Best Accessories for Your Pickup Truck

(Page 3 of 4)

April/May 2007
By Oscar H. Will III 
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Headache Rack

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Aluminum or steel attachment that mounts to the pickup’s bed, just behind the cab. Easy DIY install.

A headache rack keeps loose cargo in the bed from flying forward, through the rear window and into your head. This accessory is a must if you intend to heap-load your truck with firewood or stack hay bales above the bedsides. Choose high-quality aluminum or powder-coated steel models to resist corrosion.

Hitch and Mount

Combination of two attachments that facilitate trailer towing. Easy DIY install.

The pickup’s rear bumper, or square-tube receiver — which is bolted to the frame beneath it — are the most common mounts for ball-type hitches designed for tagalong trailers. If you’ll regularly pull loads of 10,000 pounds or more, choose a gooseneck (ball-type) or fifth-wheel (kingpin-type) hitch that mounts to the truck’s frame ahead of the rear axle — these require making holes in the truck bed’s floor. Recommended for pickups equipped with the manufacturer’s tow-ready package.

Cable Winch

Electric or PTO-powered rotating spools wound with steel cable. Experienced DIY or professional install.

Winches are most often used to pull disabled machines or stretch long runs of fence wire before fastening it to posts. However, with care and sufficient rigging, a winch can be used to drag logs from the woods, direct the fall of a soon-to-be felled tree, right an overturned tractor, slide a large haystack, and much more. For the best value, choose a heavy-duty electric model with at least enough capacity to pull your pickup’s weight. If you also need an air compressor, consider an integrated winch-compressor attachment.

Bed Hoist or Bed Insert

Converts a pickup into a dump truck. Experienced DIY or professional install.

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