A truck is one of the best vehicles to take for a long-haul road trip. It’s powerful, it has a lot of storage, and depending on your truck, it can handle various kinds of rough terrain. Taking a road trip with a bare truck should make for a safe and comfortable journey. However, there are a lot of ways you can level up your road trip, and one of them is investing in the right truck accessories.
While preparing for the ultimate road trip, here are some truck accessories that can make the journey safer, more comfortable, and more convenient for you and your passengers:
1. Hitch
If you’re taking a caravan on your road trip, your truck must be outfitted with a durable hitch that can handle the weight of your caravan. A class III hitch is recommended for general towing. It can handle a gross trailer weight of up to 5,000 pounds, which makes it the best option for medium-sized campers and boats. Having a hitch on your truck is also a nice precaution to have if you are traveling with another vehicle, and it can allow you to help out a fellow driver stuck in the middle of the road.
If you don’t have a hitch on your truck yet, find a vehicle hitch installation service in your area and have one installed before embarking on your road trip.
2. Truck cover
Having a truck cover provides great protection for your truck bed and any cargo you might be bringing with you. It is also the best way to avoid theft when you are traveling with lots of belongings, which is likely the case on a long-haul road trip. More than that, a truck cover helps improve gas mileage by making your truck more aerodynamic. Since your truck bed creates a lot of drag (which tends to burn more fuel), a truck cover blocks out air that causes the drag.
3. Truck bed liner
Almost everything that you put on the back of your truck can cause scratches and dents on the truck bed. This is especially true for heavy cargo, which you will likely be bringing on a long journey.
A truck bed liner protects both your cargo and truck bed from damage. It also prevents your cargo from sliding around and getting damaged or creating lots of noise while you’re driving. There are different types of liners to choose from, including spray-on liners, drop-in liners, carpet liners, and rubber liners.
4. Dashcam
Every vehicle should have a forward-facing video system or more familiarly known as a dashcam. In case you get into an accident during your road trip, the dashcam will provide video evidence that can help protect you against false allegations.
On a lighter note, a dashcam will give you footage of your entire road trip, allowing you to see the places you’ve driven through without taking videos on your phone or camera (which is not something you can do if you’re the one driving).
5. Steps
A truck is a little trickier to access than a lower-set vehicle. To make it easier to get into your truck or take things out from the back, install truck steps or running boards. This is especially useful if you are traveling with people who might have difficulty accessing the truck, be it due to injury, age, or stature.
6. Bullbars
Bullbars protect the front of your truck and the vital parts of your engine in case of a front-end collision. They are also a great accessory to have if you’re taking your truck off-roading as there are a lot of potential obstacles on off-road paths. They can also be used to mount auxiliary lights that can provide additional illumination when driving at night, which is another excellent way to make your road trip safer.
7. Floor mats and seat covers
Any road trip can make the inside of your truck dirty, what with all the eating and drinking you’re going to do inside the truck. Moreover, your shoes are most likely going to get a lot dirtier when visiting other places, and that dirt can easily transfer to your truck’s floor.
Protect your floor and seats with high-quality floor mats and seat covers. This is especially important if you’re traveling with a pet and will be allowing eating and drinking inside the vehicle.
Road trips are always fun and exciting, especially if you’re driving a truck. Having these accessories, however, can make your journey a lot more enjoyable and more importantly, prevent your truck from wearing down too quickly.
