If you own a pickup truck, chances are you bought it at least partly so that you can haul stuff in the bed. In most cases, a truck bed is more than adequate for hauling most common items. However, you might run into a situation where your cargo is longer than your bed. This is especially true if you happen to own a truck with a short bed.
So what can you do if you need to haul something that is longer than your truck bed? In some cases, you might be able to open the rear window of the cab and gain some more room, or set your tailgate down as long as your cargo is securely tied.
However, an even better option is a pickup truck bed extender. With the prevalence of four-door trucks on the market today, it’s more common than ever to have a short bed on your truck. Truck bed extenders do exactly what it sounds like — safely extend the length of your truck bed so you can haul oversized items like plywood, a kayak, or a ladder.
What Does a Truck Bed Extender Do?
Pickup truck bed extenders are sometimes also called tailgate extenders. What they do is pretty simple. You can get up to four feet of additional length for your bed to haul larger items like drywall, plywood, or recreational items. Some trucks come with bed extenders from the factory, but if yours didn’t, you can get one through the aftermarket.
If you’re wondering why you need a truck bed extender, let’s take a look at some simple math. The average length of a truck pickup bed is 6.5 feet. The average ladder starts at 9 feet and the average kayak is around 8 feet. These common items will require a bed extender to be hauled safely.
Types of Bed Extenders
The most common type of truck bed extender is the gate type. This style is the most common and popular for some very good reasons. Namely, it’s easy to use and stows away conveniently when not in use. It can also be used inside the truck bed as a place to corral small cargo. Gate truck bed extenders rotate out to an extended position over your tailgate to add the length of your tailgate to your truck bed.
The other type of truck bed extender is a hitch-mounted unit. This type uses a long arm that extends from the hitch to the same height as the tailgate. The hitch type tends to be fairly inexpensive, but it’s also not very convenient since it has to be installed every time you want to use it. The load capacity of this type is quite limited, so it really only serves one function, and that’s to support extra length from something like wood or drywall.
AMP Research Truck Bed Extenders
One of the top brands for truck bed extenders is AMP Research. H&H Truck Accessories offers a wide selection of bed extenders from AMP Research. Some are universal fit, but most products are made to fit specific truck makes and models. The AMP Research bed extenders are the gate style.
The roughly V-shape design conveniently flips out over the tailgate to extend your bed by up to two feet. If you flip it back inside, you’ll get a secure enclosed area for tools and smaller cargo inside your bed.
AMP Research Truck Bed Extender
When the gate style is not being used, it sits inside your bed, which means it can store beneath a tonneau cover. To find the bed extender for your specific truck, make sure to enter your year, make, and model to filter results. You may also need to locate the correct AMP BedXtender mounting kit for the product you purchase.
As always, all bed extenders can be installed at your local H&H location. Just look for the “Add With Installation” button on any product page.
How To Install a Bed Extender
If you decide to install a bed extender yourself, it’s important to always look at the instructions that come with your specific product. However, the installation process is fairly easy and should only take an hour with basic tools. Let’s take a look.
The tools you’ll need to install a bed extender yourself include the following:
- Phillips screwdriver
- Torx T-20 and T-25 driver
- Power drill
- 1/8″ drill bit
- 21/64″ drill bit
- Center punch
- Supplied templates
- Soapy water
- Masking tape
Once you’ve gathered your tools, take out all contents from the box and verify that all the parts match the parts list. Read the instructions carefully before attempting to install the bed extender.
Step 1 – Use the 21/64″ drill bit to enlarge the D-pillar hole and fasten the quick mount bracket.
Step 2 – Letting the bracket hang vertically, mark the upper hole of the lower slot and pre-drill a hole with the 1/8″ drill bit. Loosen the upper mounting hole, rotate the bracket away, and then open the hole using the 21/64″ drill bit. Apply primer to the edge of the holes and allow it to dry before installing brackets.
Step 3 – Assemble the bed extender according to your instructions. You can adjust the width of the bed extender by placing pivots into the mounting brackets.
Step 4 – Line up the bed extender with your holes and attach the plastic upright around the tube juncture.
Step 5 – Tighten the PT screws with the T-25 torx driver by starting with the middle section of each upright. Tighten the outer screws next, and then the remaining screws.
Step 6 – Adjust the strap buckles to lock the tailgate when the bed extender is out. Your installation is complete.
Check out a wide selection of truck accessories and upgrades at H&H Truck, including truck bed extenders and other accessories for your truck bed like bed liners, bed mats, truck tool boxes, and much more.
