10 Must-have Adds-ons and Gadgets for your Tacoma
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When I bought my Tacoma, I initially thought that was it… I had spent my money and had my truck, and I was done. But I soon found how wrong I was. An entire world of truck accessories awaits you after your Tacoma purchase. I have spent hours upon hours searching the internet for the accessories I need to perfect my truck experience. Here is a list of the things I’ve purchased that I can recommend.
Note: this is for the bigger items. If you want to see the small stuff, check out this post on my favorite accessories under $35.
Bedrug
The Bedrug was the first purchase I made for my new Tacoma. When I was shopping for used Tacomas, the first thing I found myself looking at was the bed of the truck. If the truck was two years old and the bed was completely scratched to all hell, it made me picture that the truck had been treated a bit poorly. I’m sure that is likely not a good way to judge a used car, but I found myself doing it either way. So I wanted to make sure my truck bed would have some protection.
An added bonus is that a Bedrug is pretty nice to lay on…. at least for a short period of time. It is certainly a million times better than laying on the raw textured plastic truck bed shell. It looks pretty awesome too.
Retrax XR Tonneau Cover
When you first buy a Tacoma, you have a big decision to make. How are you going to cover your bed? You could get a camper shell that will forever sit on top of your truck bed, turning it almost into an SUV. The camper shell is a viable option, but not for me. I enjoy my truck feeling like a truck. In my opinion, the best option is a good Tonneau cover. You can buy a cheap tri-fold cover or roll-up covers or those that snap in, but you’ll regret it. Your Tonneau cover will get used much more than you think. You want it to be easy to use and rock-solid.
I decided to suck it up and go big and buy the best Tonneau cover I could buy, and that is the Retrax XR. I’m going to do a whole other post on why this cover kicks ass, but for now, I’ll try to sum it up in a few bullet points.
- Retractable
- A secure Keylock.
- Can support up to 500 lbs of weight on top
- Sick looking matte black
- Compatible with Yakima Towers.
This cover has been well worth the money, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Carlinkit 2.0
When I first realized that Apple Carplay was required to be plugged into the cable to work with the Tacoma, I was mind blown and a bit frustrated. Luckily I have found a solution with the Carlinkit 2.0 wireless Carplay adapter. You can plug this into the USB port and then pair it with your phone and use car play wireless. Your phone will automatically connect when you get into your car and you can still charge your phone by hooking it up to a pass-through port.
Napier Backroadz Truck Tent
The Napier truck bed truck tent is an amazing way to use your Tacoma as a camping vehicle. This tent sets up pretty easily in your truck bed. Throw a mattress pad down, and it makes a great little camping setup. It will even fit along with the Retrax XR cover.
Add on the Sportz Link 4 person ground tent, to add an additional space to the back that connects to your truck tent. It’s a perfect place for your dogs or kids to sleep.
Prinsu Cab Rack
A roof rack may not be super essential because of the giant bed in the back of your truck, but nevertheless, if you plan to camp often, it is great knowing that if it comes down to it you have plenty of room on the roof for kayaks or paddleboards or whatever else you may need.
The Prinsu rack is amazing because you can configure the rack and move the bars so that it doesn’t cover your sunroof. It also has noise-reducing trim to help keep wind noise down. I definitely recommend you get that trim and make sure it is installed properly.
WaterPort
The WaterPort is an amazing spray shower that fits easily in the back of your truck bed. You can fill it up with a hose, and it will self-pressurize. Get the pump nozzle so that when the pressure gets low, you can just give it a few pumps, and your pressure is back. This is great to get a quick shower while your camping or to spray off after surfing or after the beach. The container is BPA Free, so it can also double as a backup drinking water supply.
The WaterPort is compatible with the Retrax XR cover if you purchase the optional “Drop Plate” accessory.
Cliq Compact Chairs
These small chairs are the size of a water bottle and pretty comfortable. I have two of them always in the truck bed. They sit right on the wheel well, and I have a bungee cord around them to strap them to a tie-down point to keep them in place.
They are a bit pricey, but downsizing from normal-sized chairs to these tiny chairs gave me room to also squeeze in this compact table in the same space.
Collapsible Fishing Rod
This nice little fishing rod will fit into a small little case that you can keep in the back of your truck so whenever you drive by a good fishing hole, you are ready to throw a line in.
Kobalt Tool Kit
This small tool kit fits right under your driver or passenger seat. Be prepared for anything that comes your way!
Leatherman Rebar
Get this sweet multi-tool to further be prepared for anything that comes your way. Make sure to get it in matte black.