Best Upgrades For Your New Truck
Whether you’ve had trucks in the past and built them out to perfection, or this is your first time, there's something special about the process that comes with the set-up of a new truck. With all the awesome products out on the market in today’s day and age the options for your personal setup are endless. It all comes down to what your needs are and your own taste/creativity. In this article we hope to outline a few of the absolute necessities that we think should be on every truck!
Floor Mats
Floor mats seem like such a basic upgrade at first glance, but it’s a great one that can keep your truck feeling new and premium for years to come. While it is true that most new vehicles will come with some form of floormat off the lot, many times the manufacturers tend to cut costs here and use lower quality options that don’t offer the same benefits as some of the models that we will be mentioning. To make matters worse, sometimes carpeted floormats are used, and for a truck owner that isn't afraid to use their truck like a truck, this can mean hard to remove stains and additional work getting the interior clean after a project or fun in the dirt. No one wants to have to look at that one stain in your interior for years to come and be kicking yourself for not protecting your truck like it deserves. So before you get too comfortable with the stock floor mat situation, consider adding something like these WeatherTech Floor Liners or Husky Floor Liners.
These floor liners have a nice tall lip that runs around the edge of them which can help to contain any spills or mess that you may track into the truck. They are extremely easy to clean off, oftentimes only requiring a quick removal and rinse off!
Bed Protection
Now that you’ve got the interior of the truck cab squared away, we can move on to the bed, and protecting it. Each bed liner option comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages that should be weighed before making a decision. Check out some of my favorites below.
BedRug
My personal favorite option for a light-duty bed liner is BedRug. They’re pretty unique, in that their product is made of essentially porous plastic material. It gives a very soft feel to the touch, but is durable enough to still load items on top of without damage to the liner. However, for hard-use I would look for something a bit more durable like a traditional solid hard plastic liner or thick rubber mat though.
DeeZee Bed Mat
Another great option in bed protection is the DeeZee Bed Mat. Think of it like highly compressed, very durable rubber. It even has high strength fibers blended in, to further increase toughness. If you’re looking for the bed protection that is going to work as hard as you do, I highly recommend checking this option out!
Bed Cover Options
On the topic of bed protection, we of course have to mention bed covers. As we know there are a variety of bed covers available. Retractable covers, roll-up covers, folding covers, and pop-up/one-piece covers are all options to choose from. If you’re using your bed to haul cargo that needs to be covered from the elements, prying eyes, or simply want to cover your bed for a more “complete” look to your truck, look no further than this category of product. Now that you know you need one, let's break down the differences between them.
Retractable Covers
When searching for a premium and robust bed cover you will be hard pressed to find a better option than a retractable cover. These covers are made from hard materials such as polycarbonate or aluminum which makes them one of the most durable and long lasting covers you can buy. They have excellent protection against the elements and offer a strong theft deterrent, as they typically lock. Being that they are made from a hard material, you can’t just cut through them with a knife either. We carry 2 brands of retractable covers, Retrax and Roll-N-Lock. Both of these brands offer a variety of models that have different features such as electronic retraction, and T slots on the bedsides for additional accessories. The downsides to a system like this would be that some bed space is taken up by the “canister” that the cover retracts into. The canister is mounted on the cab side of the bed and generally takes up close to a 12”x12” area of the bed. It does not extend to the floor of the bed though, so you can still slide things under it like plywood. If this won’t work for your use-case, consider one of our other options listed below.
Roll-Up Covers
Roll-up covers come in 2 varieties, the hard-roll up, and the soft roll-up. We carry both options on our site and we have a variety of brands to choose from that offer different features.
One of our customer favorites in the hard roll-up category is the BAK Revolver X4s. This cover has many of the same benefits of a hard cover with the flexibility and space of a soft cover. Typically if you want a hard cover there are compromises, like loss of bed space, or a fully blocked rear window, however with this model you get the best of both worlds. When rolled up, hardly any bed space is taken up by it, and your rear view mirror isn't blocked!
Soft roll-ups are a great economical option, and offer a great value. The Truxedo Truxsport model is no exception to this and it's one of our favorites here at Elite Truck. We actually just filmed an install video recently which can be viewed here. Soft roll-up covers offer good protection from the elements, add a layer of theft deterrent, and look great while doing it. However, for someone looking to have a more secure bed cover that can’t be cut with a knife, we would recommend you look at something like a hard roll-up, or a retractable bed cover.
Folding Covers
Of all the covers we sell, folding covers are the most popular style. They are offered in a soft fold, or hard fold option. Each style has its own benefits which need to be considered before you make your decision though.
Soft fold covers are a great option if you are looking for a bed cover that offers a bit more structure than a soft roll-up. They come in around the same price too. The other benefit they offer is that you can drive with the cover partially open (2/3rds), or closed. With a soft roll-up you have to either fully close or fully open the cover.
Hard fold covers are the most popular option, and for good reason. They offer many benefits like ease of use, security, and affordability. They do come in at a price above the soft fold version, but they aren’t nearly as expensive as something like a retractable option. They are offered by many different brands, with slight differences between each model. Some even have support rods that allow the folded unit to be stowed upwards, leaving you with full access to your bed for maximum cargo capacity.
Ball Mount
A high quality, adjustable ball mount can make all the difference on a new truck. With the height of trucks always seeming to grow, it can really be a challenge to get a fixed height ball mount set just right. With an adjustable ball mount you not only get height adjustments, but 2 to 3 different ball sizes. This will ensure your new truck is set up to tow whatever trailer you may come across. We recommend checking out the Gen-Y and B&W adjustable ball mount options and seeing which one fits your needs the best, as they have various differences between models.
As always, if you have questions about any of the products we’ve mentioned today, feel free to give our team a call and we’d be happy to help you get your new truck dialed in!