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Over the past few years, pickup trucks have grown in popularity – so why are more people considering this as their vehicle of choice? It’s a combination of things, but this surprisingly luxurious vehicle, known to offer a robust driving experience, has an impressive level of flexibility making it appeal to more and more drivers. Vehicle choice is helping too, with many drivers enjoying the multi-purpose functionality. Here’s a bit more on why we think the pickup is growing in popularity. Today, pickup’s offer a much broader range of configurations than they once did, so, whether it’s for business or pleasure – there’s lots on offer from this multi-purpose vehicle.
The main point of having a pickup truck is generally for transporting loads, whether it be to a busy building site or for a family adventure. And, whilst pickup’s do come in a range of different makes and models, generally most of the trucks come with a fairly standard set of features that don’t always have everything required for specific requirements.
Pickup truck configurations can help with additional space and features and today we are going to review some of the top accessories that you could consider when looking to customise or enhance your pickup truck.
The most popular product is the Truckman hardtop. The hardtop allows the rear deck of a pickup to be converted into a secure, clean, and dry space at the back of the vehicle. The Truckman adds height to the rear deck, allowing it to be better utilised for storage and access, and also means the pickup can protect anything that’s stored inside – particularly handy in the UK with its temperamental climate.
There are lots of options here for drivers, so most will find a solution that suits their needs. Here we are looking specifically at the S Series and the Truckman Max.
The premium S Series version of the truckman hardtop is available in both glass and solid sides and has been designed for super easy access with lift-up “gull-wing” style doors/windows on the sides and rear. There are lots of useful features such as remote central locking and internal lighting coming as standard, and extras such as LED brake lights and roof bars also available as add ons. The Truckman S Series extends the height of the rear of the vehicle to the same as the cab, and the way it’s fitted means it can be removed whenever suits.
Drivers can expect to pay between £2000 and £2500 for the S series – find more on options and costs here.
The Truckman Max is also available with either side windows or solid side panels and the design is really similar to the Truckman S Series. The key features such as remote central locking, tinted window, colour matching and height extended to cab height are the same.
The Max is however aimed more towards the commercial sector, so some of the features are simplified a little. Like the S Series the Truckman Max requires no drilling for fitting meaning the pick up can be converted back easily.
The simplified features make the Max a bit less expensive, with prices around £1800 to £2500.
A retractable roll cover is another of the popular accessories for pickup trucks. Made from strong but lightweight aluminium, they are easy to use and are designed to increase the practicality of the cargo area of the vehicle. Roller covers offer a robust level of protection from the outdoor elements, so belongings are kept nicely dry and safe inside the vehicle.
When it comes to choosing roller covers there are lots of options on offer. The designs operate similarly, so here, we are looking at a popular option to illustrate how they work; the Truckman Retrax Tonneau Roller Cover for the Ford Ranger.
Constructed from industrial strength aluminium and featuring an attractive matte black finish, Truckman’s Retrax roller shutter works with a non-electrical mechanism for opening and closing. With an anti-snag system, these covers are designed for easy, daily use. The roller’s locking system is concealed under a waterproof and freezeproof cover that doubles as a handle, enabling access to the truck bed whatever the weather.
Like most accessories, there are a range of price points, but expect to pay anywhere from £1200 to £2000. Here’s the Ford Ranger Retrax Tonneau Cover with Roll Bar in action.
Pickup trucks are generally used for hauling around lots of equipment, but keeping goods safe and secure can be a worry. Not everyone wants the full hard-top, nor can they afford it, so another, more economic way to protect the truck bed is a soft tonneau cover. One of the first things people tend to worry about is whether a soft cover is waterproof. The answer is, if fitted properly, it’s likely that very little water would ever get into the truck bed – but we can’t say that they are 100% water/weatherproof. And, there’s the question of security. Yes, a soft-top offers a level of protection to your goods, but it doesn’t offer the same resistance as a hard-top.
Soft covers are made from materials such as canvas, polyester, or vinyl and are traditionally all black. For soft covers, certain latching styles make it easier to access the truck bed. Soft covers with snaps require a good amount of work for the bed to be free of the cover and available for use. Folding covers that secure by latching to the tonneau cover side rails are much easier to use when trying to free the truck bed for cargo. For easiest access to the entire truck bed, tonneau covers that roll-up or retract stand out as the easiest to use.
There’s no shortage of options when it comes to soft covers, and they are made popular due to more affordable price points, costing from £400 to £800. Here’s a look at a folding pick-up tonneau cover for the Nissan Navara with a video to show you how it works.
Often, when drivers have either their pickup hardtop or tonneau soft cover sorted they move on to consider how a pull-out pickup storage system could also help. These systems allow the bed of the pickup to be modified to incorporate roll-out drawers which are strong and can handle weights of up to 1000kg – so perfect for very heavy duty goods. Sliding trays provide access to the full bed without always having to open up the rear top, making it one of the handiest additions for organising tools and for gaining quick access.
Most sliding trays do a similar job – here we are using this popular choice to illustrate how they work: Mountain Top Sliding Tray Volkswagen Amarok Mk1-2 (2010 – Onwards) Double Cab.
The cargo bed slide is manufactured using tough aluminium making it a great solution for heavy tools and machinery or even sports gear. Operating the sliding bed tray is easy, simply using a push and pull handle and the truck tray slides out smoothly. The Mountain Top Cargo Slide offers a 70% bed extension making it the ideal solution for builders or tradesmen with heavy tools and materials.
A sliding tray will set you back anywhere from £900 to £1500.
Bedliners are the most effective accessory to protect the back of a Pickup bed from everyday scratches caused by tools and equipment moving around. Not only do they protect the truck’s bed from becoming damaged by whatever cargo it is hauling, but they also help to protect the bed from rust.
A truck bed liner can increase the resale value of your truck. People are willing to pay more for pickup’s with intact beds, and the fact that you already have a liner means that they will not have to shell out extra money for one.
One of the main things to consider when it comes to choosing the right kind of bedliner is whether you need an over rail or under rail option. Over rail options are suitable for customers who do not intend to add a hardtop or soft tonneau. The pickup bed-lining extends over the edge of the bed, giving maximum protection to the metal. Under rail bed liners stop below the rails, meaning a tonneau or Truckman hardtop can be installed without the bed liner getting in the way.
Under rail bedliners are generally constructed from heavy-duty rubber and feature a non-skid surface to prevent cargo from sliding around. They are designed to protect your pickup truck’s bed from damage such as dents, scratches and scrapes offering a barrier against damage from general wear and tear that is common with pickups used for work. Easy to install, under-rail load bed liner protects the pickup truck bed up to the edge of the rail, meaning the liner can be used in combination with a hard top canopy or tonneau cover.
The only key difference for over-the-top configurations is that because the bed liner protects up and over the truck bed edges, the liner will not be compatible with hardtop canopies or tonneau covers.
Under and over rail bedliners are similar in cost, ranging from £400 to £1000. Here you’ll see the variety of options across every make and model. https://www.truckman.co.uk/products/pick-up-bed/load-bed-liners
There is a third bedliner – the bedrug. Manufactured with 100% polypropylene material, BedRug covers the entire bed surface area of the pickup truck – and extends up to the very edge of the tailgate and sidewalls. BedRug offers great protection from work materials but it’s a more popular configuration with people who transport their pets. BedRug can be cleaned down with a vacuum or hose and the under rail design of BedRug means you can pair it with a hard top canopy or tonneau cover. Expect to pay around £500.
As you can see there are lots of things you can do to customise your pickup truck, and this is just a few of the most popular. If you’d like to know more our team of experts are always on hand.