A Quick Guide to Putco Side Bed Rails

by: JasonLancaster
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Pickup trucks are typically very practical vehicles, especially for hauling cargo. However, some drivers often need to carry bulkier gear like furniture, motorcycles, or pallets of wood, which don't fit snugly within the walls of the truck's box. These items could possibly be damaged by too much side-to-side movements. Newer pickups are often fitted with cut-outs and tie-downs which ropes and chains can attach to, but these are usually at very fixed locations, and aren't always easy or convenient to access.

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 designed to anchor into your truck's current tie-down cutouts, and they can easily be installed with simple hand tools. There are three main pieces - the two curved anchors and the long steel bar. Once these parts have been joined together, you simply place the anchors on top of the cutouts, and then use an Allan key to tighten the mounting bar from the top. There are no visible clamps, and a rubber gasket goes between the rail and your paint to make sure there is no scuffing or scratching.

The basic Putco locker side rails have a simple steel tube which has a cutout at each anchor end for more involved tying. They can hold up to 1000 pounds, which is more than enough for most hauling. You can also upgrade to 2.5 inch tubing with the same design if you feel you need a heftier look, but these 'Boss' railings, as Putco calls them, only hold 500 pounds.

Putco's Pop Up Lockers are a great option if you need to have more tie-downs, but don't want to clutter your truck's bed rails. These lockers have 4 hidden tie-downs rated at 500 pounds along the railing, which can be "popped" up to use, but otherwise appears solid, without the openings at the anchor points like on the standard version.

For those looking to only enhance the appearance of their truck bed without necessarily needing the option of a tie down, the Putco SSR Locker fits the bill. It's a good chrome accessory because it adds a lot of shine without competing with the rest of your truck. Chrome wheel well flares, for instance, usually compete with your truck's wheels because they're so close together. By adding chrome parts where nothing existed before, the eye tends to treat them a little better.

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.

About the Author

The author Jason Lancaster operates TundraHeadquarters.com, a website with info, news, and reviews of Toyota Tundra parts and Tundra accessories.  

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