Archive for the ‘Pickup Trucks’ Category
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Buying a new pickup truck can be very confusing. Of course you could go for a well known brand or manufacturer but still here are many options to consider.
Below are some guidelines that could point you in the right direction in buying a new truck.
The first thing that you should consider is size. Ask yourself just how big a pickup truck do you need? This shouldn’t be a very difficult decision for you to make. All you have to consult are your needs and your budget.
Keep in mind the price of a new pickup truck varies. It can range from the affordable (like buying an ordinary car) to the very expensive (like buying a luxury car). A good basic pickup truck can be owned for around $20,000 while a full sized fully loaded pickup truck an go for as much $30,000 or more.
Keep in mind one of the most important features of a pickup truck is its engine. So the engine should be a primary consideration when buying a pickup truck. Most pickup trucks will have a V6 engine. This type of engine consumes a fair amount of fuel depending on what you will be hauling or pulling. However, full sized pickup trucks usually have V8 engines that use up gas pretty fast. A diesel engine is recommended if you need lots of power for towing things around.
Another consideration is the number of people a pickup truck can carry. Would you be using the pickup truck to transport people? Then you would be better off buying an extended cab pickup truck which can carry 5 or more people. You could also get a crew cab which can be a very good replacement for a car and can also seat up to 5 individuals. But if you are basically using the pickup truck to tow and transport things, then you could just buy a regular cab pickup truck which can hold two to three individuals.
Determine the size of bed you will need. The bed is the part of the pickup truck used for transporting things. Pickup trucks usually are equipped with 6½ to 8 foot beds.
Look at the drive-train options. Pickup trucks come with either a manual or automatic transmission and you could choose between a two wheel driven or a four wheel driven pickup truck. Many pickup trucks offer limited-slip or locking differentials and electronic traction control.
Check the truck box configurations. Trucks come with different cargo box. Most have fairly straight exterior sides, with arched areas just inside the bed to accommodate the rear wheels. Many also have spaces in front and behind each arch so there’s more room to tuck shorter cargo. On the other hand, some pickup tucks have flared fenders to provide more storage space. This type of cargo box is called a step-side box.
The Internet is a very good source for new and used pickup trucks. There are many websites specially dedicated to automobiles and trucks. From there, you can get in touch with local dealers. And even read a review of the vehicles for sale. Using such website is very easy for both sellers and buyers. Using such websites can definitely save you time when buying a pickup truck. Most automotive websites serve as an online market place for cars and pickup trucks. Sellers post the vehicle they want to sell. Then a buyer can browse through it. When a buyer wants to buy a vehicle, the website puts him touch with the seller. And that’s it. They will even handle the transporting to your driveway.
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Thursday, July 24th, 2008
Ford Motor Co. plans to keep open for an additional two years a small-pickup plant in St. Paul, Minn., that had been slated to close in 2009, according to two people briefed on the company’s plans.
The move is expected to be announced Thursday as part of a plan to overhaul U.S. plants so Ford can make more cars and small vehicles and fewer large trucks and sport-utility vehicles, these people said.
Ford will also report its second-quarter earnings Thursday. Analysts expect the company to report a substantial loss. The Dearborn, Mich., auto maker has had massive declines in sales for its full-size pickups and SUVs, mainly as a result of rising fuel prices and a softening economy. The company has shut down truck production in several plants for most of the summer and delayed the launch of its 2009 F-150 pickup by two months until November.
Relatively consistent demand for Ford’s small pickup, the Ford Ranger, is one of the few bright spots in the dismal truck market. While sales of the Ford Explorer SUV fell 33.2% and its F-series pickups dropped 22.7% for the first half of the year, Ranger sales declined only 3.9% for the same period. As part of the company’s cutbacks first announced in 2006, Ford said it would shutter the Twin Cities Assembly Plant, which makes Rangers, by 2008. In 2007, the company revised its plans, saying the small-truck plant would close sometime in 2009. Now the life of the plant, while working with a single shift, has been extended until 2011.
News of the plant’s life extension will coincide with an announcement about a broad reshuffling of Ford’s product portfolio. The auto maker plans to convert three truck plants to car production as demand in the U.S. market reacts to $4-a-gallon gasoline prices.
Tags: Ford Pickup
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Saturday, July 12th, 2008
Moving cargo is not an easy venture. Different types of cargo may require different approaches to transport. Additionally, there are a number of concerns one has to take into consideration when transporting cargo in a pickup truck. These areas of concern include efficiency, organization and safety. Thankfully, there are a number of cargo accessories that can be affixed to a pick up truck to handle the various purposes. A brief overview of some of the common accessories might prove quite helpful to those who may have use of them.
Cargo netting is one of the cheapest and simplest cargo accessories to add to the truck. Netting is used to keep the cargo from sliding around in the back of the bed. Now, some might be skeptical that cargo netting will be effective in its task. Well, such an assessment may be based on initial looks but not on actual function. In other words, the material used to create cargo netting is of the highest quality. Also, it is incredibly strong as well. Yes, cargo netting does its intended tasks quite safely and effectively even if it looks somewhat innocuous on the surface.
One of the most innovative cargo accessories for a pick up truck is the concept of a “pack mule” cargo holder. Just as a pack mule carries a place holder bag on its back, a pickup truck can house a series of connected unique place holders in its bed. Built with durable and weather resistant fabric, these cargo holders provide a number of bags designed to keep the contents placed in the bags in place safe and secure. The installation of these cargo holders is quite easy and they can be removed quite easily as well. This eliminates the need for placing a permanent cargo holder in the bed. A pack mule style cargo holder can he installed and removed quite easily with little effort.
A hitch for a cargo carrier is also a helpful accessory that can be effectively added to any pick up truck. Mounting a cargo hauler hitch is not as tough as it appears. Once it is mounted it will stay put. Some may wonder why there is a need for a hitch when the bed of the truck is sufficient. Well, the bed might not be sufficient! There may be items that you would wish to keep out of the bed if a hitch can hold it more securely. Such might be the case when holding a motor bike in place, for example. Then again, there may be instances where the bed is just not large enough to house and move the intended cargo. In such an instance, a hitch with a cargo carrier might provide the best possible solution to the problem.
Cargo accessories are simple, safe, secure and cost effective. As such, if you intend on moving large cargo employing their use may prove quite helpful.
Tags: Cargo Accessories, Pickup Truck
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Monday, June 30th, 2008
How do you bring a new full-size pickup to market with $4-a-gallon gas?
That’s the challenge leaders at Ford Motor Co. face in launching the company’s best-selling product — the iconic F-150 — as the market moves faster than ever away from large trucks toward affordable, fuel-efficient cars.
The automaker already has made some big decisions designed to bring Ford trucks back to their Built-Ford-Tough roots. Instead of kicking off the launch of the all-new 2009 F-150 with luxurious four-door models, Ford instead will launch the truck with the 2-door models that always have been more popular among contractors, farmers and fleet customers.
What’s more, Ford also plans to focus most of its future marketing efforts on customers who buy a truck for work instead of pleasure or everyday driving — a big shift from the past when Ford was focused on selling Harley-Davidson and King Ranch SuperCrew trucks, which come with four regular doors, as luxurious substitutes for cars.
”The core truck buyer is who we’re going to focus on,“ Mike Crowley, Ford’s group marketing plans manager for trucks and SUVs, said. ”Those who want a truck, and need a truck, will make compromises to buy it.“
Of course, the F-150 won’t be the only pickup vying for their attention. The Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Dodge Ram and Toyota Tundra also will be competing for the shrinking pool of truck buyers.
But with an all-new version of the F-150, Ford still says it has a winner, despite the tough market.
Aside from its improved capability and innovative features, Crowley said Ford will spend more time talking about the improved fuel economy in the 2009 F-150, which involves seven models.
The current F-150 gets an average of 12 to 16 miles per gallon, depending on the model, according to federal government ratings.
But Crowley said Ford has achieved an improvement of 1.5 miles per gallon, on average, for the new F-150 lineup by making the new truck lighter and more aerodynamic and by adding a 6-speed transmission and a new, 4.6-liter, 3-valve V-8 engine.
By 2010, the F-150 also will be sold with an optional diesel engine, as well as EcoBoost — gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology that will offer up to a 20 percent improvement in fuel economy, company spokesman Said Deep said.
Last Friday, in response to the worsening U.S. economy, Ford announced that it would delay the launch of the 2009 F-150 by two months — a move that will bring the truck to showrooms later this fall and give dealers more time to sell down the outgoing body style. It is scaling back production this year at its Louisvillle truck plant.
Through May, F-Series sales were down 18.7 percent, making the year-end sell-down take longer than usual.
While nationwide sales of full-size pickup trucks have plummeted 21.1 percent in the tough market, Ford and independent experts say there is still an opportunity for Ford to make meaningful gains in the market with its critical, new truck.
CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore., which does extensive studies on pickup buyers, breaks the segment into five categories of buyers: contractors; farmers and ranchers; towers, or people who pull RVs and boats; fleet customers, and so-called appearance buyers, or those who just like the look and image of a pickup.
But not all of those categories have experienced a decline in sales, Art Spinella, president of CNW, said Tuesday.
The percentage of pickup sales to contractors, fleet customers and farmers and ranchers is actually up, he noted.
And while the percentage of customers buying trucks to tow things has dropped modestly, most of the declines have come from people who are buying the truck strictly for appearance purposes.
In 2004, nearly one-fourth of pickup truck buyers, 24.8 percent, fell into this appearance category, CNW data shows.
Today, they make up less than 6 percent of pickup buyers.
”The appearance buyer is totally out of the market; he’s gone,“ Spinella said. ”That’s been the vast majority of the decline.“
Tags: Ford F-150 pickup
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Henry Ford II was famous for saying “Big cars, big profits. Small cars, small profits.”
Now a better mantra for the country’s second-largest carmaker might be “Big cars, no profits.”
Faced with crashing sales of big sport utility vehicles and pickups and an increasingly dim financial outlook as a result, Ford Motor Co. said Friday that it hoped to eke out small profit margins by ramping up production of small cars, cutting production of large trucks and SUVs and delaying release of its redesigned F-Series pickups by two months. But many of the fuel-efficient sedans and hatchbacks aren’t expected to hit dealer lots for at least 18 months.
“We view the move to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles as permanent, and we are responding to customer demand,” said Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally, blaming gasoline prices, which have climbed above $4 a gallon, in part for the shift.
Because of sagging sales, Ford said it did not expect to reach profitability in 2009 and that even its long-profitable lending division would lose money this year, largely because of declining resale values for SUVs and pickups.
Ford has not shown a profit since 2005, when it earned $2 billion. Over the last two years, it lost a combined $15.3 billion.
The Dearborn, Mich., automaker said it would cut overall production significantly for the remainder of the year, as much as 25% in the third quarter. At the same time, Ford plans to increase production of its sole compact car, the Focus, as well as of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner small SUVs.
Ford also confirmed plans to begin U.S. sales of its well-regarded European Ford Focus — a more refined, higher-end car than its North American counterpart. Ford previously had announced plans to produce the new Fiesta, a European-styled economy car, in North America as well. Neither will be released until 2010.
“The revamp of Ford’s product line can’t come fast enough,” said Aaron Bragman, industry analyst at forecasting firm Global Insight. “Ford needs these cars right now.”
It’s difficult to overstate how large a change such a downshift is for Ford.
For nearly two decades, the SUV and full-size pickup have been emblematic of the fortunes of American carmaking. And arguably no company benefited more from them than Ford, which pioneered with the medium-size SUV Explorer, the full-size Expedition and super-size Excursion (no longer in production).
Those kinds of vehicles are extremely profitable, analysts say, because their production costs are only marginally higher than those of even the smallest car, but their retail prices can be many times more.
“You’ve got to pay a little bit more for materials in an Expedition than a Focus, but labor costs and plant costs don’t change,” said Erich Merkle, an analyst at IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids, Mich. The price difference, however, is huge: A loaded Focus costs $22,515, but an Expedition with all the bells and whistles comes in at $55,020.
Moreover, while the SUV and truck market is relatively uncrowded, the sedan market is fiercely competitive, with dozens of models and very tight pricing.
That segment, long dominated by Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., is characterized by per-vehicle profit of as little as $100, compared with as much as $10,000 on an F-150 Supercab, Merkle said. For that reason, he and other analysts say, Detroit has preferred trucks.
Now, however, with gas prices in the ionosphere and credit increasingly tight, the big vehicles appear to be in their death throes.
Resale values for pickups and SUVs fell at least 21% in May compared with a year earlier, according to Manheim Consulting, and new sales in that category are down 16% year to date.
Focus has been a winner for Ford so far this year. Its sales were up 36% through May, and it was the company’s second-best selling vehicle, after the F-Series pickup trucks.
Overall, Ford has seen U.S. sales decline 11% on the year, better than General Motors Corp. (down 15.8%) or Chrysler (down 19.3%). Honda, which has no full-size anything to speak of, has increased sales by nearly 5% in what is shaping up to be the worst year for vehicle sales in decades.
Ford did post a surprise $100-million profit in the first quarter, but just weeks later said it would miss long-promised goals of a profitable 2009.
Friday’s news drove Ford stock down 8%, or 51 cents, to $5.81. A Lehman Bros. analyst said Ford Motor Credit may need to write down $1.1 billion in outstanding loans, and debt rating agency Moody’s downgraded its outlook for Ford to “negative” from “stable,” citing “the increasingly challenging environment faced by it and the other domestic auto manufacturers.”
Meanwhile, activist investor Kirk Kerkorian has been buying up Ford stock, increasing his stake to 6.5% this week and meeting in Los Angeles with Mulally and Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr.
Known for his attempts to wrest control of GM and Chrysler in the past, Kerkorian’s interest has sparked speculation about a shake-up.
That worries some Ford-watchers, who fear that too much meddling could derail the turnaround plan that Mulally has been executing since he came on in late 2006.
Since then, Mulally has significantly cut costs, signed a new labor agreement with the United Auto Workers union and hired several promising young executives.
“What’s going on isn’t Ford’s fault and it isn’t Mulally’s fault,” analyst Bragman said. “Everybody expected trucks and SUVs to turn around by now. Nobody expected $4 gas.”
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., announced manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) today for 2009 Tacoma pickup trucks, which range from $15,170 to $27,075.
Tacoma greatly enhances its overall value with the addition of several new features. All Tacoma models will now feature Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), and Traction Control (TRAC) as standard equipment, making Tacoma the latest model to feature Toyota’s STAR Safety system consisting of Anti-Lock Brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Brake Assist, VSC, and TRAC. Additional new standard features include an automatic limited slip differential, roll-sensing curtain and seat side airbags, and front active headrests.
Exterior styling has been freshened with an argent painted grille, LED taillamps and four new colors that include Magnetic Gray, Barcelona Red, Pyrite, and Timberland. Smoked headlamp trim is featured on X-Runner and models with the optional TRD Offroad and TRD Sport packages.
Inside, Tacoma features a new and enhanced standard equipment audio system. All Tacoma audio head units feature AM/FM radio, an auxiliary audio input, an MP3-capable CD player, and satellite radio capability. Standard audio on Access and Double Cab models have been upgraded to two ceiling mounted speakers for a total of six and will be satellite radio ready. An optional JBL six-disc CD changer with satellite radio that includes a three-month free subscription to XM Satellite Radio and Bluetooth™ is available for Tacoma Double Cab models.
Additional interior enhancements include a new front door trim panel on all Tacoma models. Access Cab models receive power windows and door locks as standard equipment and a new rear seat design that features a center storage area and under seat storage. Other enhancements include a stylish new seat fabric pattern for models equipped with the optional SR5 package, and all Regular Cab models are equipped with bench seats. A new backup monitor is offered as an option on Access and Double Cab models.
2009 Tacoma 4×2 models carry a base MSRP that ranges from $15,170 for the Regular Cab with a four cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission to $25,285 for the X-Runner Access Cab V6 with a six-speed manual transmission. For PreRunner models, base MSRP ranges from $16,055 for the Regular Cab with a four cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission to $24,000 for the Double Cab Long Bed V6 with 5-speed automatic transmission.
The base MSRP for Tacoma 4×4 models range from $19,130 for the Regular Cab with a four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission to $27,075 for the Double Cab Long Bed V6 with a five-speed automatic transmission. The overall average MSRP for all Tacoma models increases $1,104, or 5.1 percent.
The 2009 Tacoma is available now at Toyota dealerships.
Tags: 2009 Tacoma Pickup Truck
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
At the Chicago Auto Show, American Suzuki Motor Corp. introduced the 2009 Suzuki Equator, which is a midsize pickup destined to complete Suzuki’s range of all-terrain vehicles, including motorbikes and ATVs. The Suzuki Equator was developed with Nissan North America (will also be produced at the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennesse) and it’s based on the Nissan Frontier.
The engine offer includes a 2.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine developing 152 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque or a 4.0-liter V6 DOHC engine producing 261 hp with 281 lb-ft of torque. Also, customers will have several transmission choices, including a five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission (I4 and V6), five-speed manual transmission (I4) or six-speed manual transmission (V6).
The Suzuki Equator will be offered in two styles, Extended Cab and Crew Cab which offer a high-utility bed with spray-on bedliner and an extensive tie-down system with adjustable tracks. The truck also offers a wide range of attachment points for securing cargo (including motorcycles or ATVs) plus a full range of accessories including bed dividers, sliding cargo trays and modular storage units. Crew Cab models will offer an available roof rack.
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Monday, May 26th, 2008
Ford Motor Co. will halt more pickup-truck and sport-utility vehicle production over the next two months, a sign that falling U.S. consumer demand for the vehicles still hasn’t bottomed out.
The auto maker’s Wayne, Mich., truck-assembly plant, home to the Expedition and Navigator SUVs, will be shut from June 23 through July 28, a Ford spokeswoman said. The Louisville, Ky., truck plant, where Super Duty pickup trucks are assembled, will be cut to one shift during the first four weeks of June.
Slackening consumer demand for these big vehicles has been hitting auto makers this year as gasoline prices push sharply higher. General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC also are idling plants as all three auto makers try to keep unwanted products off dealer lots.
Ford decided to idle the Michigan truck plant for three weeks in addition to the two-week summer shutdown that had already been scheduled. About 1,200 hourly employees will be affected.
Production had been curtailed this month already at the Louisville plant. Ford moved its body and paint shops to two shifts from three and had switched the entire plant to four-day weeks with 10-hour work days, the company spokeswoman said. The body and paint shops also are rotating one-week layoffs. The plant employs 3,700 hourly workers.
Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally said during the company’s annual meeting on May 8 that Ford would continue taking cost-reduction actions in North America.
Tags: Pickup Truck
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Friday, May 23rd, 2008
A Pickup truck is a light but powerful truck that was originally built to haul heavy construction material. People also use it to move luggage, especially when they are moving between homes. A pickup truck is a sturdy vehicle with bed-space to carry goods, and walls of strong metal sheets on its two sides. The rear side is fitted with a gate for ease of loading and unloading.
Pickup trucks come in different types and sizes, and run on gasoline. The bigger, or full-sized, pickups are used to carry larger and heavier cargos. They can also haul trailers and are fitted with double tires at the rear wheels.
There are many automotive companies that manufacture pickup trucks. Some of the popular companies are Volvo, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, DAF, CF, Nissan, and Iveco, to name a few. Used pickup trucks are also freely available. Some Japanese companies sell used pickup trucks online. This is because the cost of maintenance and repair of the old vehicles is uneconomical in Japan. They accept payment in Japanese Yen only.
Though the primary function of a pickup truck is to haul cargo, the manufacturing companies have introduced innovative features in their models to get a competitive edge over each other. If you are out to buy a pickup truck, there is a big market that offers a wide spectrum and variety of choices. You can choose from a basic utility truck to a multifeatured vehicle fitted with luxury options that can compete even with the best luxury cars. They can be fitted with accessories to make the drive comfortable. Compared to cars, they also have the luxury of extra space. This makes a long journey extremely comfortable.
1UsedTrucks.com provides detailed information on Pickup Trucks, Pickup Truck Accessories, Used Pickup Trucks, Pickup Truck Rentals and more.
Tags: Used Pickup Truck
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Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
With the right Truck Accessories, you can turn your Pickup Truck 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.
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.
Rectangular pieces of rubber or other composite material that extend beneath the truck’s wheel wells. Easy DIY install.
Front mudflaps will protect the truck’s body from nicks caused by thrown gravel and road salt. The rear pair will do the same for the truck, and protect a trailer in tow or the car behind you. Choose an anti-sail and anti-spray design at least as wide as the truck’s tires.
TOOLBOX
Lockable steel, aluminum or plastic container designed to fit in a pickup’s bed. Easy DIY install.
A toolbox is essential to secure and organize your tools and gadgets. There are several different styles, including those that install across the bed at the front, along the sides or as part of a rollout system. If you also need to supply fuel to remote equipment, choose one with an integrated tank and transfer pump. Aluminum and powder-coated steel will offer the best security and longevity.
BED LINER
Polymeric protection for the pickup’s bed. Easy DIY or professional install.
The spray-in type results in a perfectly fitted liner that adheres permanently to the bed. The formed liner is molded to fit the bed and is removable. Either liner style will keep your truck’s bed from getting scratched, and may prevent rust. Depending on the texture, liners also can help keep your loads from sliding around. For best results, choose high-quality versions of either style.
GRILL GUARD
Steel or aluminum front bumper or frame attachment designed to protect the truck’s front end. Easy DIY install.
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. Choose an aluminum model if front-end weight capacity is a concern. If steel is the material of choice, be sure that it’s powder-coated for the best rust resistance.
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.
With a hydraulic bed hoist, dumping bulk materials, such as mulch or firewood, can be as easy as flipping a switch. Choose a package with a self-contained, electrically powered and controlled hydraulic (electric over hydraulic) system if your truck isn’t already equipped with a PTO pump.
If you don’t want to modify your pickup, consider a dump bed insert. Easy to install, it fits into the bed and raises via an electric winch. When it’s not needed, the entire unit can be removed in minutes.
UNDER-HOOD WELDER
Portable 12-volt direct current arc welding system powered by the vehicle’s engine. Experienced DIY install.
This handy welder doesn’t take up any bed space and allows you to repair fence gates, tractors, implements and virtually anything else made of steel without having to drag them back to the shop. You also can fabricate brand-new components at any off-grid location using your truck’s engine for power. Some models also can supply electricity for power tools and charge 12-volt batteries.
AIR COMPRESSOR
12-volt direct current compressed air supply. Experienced DIY install.
Operate small pneumatic tools or fill tires far from the shop with a compressed air system tucked under the hood or between the frame rails. For easiest installation, choose a package complete with compressor, air tank, plumbing and wiring.
Tags: Truck Accessories
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