Do trucks look better with running boards?
Buying a truck is the ultimate dream for anyone. But people don’t stop by just buying a truck. They go for eventual modifications in their trucks.
Some get grill guards fixed at the front of the truck and fix lights on them. Some get running boards fixed to give a better look and help them to get inside and get off the truck.
Here we will discuss if trucks look better with running boards or not. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having running boards on the truck?
Also we will talk about different types of running boards available in the market
Do trucks look better with running boards?
This is an individual choice if owner likes running board on their truck. However, we can discuss in detail the pros and cons of having a running board on pickup truck.
Running board is attached to the bottom of a vehicle, usually at the foot of the door. They are used to help people enter and exit a higher vehicle.
History tells us that running boards were first used to provide better footing into and out of the vehicles because in older times the vintage cars had a higher ground clearance than modern cars.
As new models started arriving in the market with further modifications, the ground clearance was lower, and so the running boards were no more required for small vehicles.
But people buying and using trucks mostly purchased a pair of running boards as well.
Running board gives a complete look to your truck. It helps those people who are short in height. So you don’t need a ladder to climb your truck, but get a running board fixed on your truck.
Running boards come in different styles and different sizes. They come in various materials like plastic, rubber, fiberglass, and diamond-plate steel.
Now will have enough information about running boards, and then you can decide if you want to have it or not for your truck.
Benefits of running board on truck
Step up for short heightened passengers: Running boards nowadays are usually fixed in taller SUV’s and trucks. They benefit those who have short height like children and older people who find it difficult to get inside the truck or SUV.
For many people getting inside a truck is like climbing a mountain, if it does not have a running board.
Protection from debris and road chips hitting your truck: The wheels of a moving truck kick all kinds of waste such as rocks, gravel, and more.
If you have a running board, it will block some of the debris in such a way that the debris will not fly high enough to scratch the body and side panels of the truck.
Although, mud flaps help similarly, some drivers feel comfortable having running board fixed in their vehicles.
Protection of Interior from outside dirt: Running board helps to protect the interior of the truck. If you are off-roading or going hiking, you often get dust on your shoes. While getting inside the truck, you can wipe off your shoes and then get inside. This way, you can clean your shoes, and your Interior remains protected.
Running boards give a great look: The running boards are stylish and give a great look to your truck. They come in different colors, materials, and even tread patterns.
They also come with LED light fittings. You can customize it on your own and order it as per your requirement.
Disadvantages of the running boards
Running boards get dirty and full of snow in the winter: For the average truck driver is not a very big deal. But for some drivers when they see the dirt and snow on their running board, they get irritated and don’t like it.
They feel that the entire vehicle gives a bad look if their running board is dirty. In comparison, the benefit of it is that the dirt does not enter inside the truck and stays at the running board, which can be clean easily.
Ground clearance is affected: For some, the ground clearance of their truck is affected. But it is not a big issue for others. As most of the drivers who fix the running boards go off-roading and they already lift their truck. But the drivers who drive the truck in the city feel that it is affecting their ground clearance.
An extra item to be maintained: The running board is an expensive accessory to buy and it is not very easy to maintain. Especially, if it is dirt it can give injury to you while getting in and out of the truck.
5 Best running board for truck
Tac3 Black Nerf Bars Side Steps: Nerf Bars are round tube- steps. Nerf bars were designed to keep wheels from tangling. People say that the term Nerf bars originated from small bump among the vehicles while racing.
Instead of piling up between the step and the door, the snow and other articles are allowed to fall on it because of its design, which is open from the base of the truck.
Off-Road 6.5” Side Armor Aluminum Running Boards: They have a square tube design, slotted step pads, and powder-coated black finish. These running boards have an aggressive off-road look.
This particular running board has been designed in such a way that it performs like a rock slider.
It protects truck’s rocker panels and door bottoms from getting bashed on rocks when sometimes the driver miscalculates the off-road driving line.
The dirt and its remains can fall easily through the vacant space provided by these running boards.
iBoard 304 Stainless Steel Black Running Boards: These running boards have a more practical use and are less stylish. The design is exceptional when compared to other running boards because of its flat profile.
These steps provide a perfect foot space; because of the foot space the driver can launch himself into their truck quickly.
It has a ridged rubber top, which provides you with a reliable and non-slippery surface.
Due to which you can comfortably stand on the top, whereas the running boards with the metal top are slippery and you can slip while standing on them.
The manufacturer tells us that it is made from 304-grade stainless steel and comes with heavy-duty brackets.
AMP Research Power step XL: These running boards once used to be the domain of high-spec pickup trucks. But now they are available quite freely in the market, and now you can find them in the accessory list.
They are expensive, and fixing them is not that simple. Well, there is a reason for them to be expensive. They have LED lights fixed on its surface.
The reviews are not so great, as everyone does not purchase this costly product.
It is more of a luxurious product than for rough use. If you have a luxurious truck and you just drive around the city, then this product is designed for you.
APS Running iBoard Running Board 5 Custom Fit: The design is very much like blackboards. The quality is the same, but the only difference is that it has a chrome- strip, which gives it a styling knack.
A 5-inch ridged rubber pad covers the running board. It gives a slip-proof, secure, and easy step for your feet.
On both ends of the running board, there are no plastic caps. The running boards which don’t have caps allow the dirt or fragments tossed from the front tire that enters the hollow board. As a result, there is rust both inside out.
The availability of these running boards is usually in three different sizes or width. They are available in 4, 5, and 6 inches.
Conclusion:
Well, it is up to an individuals’ choice that you like running board on your truck or not. But it is an essential accessory for truck users especially, people who go off-roading.
The running board protects your vehicle from dirt getting inside the truck. It protects the truck body from debris, and it helps in preventing scratch on the body.
They get dirty during off-roading and in snowy weather. It lowers the ground clearance and is an expensive accessory to maintain.
If you buy a truck or own it already then it is an essential accessory.
So if you want to get a suggestion by me, I will say that trucks look better with running board.
If you are spending thousands of dollars on buying a truck, then you can spend a few hundred more to buy running boards to make your truck look better.
