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One of the simplest and most useful accessories that
I have enjoyed (low buck too) was the plastic cup holder that attached to the
center armrest. Being a true coffee drinker day and night, I know I could not
live without that little convenience. I could easily live without the steering
wheel cover, but like they say in New Hampshire; “Take my cup holder and you are
sure to die free”. It’s right there on their license plates!
My last three pickups have also been
endowed with tonneau covers. If you don’t have a bed cap, you definitely need a
cover. My current truck has the Agri-Cover roll up tonneau. We actually did a TV
show where we put some accessories on a truck. The advertiser was Agri-Cover,
and I fell in love with this unit. They actually make a custom fit cover with a
small header plate if your truck is already equipped with an over the rail style
toolbox.
My 1997 3500 had huge camper type mirrors, so visibility was terrific even with
an enclosed car hauler. Man they we less than aerodynamic, and certainly ugly! I
added Powervision’s electrically
extendable mirrors to my current truck. These are much more aesthetically
pleasing, while providing a good field of vision. Don’t tow without some sort of
good mirrors. They installed easily, and utilized the factory harness for heat &
adjustment. All that was needed was to run an additional wire to each mirror
from the extender switch, and pick up some power at the fuse panel.
For those of you who live in cold climates, the Espar engine heater is a great
setup. It was not inexpensive, nor easy to install, but it worked very well, and
made a big difference on cold mornings. I’m not talking Alaska here, just
anywhere that provides the diesel owner with a month or more of below 40 degree
nights. The Espar saves batteries, engine wear on cold startup, and provides a
measure of safety. That comes in the form of a warm cabin, and an effective
defroster as you leave your driveway. The seat heaters do nothing for cold
morning visibility!
Shiny wheels, gargantuan exhaust systems, and polished stainless wheel opening
trim are all fun and neat, but don’t do as much for our trucks as they do our
egos. Yes, I have all of the above!
Who would dare step up performance without having some sort of gauge setup to
monitor the destructive forces we generate at higher than stock boost pressures,
combined with enough fuel to run a small container ship? Boost, EGT, Trans temp,
and other assorted instruments could possibly save you big bucks if closely
monitored.
When it comes to reducing labor when maintaining my pride and joy, I really like
the EZ Change oil drain plug setup. I have one of these nifty units in both my
Cummins and my Caterpillar engines. I can change the oil without covering the
driveway or garage floor with oil. That is saying something for somebody that’s
as coordinated as I am.
Remember the big, stick-out mirrors I mentioned on my ’97 dually? I have walked
into them on more than one occasion.
If you would like the interior of your truck, or any vehicle for that matter to
be quieter, and more thermally insulated, I have a fix!
I have used a product called “Lizard Skin” on my Street Rods, on a few Muscle
cars, and soon to be on my Kenworth. Lizard Skin is an incredible product that
can be applied with a spray gun, or brushed on. It is lightweight, works just
like paint, and has tremendous insulation and noise reduction qualities.
It can be sprayed on floor pans, inside firewalls and doors, and on the
underside of the roof. If you have an interior out for any reason, that’s the
time to spray on a thin coat of Lizard Skin. Racers use it to survive in the hot
environment of a race car, and applied to the roof of a horse trailer, it can
reduce the inside temperatures dramatically. Most horses ask for it by name!
Lizard Skin comes in white or black, and is environmentally cool.
I’m a fool for decals and badges. At the last TDR
rally we attended in Columbus, I purchased several Cummins plastic emblems, and
even a Cummins flashlight. I later stuck the “Cummins Power” emblems on my
neighbors Powerstroke. They actually went well with the faded blue oval. I now
have Cummins Turbo Diesel windshield decal across the top of our KW’s
windshield. When the Detroit and Cat guys ask me what that means, I respond;
“That’s Italian for No Leaks”.
You can stop by any truck accessory shop, peruse through catalogs, and go to
truck events, and there you will find no shortage of dress-up and performance
goodies just begging for your hard earned dollars. Be sure to ask the folks that
have used these things for their candid opinion.
Happy motoring,
Sam
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