Essential Cold Weather Accessories for Winter Ready Trucks

One of the primary reasons trucks are so popular is their ability to deal with winter better than cars. Four-wheel drive makes a big difference when you’re driving through snow and slush. (Be honest: if you’re in the northern parts of the country, that’s probably why you bought one.) Of course, that’s on top of all the other utilitarian advantages of having a bed out back and a powerful engine under the hood.

As great as trucks are, the reality is that, in stock form, winter can pose issues for more than just the driveline. You still may want to do some things to better equip it to deal with the colder months.

We’re not just talking about the basics, either. Even with a strong battery, a remote start, and good tires on board, your truck can be in for a fight come wintertime. We’re here to talk through other accessories that will make a major difference in how well your truck fends off winter’s threats.

Best Cold Weather Accessories for Trucks

Tonneau Cover

A tonneau cover is simply a cover for your truck bed that will keep the elements out and cargo in. Adding one to your truck will also keep you from shoveling a ton of snow out of the way any time you want to use the bed this winter.

Any cover is better than nothing, but investing in something quality ensures you have more than just a basic barrier to work with. We talk tonneaus a lot here on The Engine Block, so you can certainly browse through the robust catalog of information we’ve accumulated on the topic and zero in on some of the top offerings. But we’d like to introduce you to BAK’s latest entry — the Revolver X4ts.

Built with high-strength aluminum slats covered with a layer of marine-grade vinyl, BAK’s newest recruit brings fresh upgrades to old standby. An update to the very popular X4s, this design brings the same effortless operation, full-perimeter weather seals, and complete matte-black styling but adds integrated T-slot channels that enable you to mount various over-the-bed racks and cargo management accessories. It earned SEMA’s award for Best Exterior Auto Accessory this year and is definitely worth checking out when it drops in Q1 2024.

Floor Liners

Keeping snow and slush out of the interior of the truck is just as important as protecting the bed. A lot of that depends on good manners and knocking the mud and gunk off your shoes before you jam them into your carpet. That will only do so much, though.

Floor liners are the ultimate layer of protection for your truck’s carpet. Stock floor mats are flat and flimsy and let debris easily make its way around them, easily defeating the minimal layer of protection they offer. By comparison, aftermarket floor liners are made of rigid plastic-like materials with raised edges that contain snow and slush so that your carpet simply can’t be threatened by them. Specifically molded to the floor of your truck, they make for a factory-like fit.

(If you’re looking for a durable set that will carry the same sleek black styling spotted on that new X4ts, then check out Husky Liners’ offerings. A sister brand to BAK, Husky Liners offers several different styles of floor and cargo liners – all made in the USA and backed by a limited lifetime warranty.)

Seat Covers

Of course, your seats are just as vulnerable to winter’s slushy mess as anything else. You might not have as much of it built up on your pants and jacket as your boots, but a little goes a long way when chewing up the plush upholstery.

Good, custom-fit seat covers are a must for any truck but are especially important in the wintertime. Without them, you will destroy the seats in no time. There are a lot of options out there, and which is best for you depends on your lifestyle. Softer, more luxurious covers are great for folks who don’t expose their trucks to harsh environments. It should go without saying that the covers built with the same materials as your heavy work jacket are the best choice for pickups that are pushed to their limits on a regular basis.

Upgraded Fog Lights

Getting your fog lights in check is the last stop on the list of basic upgrades. You can take things up a few levels and add auxiliary fog lights if you want (and you should absolutely do so if you have an aftermarket bumper or grille guard) but upgrading the factory fog lights will do just fine for stock trucks.

Good lights are always important, but fog lights are specifically meant for foggy and snowy nights. The low beam cuts through the snow, minimizing glare and giving you a better view of what’s directly in front of you than headlights can in some cases. Upgrading to stronger, brighter bulbs is a great way to get more out of them, especially if you move to an amber light, which even further reduces glare.

Taking It a Step Further

The accessories above are great options for truck owners who want a little more protection than what the factory truck can offer. But what if you want to take it to the max? What if you’re in the roughest areas, dealing with the worst conditions on a daily basis? There are a few more upgrades to consider.

Traction Boards/Tire Chains. Keeping a set of tire chains and traction boards in the bed of your truck is a good move if the roads in your area are exceptionally rough. Tire chains can help if conditions take a turn for the worst and your tires simply can’t keep up. Traction boards are for when you don’t throw those tire chains on soon enough and you need a little extra bite to pull yourself out of the bank you slid into.

Studded Tires. A step up from tire chains, these tiny metal studs are added to the tread of the tire to give an extra bit of grip on snowy and icy roads. The catch is that you must have tires that can be studded to begin with, which will usually be a dedicated winter tire. An additional set of tires for winter use is an expensive upgrade to make, but will prove to be the best investment in the harshest environments.

Heavy-Duty Bumpers. Snow and ice kill traction and without traction, there’s a good chance you will slide into things or fail to stop in time if something jumps into your path. Heavy-duty bumpers add extra protection that just might save your truck from being totaled in the event of an accident. They also offer mounting points for aftermarket lighting upgrades and winches, which can both be life savers in poor weather conditions.

What About Diesel Trucks?

Diesel trucks face their own setlist of unique setbacks in the winter. So much so that it’s worth discussing the topic at length so that owners can get a good grasp on what’s going on. Still, we can briefly touch on some upgrades they should consider installing to winterize their trucks effectively, specifically block and coolant heaters.

Diesels have a hard time with cold starts in the wintertime, on account of how they burn fuel and how the fuel struggles with colder conditions. Heating the engine prior to starting is a great way to put these concerns to rest.

If your truck didn’t come with one, adding and using a block heater will work best in most situations. If you’re in a part of the country that gets extremely cold, adding a coolant heater will give your truck an even better chance at easily handling cold starts.

Maintaining adequate running temperatures is important for all vehicles, but is crucial for diesels. A winter front, or a grille cover is another great way to keep the cool air from over-chilling your engine. They install in front of the radiator, restricting airflow to the engine bay. This raises coolant and under hood temperatures, keeping operational temperatures from falling out of optimal ranges and killing performance.

As the manufacturer of America’s #1 selling hard folding cover and America’s #1 selling hard rolling cover, it’s safe to say BAK Industries knows a thing or two about making quality tonneaus. The company is a heavyweight contender in the truck accessories market, and offers multiple cover styles to suit a variety of truck owners. To learn more about the BAK Revolver X4ts mentioned here, visit https://bakindustries.com/.