I am not a pickup truck kind of a guy. I prefer really small cars. Even Joulee the Free Salvage Tesla is a bit too big for me. When we moved to the island, though, we knew we needed a pickup truck — HA likes pickup trucks — and Rob (from whom we bought the house) offered us a good deal on his truck. We bought it, but it’s a Nissan Titan XD. It’s big. I’m slowly getting used to driving it, but Timmy the Titan is big.
Not being a truck guy, I had only the occasional experience with securing things in the bed. Now, particularly since we have to haul our own trash, I’m frequently having to secure loads. There’s even a local ordinance requiring all loads to be covered with a hefty fine for violations.
I tried using tarps. I’m good with ropes and knots, but Timmy is so high that I (even at 6’3”) have to stand on the running board and lean over to thread the ropes and tie the knots. It’s uncomfortable and particularly tricky when parked on slopes. Then there’s also the tendency of the tarps to come out from under the ropes and flap in the breeze damaging the tarp and risking loss of the tarp or load.
I recently discovered elastic cargo nets, such as the one above shown attached to the front of the bed and the racks. We can leave it in the bed all the time, clipped to the front of the bed and ready for a load. Once we’ve loaded, we unclip the front and pull the net to the back and clip it on there. I can just reach the clips without having to climb. The net seems to hold just about everything in place (were I transporting dirt or sand, I’d probably need to interpose a tarp between the load and the net). It stretches enough now (time will tell if this lasts) that it will snug a small load but accommodate a large one. It’s a game changer.
I suppose, were I a truck guy, I would have known about cargo nets. It’s great! If you’re a pickup truck newcomer and need to haul, I’d recommend a stretchy cargo net.
—2p