The pickup truck is a versatile vehicle. In everyday driving, it is the perfect car for comfortable baggage and passenger transportation. Traveling for short and long distances in pickup trucks is probably one of the best experiences an adventurer can have. Mainly because they can be modified with campers, these are the vehicles anyone should choose for outdoor activities. Depending on the owner, pickup trucks are also perfect for light and medium work duties.
But the main reason pickup trucks are perfect for almost any activity is the ability to customize and modify them however you desire. Plan to do off-road riding? Install drivetrain with bigger tires. Plan to travel around the United States? The camper should fit your pickup truck perfectly to help you live like a real adventurer!
Let’s learn about accessories and modifications for pickup trucks, and how they can enhance vehicle performance and overall driving experience.
What Types of Modifications are Available for Pickup Trucks?
Aftermarket modifications provide the pickup owner with almost limitless possibilities when it comes to customization.
- Motor accessories increase the power and performance of the engine.
- Drivetrain and suspension modifications upgrade the handling and capabilities of a pickup.
- Exhaust enhancements customize the sound and increase an engine’s performance capabilities.
- Exterior modifications can expand the pickup’s functionality and change the vehicle’s appearance.
- Interior modifications add comfort for passengers and improve interior design.
Most of the custom, aftermarket modifications can be installed in any pickup truck, making the vehicle a convenient constructor that can be customized to an owner’s needs.
Entertainment systems for better audio quality and video screens for passengers in the back seats can be an amazing upgrade for long-distance travel or the camper lifestyle.
Performance Modifications for Pickup Trucks
Any vehicle’s engine can be customized and enhanced, but pickup trucks may get even more benefits.
Air filter customizations: getting better air/fuel mix
Throttle response and the engine’s power can be upgraded by installing a high-flow air filter. Aftermarket air filters increase the amount of clean air that gets into the combustion chamber, which increases the performance and reduces the gasoline consumption. Custom air filters are designed in a way that allows you to clean them easily, and the product can stay as good as new for a lifetime of your vehicle.
Stock air filter housing in the pickup truck can be changed to an aftermarket product, which allows you to place the air filter in any location. It can change the way air gets to the engine, reducing the stress on the combustion system.
Exhaust systems: performance plus sound
Aftermarket exhaust systems and mufflers are perfect upgrades for better gas expelling. Almost all custom exhaust modifications affect the engine’s work in a positive way, increasing the speed of exhaust gases leaving out of the system. This, in turn, provides a cleaner mix of gasoline with oxygen in the engine. It also slightly increases horsepower and engine performance.
Exhaust modifications also change the style and character of your pickup truck, tuning the exhaust sound to unique, sports-like tones.
Brake system modifications: taking all the control
Aftermarket modifications for brake systems will significantly improve the handling of the pickup, reducing the stopping distance and increasing the braking system’s health. Aftermarket brake pads and rotors reduce the amount of heat accumulating around the wheels, which improves stopping power.
Suspension upgrades: driving everywhere
Aftermarket suspension upgrades can expand pickup abilities both in the city and off-road. Lifting the suspension provides the truck with maneuverability on rocky roads or terrains without road at all. Hills, higher grounds, boulders, and other off-road obstacles will not be dangerous for your pickup and you’ll feel like the king of the road. Lowering suspension, on the other hand, is perfect for city pickups, especially those that require constant access to the bed.
Wheels and tires: state your road domination
Based on how and where you are going to drive the pickup truck, wheels and tires have to be appropriate. Figure out what will be the purpose of your pickup and get them a pair of good, high-quality wheels and tires. Driving around the city, getting off-road, doing heavy-duty, all these driving styles require specific wheels and tires, so get the most compatible set.
Design Modifications for Pickup Trucks
Some modifications act only as an appearance enhancement, while others combine functionality and design decisions. We decided to review some of the best modifications that provide both performance and appearance upgrades.
Nerf bars and running boards: accessibility and design
Nerf bars or running boards are two different types of modification that significantly simplifies access inside the truck or to a bed. This modification is especially important for full-sized pickups or vehicles with lifted suspension.
Apart from convenience in entering the vehicles, running boards can also function as protection for rocker panels against road debris, rocks, and other little chips that can scratch the paint finish. The original purpose of nerf bars was protection against a collision with other cars on racing tracks. So if you are a racer, this modification can be a good decision to prevent damage to the vehicle’s sides.
Running boards and nerf bars can be produced by different manufacturers, which creates a huge variety of designs. It means another opportunity to customize the pickup’s appearance and create your car’s character.
Tonneau covers: protection and aerodynamics
Pickup truck beds require protection if you tend to transport goods or keep the baggage inside. Modern tonneau covers, if not from the cheap manufacturer, are simple in handling but secure in performance, protecting the baggage from unwanted intrusion.
Another not-so-well-known enhancement that the pickup trucks get with an installed and closed tonneau cover is an aerodynamic improvement. It reduces the wind resistance of your moving vehicle, therefore increasing the speed. With reduced wind resistance, the engine gets more relaxed, and two percent of the gasoline per mile gets saved.
Of course, tonneau covers complete the pickup’s appearance, adding wholeness and solidness to the design.
Bug Shields and Vent Visors: small but important modifications
Bug shield does exactly what it says: protects the windshield and the hood against insects and bugs. This modification is extremely helpful in the areas with a high quantity of insects, and it also adds an additional piece of design to the front of the pickup.
Vent Visors are small pieces of protective plastic above side door windows. They are helpful when there is rain outside, but you want to open up the window a little bit to feel the fresh air. Vent Visors will protect the interior of the pickup against raindrops, so you and the seats won’t get wet.
Floor Liners and Bed Liners: important in any vehicle
This modification is not exclusive to pickup trucks but is nevertheless very important to keep the footwells inside the vehicle clean, new, and protected against dirt, moisture, and scratches. Floor Liners cover all the footwell and usually, they are designed to be fixed in place, while Floor Mats cover only the bottom part and slide around.
Both types actually provide good protection against dirt and moisture, but floor liners are much better in all features. On a snowy or rainy day, all the water and dirt will be gathered in floor liner texture and deepenings. They are easy to clean, and you can be sure, that the stock cover of your vehicle will stay clean and as good as new.
Bed Liners provide the same protection, but for the truck bed, which is even more crucial, if you tend to transport something that can get your truck bed dirty or scratch the bottom.
Aftermarket seats or seat protection
Seat protection is useful interior protection, especially if you transport animals or little kids. It is much better to take seat protection out and clean it elsewhere, than work on stains on stock seats.
Aftermarket seats can be a good decision depending on your driving style. If you use your pickup truck for short rides or races, sports seats are perfect. But they aren’t comfortable when it comes to long travels, so appropriate aftermarket seats have to be installed, or just leave the stock ones.
In Conclusion on Pickup Modifications, Which are the Best?
Many modifications are universal. Many provide multiple properties and advantages. It comes to the driver to determine the best upgrades, and the first question they have to ask themselves: what is my pickup’s destiny? Is it traveling adventures, off-road trips, racing, or city life? Knowing the main purpose of the pickup will give you the general idea of what you want to see in it, and how you want to upgrade its performance.
After you’ve decided which modifications you need, the next step would be choosing high-quality manufacturers of aftermarket parts, so that the modifications you buy will serve you for a long time! Cheap aftermarket upgrades can have the same qualities as the stock parts and sometimes even worse, so no need to save on modifications.
Always treat your pickup truck well, and safe road to you!
