Resources — bed cover

If you own a Toyota Tacoma, you already know that you're part of a cult... A cult who loves to dump hundreds, even thousands of dollars into cool mods and accessories for their trucks. For many, including myself, one of the first questions we ask ourselves and probably Google is "how can I make my Tacoma better" or "how can I make my Tacoma look more bad ass", or "what are the best Toyota Tacoma mods" lucky for you, there are hundreds, if not thousands of mods out there for you to make your Tacoma unique to you.

For many, our mods have to be planned out and budgeted financially, so I polled TacomaWorld.com, TacomaForum.com, and several Facebook groups and pulled together this list of awesome Tacoma accessories for those on a budget (like me).

These mods work with all 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 models.

Pop & Lock Power Tailgate Lock ($133)

This tailgate lock led the way in regards to the best Toyota Tacoma upgrades. It not only prevents thieves from stealing your tailgate, but when coupled with a tonneau cover, will protect your valuables as well. Originally designed for the Tundra, this pop & lock will work on your Tacoma and make it easy to lock with a push of button. This is the very first accessory that I add to my trucks. You can buy it here.

TRD Pro Style Grille (Starts at $154)

I've never met a Tacoma owner who doesn't want an aftermarket grille insert for their Tacoma. This is definitely one of the most popular Tacoma mods we see amongst Tacoma owners, so rip out that old, ugly grille and mount up a TRD pro style grille and give your Tacoma the facelift it deserves. If you're feeling crazy, you can change the letter color from standard silver to another one of our four colors and add one of four different colors of raptor lights.

You can buy the traditional TRD Pro grill here.

You can buy our new custom TRD pro grille version here or you can buy the backlit LED version here.

Regardless of which way you go your Tacoma will look amazing.

Anytime Front Camera ($79.99)

When you drive a truck, it's really hard to see what's in front of you on the ground. Adding a front camera helps when pulling into parking spaces or pulling into your garage to make sure you going in straight and not running anything over. You can buy it here.

Center Console Organizer Tray ($12.99)

If you're like most Tacoma owners, you feel like your center console is a catch all for the crap you have laying around your truck. This tray allows the bottom of your console to be the catch all for your crap, while having a nice organized section for the things you use most. If you're looking for more organized storage, this is for you! You can buy it here.

Gator Tri-Fold Tonneau Bed Cover ($249)

As mentioned in the pop & lock section, if you don't have a tonneau cover, you're missing out. A tonneau will allow you to protect what's in your bed from the harshest weather conditions and when coupled with the tailgate lock, secure them as well. There are so many different kinds of covers, some cheap, some expensive, This one is a good budget option and you can buy it here.

Cali Raised LED Side Projection Ditch Lights (Starting at $170.99)

Ditch lights are something I've never really heard of or seen before, but they help off roaders get more light coverage, up to 120 degrees on each side of the vehicle. You can buy them here.

Scotchgard Fabric Protector Spray ($39)

Scotchgard is a no brainer for anyone who has a car, truck, couches, or other fabric based furniture. Spray on 2-3 coats and watch the juice and soda roll right off your seats to your rubber floor mats. You can buy it here.

Vinyl Decal Tailgate Inserts ($12.99)

One quick way to give your truck a facelift is by installing tailgate inserts into the embossed Tacoma logo on the bottom of your tailgate. There are so many different kinds, but I like the ones cut out of vinyl. They are cheap and easy to put on and can be swapped out for different colors in the blink of an eye. You can buy them here.

Redline Hood Struts/Lifts ($99.95)

Why most cars and trucks don't come with automatic, gas spring based hood lifts is beyond me. I mean, it's 2021 people! These hood struts make it easy to prop open the hood of your Tacoma when you need to clean or work on your engine. You can buy them here.

Cali Raised Replacement LED Fog Light Pods (Start at $174.99)

If you hate your round, non LED fog lights, Cali Raised has the most affordable solution for you. Their LED fog light pods make it quick and easy to install a brighter, more powerful light at half the price of their competitors. You can buy them here.

Scosche Magnetic Phone Mount ($12)

One of the best phone mounts I've come across is the Scosche mount. It's good looking and mounts just about anywhere to keep your phone front and center while you're out on a drive. I have these in all of our family cars and everyone loves them. I think you will too! You can buy it here.

Anytime Backup Camera ($69.99)

Tacoma owners who tow a lot love the anytime backup camera. With a little wiring, you can activate your backup camera at anytime to check out your trailer, boat, or whatever you might be hauling. You can buy it here.

Tint

One of the basic mods you can make to any car or truck is adding tint. Tint not only helps keep your Tacoma cool in the summer, but helps keep the inside of your truck private to outside viewers. The tint for my Tacoma cost about $250 and it has held up great for 5 years now. No bubbles, no fading, nothing.

Matt Gecko Under Bed Rail LED Lights ($85 - $90)

If you run any sort of a bed cover, you know it's very dark in the bed of your truck, day or night. These sweet bed rail lights provided by Matt Gecko give you the light you need to see anything and everything while your cover is down. You can read about it here.

AC Drain Mod (Less than $15 and ten minutes of your time)

A lot of Tacoma owners don't realize that where their AC condensation drips out under the truck, hits the frame and causes rust. This handy little mod brought to you by the folks at Tacoma World needs to done this coming spring before you start using your AC again. Better safe than sorry. You can read about it here.

Floor Mat Anti-Slip Fastener Clips ($4.98)

Who else hates that the passenger side and second cab mats slide all around? One easy fix is to superglue heavy duty velcro to them, which works some of the time. A better solution is installing these anti-slip fastener clips. They will hold your mats in place for as long as you own your truck. You can buy them here.

Meso Customs Minimalist Key Fob ($30)

A simple, but cool mod offered by Meso Customs is a replacement key fob. It's very easy to take apart your current, black fob and put the guts into one of their color-matched, more rugged fobs. You can buy it here.

Hood Bulge Glare Blocker Sticker ($29.99)

Many Tacoma owners complain that the bulge on their Sport model casts a wicked glare and makes it hard to see on a sunny day. The solution to this is the hood bulge glare blocker decal. It deadens the rays from the sun and makes it not reflective anymore. Once I added my decal, I could tell right away that it was much easier to see during hot sunny days. You can buy it here.

Cali Raised Behind Grille LED Light Bar (Starting at $346.99)

Light bars are all the rage with serious off roaders. Even a lot of mall crawlers put light bars on their rigs. The Cali Raised behind grille light bar mounts right below your Tacoma grille and with a little wizardry, can be wired right to a push button to light it up... but please do so responsibly. You don't want to be one of those douches who blinds people on city roads. You can buy it here.

Tacoma Raptor Light Kit ($42.99)

Not sure why Tacoma owners want to make their trucks look like the Ford Raptor, but they do. On the top of the grille, the Raptor has three amber lights. This mod makes any Tacoma grille look like a Raptor when the sun goes down. These raptor lights typically come in four colors, amber, smoked amber, white and smoked white. You can buy them here.

OEM Bed Mat Short Bed / Long Bed ($169 - $169)

A bed mat is pretty self explanatory, but for those who want to keep their stuff from rolling and sliding all around the bed of their truck, the OEM bed mat is the perfect solution. It's thick and kinda grippy and does the job right. You can buy the short bed here and the long bed here.

N2 Designs Remote Start ($199)

If you love your Tacoma to always be warm when you jump into it, installing a remote start kit is vital to your comfort. The N2 Designs is affordable and incredibly easy to install. You can buy it here.

Spidertrax Wheel Spacers ($135)

For those who want their Tacoma's to have a wider, more aggressive stance, but can't afford new wheels, wheel spacers are for you. They allow you to keep your stock wheels, but give you a more beefed up look. Die hards think spacers are an idiotic thing to do to your truck, but guess what, many of us have run them for years with zero problems. If you really want a wider stance with your stock wheels, you can't go wrong. You can buy them here.

LED Interior Lights ($14.99)

These days, most of the world is powered by LEDs, so why Toyota didn't equip Tacomas with LEDs all the way around is beyond me. This mod is very easy to complete and gives you more of a daylight look to your lights. You can buy them here.

Premium Audio Upgrade - Tweeters / Front Speakers / Rear Speakers (Less than $250)

Many Tacoma owners complain about their sound system and how their music just sounds awful. I don't necessarily agree, but for those who want an inexpensive way to upgrade your system, this upgrade is for you. Here's the install video. You can buy the tweeters here, the front speakers here and the rear speakers here.

So there you have it. I hope you've been inspired by many of these Toyota Tacoma accessories. Please keep in mind that prices fluctuate daily on Amazon/eBay and the prices represented above are accurate as the day of this posting.

* Please note that some of these links are Amazon affiliate links and we make a small commission if you purchase the product.

Regardless of how you use your Tacoma, trucks were made to carry things. Sometimes you want your stuff covered, or many you just like that sleek design of a covered bed. Either way, there are plenty of options to cover your Taco’s bed. Let’s take a look at some of them.

TONNEAU COVERS

These covers are one of the most common types of covers that you will find on a truck. A tonneau covers are either hard or soft covers designed to protect unoccupied areas of a car, or in our case, the bed of a pickup. There are quite a few types of tonneau covers.

Snap

The most basic cover that you can get is just one piece of material that fits to your bed, and snaps into place. These are great if you’re on a budget. While they generally are not the most durable, they get the job done. The can bed a flexible piece of material that you can fold in any way you like, or they have some type of firmer piece. Those limit how much you can open them, and they basically work best either on or off, not so much in between, but they offer more rigidity.

Pros: inexpensive, easy to install

Cons: lacking rigidity, generally not the easiest to take off/retract when needing full access to your bed

Trifold

This is going to be one of your cheaper options for tonneau covers. They are exactly what they sound like. They are a soft cover that lies over your bed, and to pull it back, it folds into three sections. You can generally pick these up for around $300 to $400. However, there are more expensive ones for closer $1000.

Pros: Inexpensive (sometimes), easy to install, full bed access

Cons: Sometimes inferior quality and fit (on less expensive ones), soft material may cause pooling water

Gator makes a popular tri-fold. It’s basis, yet durable. The lightweight construction makes it easy to fold, but the large locking tabs keep it in place when you want it down. The price is on the lower end too, so it makes it more appealing too. Here is a link to the Gator Tri-Fold, but make sure to get the right size for your truck. BTW - this is what I have and it works great!

Rolling/Revolving

Rolling covers are a good option for a fast retracting option. Like tri-folds, they are easy to install, and are a cost effective option, though you can find more expensive versions. With the nature of whey are, they will be made out of soft material, which could be prone to wear tear. You can get higher prices ones that are made of aluminum, and that could prove to last longer.

Pros: Easy to install, can be inexpensive, full bed access

Cons: Prone to rips if soft 

BAK Industries makes some good stuff. Their covers are durable and highly rated. While their Revolver X4 is a little on the high end when it comes to pricing, it is a good option to choose from if the want easy use and protection.

Retractable

These operate similarly as the rolling ones, but they roll/retract down. These are going to be on the higher priced side, and they take up a bit of bed space in the back. However, they are very fast and easy to retract. Electronic ones exist, and they make things easier, but keep in mind that the more moving and electronic parts you have, the more things can go wrong over time.

Pros: East to retract

Cons: Expensive, take up bad space

Roll-N-Lock is one option of a durable and easy to use retractable cover. It locks well, and it made out of aluminum with vinyl to ensure durability. 

SHELL COVERS

These hard covers are deigned to give you rugged protection. They can also be color matched to your truck to give a nice sleek look. These can either fit flush to the top of your bed, or be raised to meet your roofline. These are generally made out of fiberglass don’t come off to easily. They are more “permanent” or long-term installations.

Camper Shells/Caps

These offer the largest covered area for your bed. They generally match up with your roofline, and are painted to match your truck. They come with windows, and are generally made out of fiberglass. They are great for keeping a large amount of stuff out of the elements. The biggest downside is that you can move cargo in and out through the tailgate. There is no access from the sides. These have a wide range of prices, but generally are on the higher end of the $300 to $1000.

Pros: large amount of surface area, excellent security from the elements, color matched

Cons: only one point of access, not quick to remove, generally more expensive

Flush Shells/Hard Tonneau

While the camper ones meet your roofline, these sit flush, or right above your bed. They can be color matched to your truck, and they really add a sleek and complete look to the back of your truck. While they are durable, they aren’t the most practical if you toss a lot of stuff in your bed. While they generally hinge open to allow more access, then most practical point of entry is the tailgate. These are around the same price as the camper shells, but can cost a little less.

Pros: durable, color match

Cons: limited access 

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

Now, there are outliers to everything. For example, there are covers that really stand out from the rest. Peragon makes a retractable cover that is not only quick to retract, but quick to remove completely should you need the full bed. There are some rolling covers that are soft material, and some that are aluminum. There are expensive versions of each cover listed, and some that are expensive.

It all depends on your budget, and what you want out of it. Do you want t show vehicle, or do you need an off-roading beast? Perhaps you need both. This is a guide I put together for you from one Tacoma owner to another, but it’s just a guide. Find what works for you!

* Please note that some of these links are Amazon affiliate links and we make a small commission if you purchase the product.

Image Credits:

Tri Fold – Courtesy of Gator

Snap – Courtesy of Tonneau Cover World

Rolling – Courtesy of CJ Pony Parts

Retractable – Courtesy of Suspension Connection

Camper Shell – Courtesy of Tom’s Camper Land

Flush Shell – Courtesy of Tom’s Camper Land