from your four-wheeler, to a snowmobile and even the remains of your buddy’s junked out VW Beetle. Try doing that with a camper shell on the back.

• Nerf bars

When it comes to ingress/egress, there are a few options. Fixed nerf bars in either chrome or black can add an air of toughness to the exterior of your truck, while also giving your vertically-challenged passengers a more dignified means of entering and exiting the vehicle. Or, opt for electronically-operated power side steps that extend automatically when the door opens, then retract when it shuts. You’ll pay more, but for those who appreciate the clean lines of a truck, it is money well spent.

• Exhaust

Opening up the exhaust system has the potential to deliver a bit more horsepower, a bit more fuel mileage (in some instances), and obviously a bit more noise. It’s that last bit where opinions become very subjective, but whether you decide to go mild or Mother-In-Law-hating loud, just make sure you go with a legitimate exhaust system and not weld-in straight pipes. It will sound better, and there are plenty of systems available to fit all price points.

• Wheels/Tires

Few things change the look and presence of a vehicle more than a set of wheels and tires, but don’t automatically fall for the “bigger is better” trap. Great Lakes Raptor Excursions Co-Founder Mark Rowe points out that, while bigger tires can offer more ground clearance and better approach angles when off-road, they hurt gearing, braking and performance in just about every other situation. Consider what your truck will be doing the vast majority of its life, and purchase the right wheel/tire combo for that situation.

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