A Quick Guide to Putco Side Bed Rails

The typical pickup truck is an extremely practical vehicle, especially when it comes to hauling cargo. However, some people often carry bulky gear that doesn't always fit snugly between the walls of their truck's box. It might be furniture, lawnmowers, motorcycles, or pallets of wood - anything bulky that could be damaged by too much movement from side to side. Most newer pickups are outfitted with cutouts and tie-downs that allow for ropes and chains to be attached, but they are positioned at very fixed locations, and it's not always easy or convenient to use them.

Putco has developed a stylish and utile solution to this problem: a line of side rails which span the length of your truck bed. Made out of chromed stainless steel and available in a variety of designs, these rails are easy to install, are strong, and will look great on your truck.

The rails are easy to install with simple hand tools, and anchor into your truck`s existing tie-down cutouts. There are two curved anchors and a long steel bar, which you join together. Once this is done, simply place the anchors atop the cutouts, and tighten the mounting bar from the top using an Allan key. The rails feature no visible clamps, and there is a rubber gasket which goes between the rail and your pain to prevent scuffing or scratching.

Your basic Putco locker side rails can hold up to 1000 pounds, more than adequate for most hauling jobs, and have a steel tube with a cutout at each anchor end to accommodate more involved tying. For those wanting a heftier look, these can be upgraded to 2.5 inch with an identical design, but these "Boss" railings, as they are called by Putco, can only hold 500 pounds.

If you have a need for more tie-downs, but don't want to clutter up your truck's bed rails, the Putco Pop Up Lockers might be worth a look. They have 4 hidden tie-downs, which are rated at 500 pounds, along that railing that can be 'popped' to use when you need them. Otherwise, the railing maintains a solid appearance, lacking even the openings found at the anchor points on the standard version.

If you don't really need a tie-down but like the look of them anyways, the Putco SSR Locker is a great accessory for you. It adds a lot of shine because of its chrome construction, but won't overwhelm your truck like wheel well flares will, which compete with truck's wheels for visual attention because they're so close together. Adding chrome where none was will give a better effect.

If you find yourself frequently climbing in and out of your truck bed, especially in wet conditions when bed liners or bare steel are extra slippery, you might get a lot of benefit out of adding bed side rails, which make excelling hand grips. They're also useful for leverage when reaching over the side of the truck bed to the cargo floor. Their main disadvantage is that they make it impossible to use a tonneau cover. However, that may not have been an option anyways, if you're used to hauling large gear. Putco side rails are fairly inexpensive, with a going rate of about $200. They're a great way to jazz up your truck's look, and offer a practical edge too.