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5 Must Have Truck Bed Accessories Your Pickup Badly Needs

If we are to make a mental association between a country and a vehicle type, then the U.S. can definitely be matched with the pickup truck segment.
Truck bed cargo net 6 photos
Photo: Amazon
Truck bed extenderTruck bed tentTruck bed cargo netTruck bed tonneau coverTruck bed toolbox
Year after year, Americans break records by buying more and more pickups. The large pickup segment for instance registered last year sales totaling over 2.4 million units, making 2018 the third best year in history, just behind the pre-crisis records of 2004 and 2005.

Even though usually carmakers sell these pickups with all that is required for the most innovative of uses, the aftermarket truck accessories industry is booming, selling anything from bull bars to bed mats in huge quantities.

Some of the most sought after aftermarket parts for pickups are the ones designed for the truck beds. And now that online shopping has made everything possible, it is easier than ever to buy the needed extra hardware.

Generally, truck bed accessories are a dime a dozen and they fit inside most beds, regardless of the pickups make and model. That’s one reason why choosing the perfect one is a difficult task for those in the market fur such hardware.

Luckily, the Internet also made it easier to find the best solution for all thanks to the avalanche of customer reviews available for most such parts.

Truck bed tonneau cover
Photo: Amazon
Below is a short list of very different items intended for use on a truck bed, selected by the number of positive reviews received from truck owners from across the world.

Tonneau cover - the hard or soft cover that can be spread over the bed of the truck is essential when transporting goods that otherwise can fly away, get damaged or even get stolen while in transit.

Such solutions are usually offered by the carmakers themselves as OEMs, but the aftermarket offer is so vast that it is at least worth a look.

One of the most purchased such items on Amazon is the Tyger Auto T3 Tri-Fold (ad). Made of marine grade vinyl and supported by an aircraft grade aluminum frame with built-in crossbars, this cover needs only five minutes to be installed on top of the bed rails.

According to its manufacturer, the cover can hold the weight of up to 6.5 inches of snow, while at the same time protecting the cargo inside from sun rays, rain and hail.

The price for this soft top cover is $216 on Amazon.

Truck bed toolbox
Photo: Amazon
Tool Box - Pickup trucks are mostly meant for those of us using a car to make a living. Inadvertently that means something is bound to break sooner or later. Couple that with the fact that pickup owners usually need some type of tool for their jobs, and a toolbox become mandatory.

One possible solution for tool-storing needs is the Yaheetech (ad) aluminum toolbox. Made to look extremely rugged, the box is 30 x 13 x 10’ inches in size, with a space of 29.1 x 12.2 x 9.6 inches available inside.

Weather resistant and weighing 14.7 lbs, the box is priced at $75,99.

Cargo Net (ad) - for those who still feel a tonneau cover is a bit of a stretch, a much cheaper and equally easy to use solution is available for purchase: the cargo net.

There’s a whole variety of them available online, priced low enough as not to dent the budget very much. Amazon’s best seller in its category is 4x6 inch in size, but the stretching capability allows it to double its dimensions and ensure a firm grip.

The net sells complete with 12 d-clip carabiners, the promise of tangle-free operation and even a storage bag for when the net is not in use.

Pricing for this solution starts at $36,92.

Truck bed tent
Photo: Amazon
Truck Bed Tent (ad)– if you travel long enough in a pickup, chances are at one point you’ll have to sleep in it. Or you may just as well go for a night out on purpose. Either way, in such a case a tent is mandatory.

There are countless solutions to the outdoor sleeping problem, and we’ve already covered some of them in an earlier guide. Most of them were roof tents though, not exactly the best choice for pickup truck owners.

For their needs there’s this rugged solution here. Sized 26 x 7.5 x 7.5 inches and weighing 11.4 lbs, this tent can only be used on the bed of a truck, as it uses straps that secure to the body of the vehicle.

This solution can fit two people and is priced at $99.99 on Amazon.

Truck Bed Extender - At times transporting large volumes like kayaks or lumber requires more truck bed than the car actually has to offer. These are the times when an extender comes in particularly handy.

The Ecotric (ad) extender is a device that can be fitted into 2-inch square hitch or, using an adapter, into 1-1/4 inch receivers. It measures 53.5 inches and has an adjustable width of between 28.25 – 48.75 inches. According to its manufacturer, the Ecotric can support up to 750 lbs of weight (340 kg).

On Amazon, this truck bed extender sells from $59,50.

Whatever the accessory you need, make sure to check its compatibility with your truck before buying by selecting the available filters on online shopping websites.
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Editor's note: Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, and we may receive a commission when you buy one of these products. Nevertheless, this does not impact our choice of products or the information provided here.

About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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