A hunter’s truck is a critical piece to the puzzle that is successful hunting, and it should be cared for and attended to accordingly. While an unmodified truck can work for many hunters, there are a number of modifications that hunters can make to their trucks to make things safer, easier, and in some instances, much more enjoyable.
How should you modify your truck for hunting? Safety and practicality should be top priorities for hunters looking to modify their trucks. The most important modifications to make are:
- Paint and bed protection
- Interior protection
- Off-road tires
- Winch
- Lockable equipment storage areas
The above list outlines everything that you will need to turn your truck into an effective hunting rig, but there is a lot more to break down. With all of the different aftermarket options available on the market, it can be confusing to find out exactly what you need, and what might end up hurting you more than helping you.
Paint and Bed Protection
One of the most important modifications that a hunter can make to their truck involves protecting the truck’s paint. Going through tight trails to get to your favorite hunting spot often leads to brushes and limbs scraping against the side of the truck. This can lead to lots of small scratches that can build up over time, leading to a completely ruined paint job. However, there are a number of options available to prevent this.
Clear Paint Protection Film
A clear paint protection film, often abbreviated as PPF, is a great option to prevent your truck from falling victim to limb and brush scratches. These films are a thin, unnoticeable layer of vinyl that is laid over the top of the truck’s paint, protecting the paint from scratches.
What’s more, a high-quality PPF is self-healing, meaning that any scratches that it gets will fix themselves when exposed to sunlight. This makes PPF extremely low maintenance. It is best to get a PPF installed professionally to ensure the best results.
Custom Vinyl Wrap
If you want the benefits of a PPF with a bit more style and personalization, a custom vinyl wrap may be a great option for you. These work in a very similar way to clear PPF, though instead of being clear, these vinyl wraps can have whatever design you like printed on them. You can opt for a single color, or you can go for whatever crazy design you can think of. However, for a hunting rig, it might be wise to look into a camouflage wrap, as these can be as effective at helping your truck blend in with nature.
Don’t forget the headlights and tail lights!
When deciding to go ahead with a vinyl wrap (clear or otherwise), many people forget to protect the headlights and tail lights as well. These parts are just as susceptible to scratches as the paint, and it is important to make sure that they are protected, too. Additionally, you can go for a tinted wrap over the lights to add some style, though going too dark may reduce visibility, which can be a safety concern on the road.
Bed Liners
A high-quality bed liner is just as important in protecting the exterior of your truck as a quality PPF, and should never be overlooked. For hunters, especially, the bed of a truck sees a lot of use, and protecting it from scratches is an important step to take. Bed liners take many forms, including:
- Spray-in
- Fitted cover
- Clear or Custom Vinyl PPF
Whatever option you go for (the latter two are generally preferable), know that you are saving yourself a lot of headache, and a scratched-up bed!
Interior Protection
Now that you’ve got the exterior of your truck ready for your next hunting trip, it is time to address the interior.
Protecting the interior of your truck is especially important for hunters, as there is nothing more painful than climbing into your unprotected seats and floors covered in dirt and mud, knowing that it will be extremely difficult to get those stains out. Unfortunately, these situations can ruin the clean look of your interior. Luckily, there are plenty of aftermarket options available to remedy this.
Seat Covers
Seat covers are an easy and cost-effective way to protect your truck’s seats from the wear and tear of hunting frequently.
Slip-on seat covers are easy to find, cheap, and can often be an aesthetic improvement over the stock material. The best part, however, is that they can be removed quickly and thrown in the washing machine to look brand new for next time. Or, you can leave them dirty if that’s more your style, and just take pleasure in knowing that the material underneath is being well-protected.
Floor Mats
Like seat covers, floor mats are a fantastic way to increase longevity and preserve the good looks of your truck’s interior. WeatherTech is a fantastic company that makes durable floor mats for nearly every make and model truck in the world, and they are easy to install and remove, too. Simply take them out, hose them off, and re-install. I wrote a short review for them here.
Floor mats are an easy and worthwhile way to keep your truck’s interior looking as good as possible for as long as possible.
Off-Road Tires
Trucks used for hunting are often traveling off the beaten path, and this can mean having to traverse uneven, rocky, muddy, and generally unstable terrain.
While your truck’s factory tires are probably fine for on-road use, their deficiencies quickly become apparent in environments like this. So, in order to help you get to your favorite spot trouble-free, here are some tire options that perform great both on and off-road (plus you get the bonus of that knobby, off-road look!):
- Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac: These Goodyear tires were given an excellent 9/10 rating for off-road performance by TireRack, and are used as standard equipment on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. This truck was designed by GM engineers to be exceptional off-road. That should be all you need to hear to know that these are real-deal, high-quality off-road tires.
- BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02: Like the Goodyear Wrangler DuraTracs mentioned above, these BFGoodrich tires received a 9/10 rating for off-road performance from TireRack. And if Ford is more your speed, these tires come as standard equipment on the Ford F-150 Raptor, a leader in the world of off-road performance.
- Firestone Destination A/T: If you are looking for a slightly less expensive off-road tire option, the Firestone Destination A/T might be exactly what you need. They still received a very respectable 8.2 rating for off-road performance from TireRack, and if you trust the folks over at Jeep and Dodge above everyone else, these come as standard equipment on the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk.
(Source: Car & Driver)
On-Board Air Compressor
An important accessory to a good set of off-road tires is an on-board air compressor. When driving on-road, it’s typically best to inflate your tires to whatever is recommended by your truck or tire manufacturer. However, off-road conditions can often create scenarios where standard tire pressure is no longer ideal.
For example, when traversing a particularly rocky trail, under-inflated tires are actually beneficial, as they allow the tire to more easily mold to the uneven surface that is being driven on. In contrast, a fully inflated tire would be unable to do so.
Therefore, before driving across a trail like this, it is advised that off-road drivers deflate their tires slightly (about ten psi below recommended should be sufficient). However, it is not a great idea to deflate your tires if you can’t re-inflate them when it is time to get back on-road again! This is where an on-board air compressor comes into play. Simply deflate your tires enough to effectively cross the trail, and then re-inflate them when you hit pavement again.
Options for on-board compressors are plentiful, but the cheaper ones typically take quite a while to actually inflate a tire. It’s recommended that you opt for a slightly more expensive option that plugs into a 12v outlet, or even better, hooks up to your truck’s battery, and you should be good to go!
Winches
Off-road tires should be enough to prevent most hunters from getting in any trouble, but even the best tires can’t get you through absolutely everything. Perhaps it rained the day before, and the trail is especially muddy. Maybe you decided to take a shortcut that didn’t pan out – whatever the reason, having a high-quality winch can save you from getting stuck and having to phone a friend or tow truck for help.
A winch is a piece of equipment that attaches to the front bumper of a truck. It contains a small motor, a spool, and a long cable with some form of heavy-duty hook or carabiner on the end.
The benefit of having a winch is that, in the event you are stuck, you can attach the cable to a sturdy object (in the case of hunters, probably a tree) and turn on the motor, which will turn the spool and pull the truck out of its stuck position. There are a number of different things to consider when buying a winch, but some important pieces of info to look for are:
- The winch’s rating: It’s important to select a winch that is powerful enough to actually move your truck when it gets stuck. According to 4 Wheel Parts, truck owners should select a winch with a rating at least 1.5x the weight of the vehicle to compensate for the extra load being placed on the winch as a result of the truck being stuck. Effectively, the winch has to pull more than the actual weight of the truck, in order to get it out from its stuck position.
- Ability to withstand the elements: For hunters, especially, it’s important to have a winch that can hold up to the elements. Luckily, it’s quite easy to determine a winch’s ability to do this: all you need to do is look for the IP number (which stands for ingress protection). The IP number is used to rate a winch’s ability to protect its inner components from dirt, water, mud, dust, and whatever else it may encounter while you’re out hunting. IP numbers are two digits: the first digit is the winches resistance to solids getting in, and is on a scale from 1 to 6, with six being completely dustproof. The second number is the winch’s resistance to liquids, and is on a scale of 1 to 8, with an eight denoting a winch that can continuously operate when submerged in one meter of water with no harmful effects.
- Power requirements: It’s important to look for a winch that works efficiently, as they draw quite a bit of power when in use. When looking for a winch for your truck, find one that doesn’t draw too much power, as the last thing that you need when you’re stuck in the mud is a dead battery!
- It’s overall quality: Above everything else, make sure you find a well-constructed winch that is made using high-quality materials. There are a lot of cheap winch options on the market, and they’re great until you actually need to use them. Look for winches that use high-quality gear and cable materials, so that it works when you need it to.
Storage
Hunting effectively and safely requires hunters to carry a lot of equipment with them. From field-dressing equipment to hand warmers to headlamps, hunters are always packing a lot of gear, as they should be. Rather than just throwing all of this gear in the backseat or bed, however, there are a number of different aftermarket options that can help hunters organize their equipment.
Lockable Tonneau Covers
A lockable tonneau cover is a worthy investment for any truck-owner, but that is especially true for hunters. Tonneau covers are used to cover the bed of the truck, effectively turning it into a closed trunk. This can be helpful to prevent nosey eyes from seeing into your bed while your truck is parked, but it can also give peace-of-mind.
Hunters are typically not within eyesight of their truck when hunting and leaving your gear in the bed of your truck un-supervised can be a bit nerve-racking. However, with a locking tonneau cover, you can rest assured that all of your gear is safe while you are not there to keep a watchful eye over it, especially if you are parked roadside. If you’re in the market for a locking tonneau cover, read my short review on my preferred one.
Roof Racks
Roof racks are another fantastic option to broaden your truck’s storage options. In combination with a locking tonneau cover, these two combined will yield the ultimate storage options for any hunter looking to get the most out of their truck. You can reserve the bed with a locking tonneau cover for the more precious items that may not be weather resistant, and throw everything else on the roof!
Trailer Hitch Racks
An article on truck modifications for hunting wouldn’t be complete without the mention of a trailer hitch rack. Trailer hitch racks are one of the most common ways to augment your truck’s storage options, and for good reason. They’re relatively cost-effective, easy to install and offer a lot of added storage space. This is my favorite one because of its durability.
Additionally, their location makes them ideal for storing items that you may not be able to get up onto a roof rack—or even in the bed—as the trailer hitch is nice and low to the ground, and is rated to carry quite a bit of weight (just make sure the rack itself can withstand the weight, too).
Under-Seat Storage
One of the most resourceful ways to increase your truck’s storage space, as well as improve the organization of your hunting gear, is with an under-seat storage solution. These are bins that are specific to each make and model of truck that fit conveniently under your rear seats.
Most of the time, these will come with a number of pre-arranged compartments, making them ideal for storing smaller and miscellaneous items.
Firearm Racks
Another staple of any truck kitted for hunting is a solution for firearm storage. There are a number of different options on the market, with prices ranging widely between them, but know that this is typically an area where it’s best to pay for a higher-quality piece.
The cheaper fabric racks that attach to the front seat’s backs can be a toss-up in terms of quality, and the last thing that you want is for a firearm to come loose or fall out of place while you’re on the road as a result of a poorly made rack.
Final Thoughts
If you decide to fit all of the modifications mentioned above to your truck, rest assured that you will be perfectly prepared for whatever your next hunting trip throws at you. Covering all of your bases is especially important when functionality trumps all else. If you are modifying your truck to be the ultimate hunting vehicle, following the advice outlined here will help you do just that.
If you’re thinking of different ways to accessorize your truck or make it more functional, consider checking out my recommended accessories page. I spent a good amount of time picking out mods that can be useful for most pickup trucks.