Alternative Truck Bed Solutions

Aftermarket professionals understand the hard work and dedication that goes into financing, maintaining, and modifying a vehicle. We also appreciate the importance of balancing work and play. And we know that no vehicle is better suited for this dual task than the pickup truck.

For many years, the pickup has been a symbol of the working man—the tinkers and toilers who keep the wheel of industry moving. But it has also long been a tool of adventure for those who understand the value of unplugging once in a great while. Those who itch to conquer some of Mother Nature’s more forgotten paths, or who have a truck bed filled with fishing, hunting, and camping gear.

Remember that Dolly Parton song “9 to 5” from the early eighties? About how you work yourself crazy but your ship never seems to come in? Well, you don’t have to waste away playing the “rich man’s game,” my friend. The ticket to freedom is sitting right there in the driveway. And more specifically, it’s in that empty space of creative potential known as the truck bed.

Lessen the Load with Proper Truck Bed Solutions

The best way to avoid unnecessary extra time at the jobsite? Working smarter, not harder – as the team at DECKED is notorious for saying. In other posts, we’ve explored how many aftermarket manufacturers have taken those words to heart. They’ve completely transformed the idea of cargo management and truck bed storage.

Companies like DECKED and BEDSLIDE offer secure and durable sliding drawer systems to ensure users can find what they need, when they need it, with no strain on the back or one’s patience. Cargo Ease offers similar drawer solutions, as well as efficient ramp slides that extend the truck’s deck. They even have a trailer hitch crane for loading and unloading heavy cargo. (Great for getting that new quad in the bed, or for loading in all those beer coolers on game day.)

Take Cover

But what good is all this clever storage without dependable truck bed protection?

A quality bedliner or bedmat available from companies like Pendaform or BedRug, will keep any bed free from scratches and dents. (And it’ll probably ease that insurance deductible when someone gets the bright idea to throw a tarp and a hose in the back to create an impromptu kiddie pool.)

Also convenient are Undercover’s innovative solutions, which provide hard folding or one piece tonneaus to effectively protect cargo, no matter the weather. Their new product—the Ridgelander—which they like to call their “go anywhere, do anything truck bed cover” is completely customizable.

And while it offers tons of options for storing work gear and tools, it was actually designed with weekend adventures in mind. Delicate gear stays secure under cover, and users can easily mount bikes or a cooler on top.

All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy

Let’s be honest, a pickup is an incredibly useful tool both on or in-between jobsites, but it’s a hell of a lot more fun when being used as a toy. Those weekend adventures and off-road excursions are important to refuel the spirits after a long and challenging work week. Luckily, some innovative minds in the aftermarket industry have taken the idea of truck recreation past useful storage.

Summer concerts and fall football games call for special celebration. With products like the easily-installed Pendaform Tailgate Pong, truck owners will be ready for a game quicker than you can say “Line up the Solo Cups.”

But why limit yourself to mere parking-lot pong when you can take that game on your next camping trip? As 4Wheeler Network points out, “Remote vehicular adventure has evolved from sleeping on seats to nearly Ritz-caliber accommodations.”

Take the Hellwig Products Ultimate Overland Build that Mike Hallmark, West Coast & International Sales Manager at Hellwig Products, and his team created for SEMA. They effectively turned a 2016 Nissan Titan XD into a genuine mobile hotel.

The Lance 650 camper they attached sleeps three and comes equipped with a queen-size bed, 19” flat screen TV, workable kitchen, and on-board shower. Those digs might be excessive for the Average Joe looking to engage in some back-road shenanigans. But it proves an important point: where there’s a will for outdoor enjoyment, there’s a way to get there. (And you no longer have to sacrifice all the conveniences of home.)

The Devil is in the Details

Brands like Rightline Gear and AirBedz allow truck owners the opportunity to get off the grid in style and comfort. With easy-to-assemble tents that mount directly in the back of the truck, and custom-size inflatable air mattresses that fit snugly in the bed, adventurers can sleep almost as well, if not better, than they do at home.

And heaven forbid we completely unplug, so whatever you do—don’t leave home without your Weego battery pack and RAM Mounts! Check out our New Products page and let us know if we forgot any other innovative additions to the truck bed that the weekend warrior shouldn’t leave home without.

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