Sometimes buying a truck gives you an instant feeling of completion and gratification as if you have exactly what you want and you're in need of nothing else. It's a great feeling and can make your life feel complete. However, for some people, buying a truck is only part of the process of truck ownership; it's just one step toward making the automotive experience more enriching. If you're a Texas resident who already owns a truck or you're considering getting one from a used truck dealer near San Antonio like North Park Chevrolet, and you feel like your trucking experience could use something extra, as if it isn't quite complete, there may be a remedy for that. You see, buying a truck is one thing––you need it for work or a special task, or you just want one for recreation––but once you own it, you might feel like it needs more. Maybe it needs more functionality, maybe it needs certain adjustments, or maybe it needs more equipment. Well, there are a few accessories you might want to consider adding to your truck to further improve the driving experience, comfort levels, and utilitarian aspects. more 1: Tonneau Cover What is a tonneau cover? It covers the top of the exposed pickup truck's bed. There are different types of tonneau covers depending on the truck. The beauty of a tonneau cover is that you can buy one that accommodates your preference for covering up the rear bed box of your pickup truck. Maybe you want something simple just to throw over any exposed cargo you're carrying, or maybe you want something more modular. If you only want a simple tonneau cover, you can go with a soft-top tonneau cover for a low price. It's great if you regularly carry equipment in the back of the truck that you don't want exposed to the elements or if you regularly have to transport material in the truck during the rainy season and you don't want that material soaking wet during travel. The hard tonneau cover is less flexible than the soft-top tonneau, but you can get hard tonneau covers in folding modular designs, so you can cover or uncover as much of the bed as you see fit, which is excellent if you need some parts exposed and other parts covered. 2: Floor Mat / Cargo Liner You may not think much of floor mats when it comes to accessorizing your pickup, but floor mats can make a massive difference when it comes to keeping your cabin's floors clean (or at least reducing how dirty they become) while also adding a bit of personality to the interior. There are various types of floor mats available that are great as footrests or cargo liners. Now you might be thinking, “floor liners are lame; why would I need them?” The reality is that if you regularly work outdoors, go camping, or consistently have people getting into and out of the truck where dirt, mud, water, or other debris finds its way into the cabin, floor liners are perfect for protecting the carpeted floor, especially protective all-weather floor mats. There are also cargo liners you can place inside the truck for storage compartments, which are perfect if you have to store things inside the cabin where the second row folds down. You can place cargo liners over the seats to prevent liquids, dirt, or other particulate matter from staining or ruining the cabin materials. 3: Bed-Liner While cargo liners and floor mats are great for the interior, bed liners are perfect for the truck's exterior. If you buy a truck or already own a truck that came with a spray-on bed-liner, then you're already good to go, but what if you own a truck that doesn't have a bed-liner installed? Well, there are some great bed-liner accessories, both OEM and third-party, which are perfect for protecting the inside of the truck's bed. You have everything from cloth mat liners to rubber adhesive mats, as well as spray-on bed liners. You will likely want the kind of bed-liner that best suits your style of truck and whatever activities you use it for. If you often have pets or animals in the back of the truck, then something comfortable might be required, but if you often have materials or equipment that could stain or scratch the truck's bed box, then a heavy-duty bed-liner would probably be better. 4: Roof Rack / Bed Rack One of the most useful accessories you could possibly get for your truck, regardless of make or model, is a roof rack or a bed rack. The two are decidedly different but serve similar purposes. With a roof rack, you can mount all sorts of nifty equipment and tools to the top of your truck's cabin. If you have a matching bed rack, it can connect to the roof rack and make for a great multi-purpose rig for things like surfboards, camping equipment, upfitting utilities, and more. If you don't necessarily need a roof rack, a bed rack can still really come in handy, especially one that is outfitted to work in line with a modular tonneau cover. There are some bed racks where you can store utilities and tools on them, while others are designed to fit into the rail slides within the bed (where applicable). If you decided to purchase a pickup from a used truck dealer that didn't already have bed or roof racks installed, there are a lot of different, affordable solutions available to fit your trucking needs. 5: Sport Bars / Roll Bars Sport bars or roll bars are an excellent and sometimes much-needed accessory for your truck, especially if you're into off-roading. If you’re doing some serious hill climbing or rock crawling, sport bars or roll bars are an essential accessory, as they help when or if a vehicle takes a nasty tumble. There are a number of different designs for these bars, and the cool part is that some of them are designed for modular accessories. Yes, some sport bars allow you to attach other accessories to them, like lights or covers. This is great for those who have a truck that they use for multiple purposes beyond just a daily driver. A fully functional and highly utilitarian pickup truck makes a world of difference when it comes to increasing the value of the truck and making it very useful for a wide number of different scenarios. 6: Light Mount What goes well with a really good sport bar? A light bar. These are available in a number of different formats. You can get a light bar as a roof attachment, which is great for increasing visibility, especially if you're traveling through dirt tracks or roads near San Antonio that aren't well-lit. There are some cost-effective light bar solutions if you want extra visibility during night driving or venturing off-road. Alternatively, a light mount for the sport or roll bar is great for sprucing up the overall functionality of your truck. You have access to an additional source of visibility, especially if there are extra fog lamps on the light mount, or they can work for illuminating an area, such as a campsite or late-night gathering. But a light mount or light bar is certainly a useful accessory to have for a truck for a number of different reasons. 7: Rear Bed-Step / Running Board Yes, you can get a bed-step for your bed box. While most Texans buying a brand new pickup truck can usually find some sort of tailgate step accessory already included in newer trims for select models, if you opt to grab an older pickup, it's unlikely to have some of the newer multi-tailgate functionality. However, there is a solution for that in the form of a rear bed-step accessory. Yes, you can get an accessory that attaches to the truck that allows you to step up to reach inside the bed easier. These step-up bed accessories are great if you just need a way to reach up into the back of the bed without letting down the tailgate. Alternatively, there are running boards that are great accessories if they don't already come packaged with your truck. Stock or electric running boards make it so that it's easier to get into and out of the truck and access material at the rear of the bed box. This is a great accessory whether you travel alone or oftentimes travel with passengers. You can learn more about purchasing many of these accessories by checking out our parts department here at North Park Chevrolet, where you can order the truck accessories you need for your used pickup.
