Best Accessories for Your Pickup Truck

Image Gallery A grill guard protects your pickup’s front end (the grill, radiator, headlights, etc.) from close encounters with brush or livestock, and provides attachment points for additional lighting. MATTHEW T. STALLBAUMER

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With the right accessories, you can turn your pickup into a Swiss army knife on wheels that will work harder and last longer. Even a few low-cost add-ons can increase a truck’s value and expand the horizons of what you can get done.

For example, the money I saved pulling my daughters’ car from a snow-filled ditch covered the cost of installing tow hooks on my pickup, plus we didn’t have to wait for the wrecker to show up. The hooks came in handy again when I put my truck into the same ditch. That time, my eldest daughter rescued me with a tractor — I was thrilled to be able to hook the tow-strap to the truck without having to swim in the mud.

To use your pickup for specialized work, you’ll need accessories to match the job. Take, for example, the 350-gallon plastic tank we bought to haul water to cattle in a remote pasture. The tank’s expense was small compared to what it would cost to run plumbing out that far. Thanks to our trusty little gasoline-engine-powered transfer pump, filling the mobile reservoir with creek water took less than five minutes.

Tow hooks and water tanks, though, are just the tip of the accessory iceberg. No matter what you need to pull, push, haul, build or fix, there’s an add-on that will make the job easier. Here are some of the best to consider for your pickup.

Tie-Downs

All manner of attachment points for load-securing straps or lines. Easy DIY install.

Most pickups come equipped with a few good tie-downs in the bed floor, but for many loads, their locations are ineffective. A few additional permanent tie-downs can be useful to secure special equipment such as water or fuel tanks. For additional flexibility, keep several stake-pocket mounted versions in the toolbox or behind the seat.

Tow Hooks

Steel hooks bolted to the truck frame. Easy DIY install.

Tow hooks offer safe purchase for chains and straps whenever you need to pull things for short distances, such as round hay bales, feed bunks or even the chicken house.

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