What do you wish your truck had?
What does it have already that you can't live without?
What have you added that should have been factory?

I know for me decent cupholders that hold larger containers and don't spill and are out of the way of the shifter is the #1 priority. Seats that recline so I'm not sitting straight up are very important for comfort. Also a multifunction switch is nearly required, I dislike the separate dash controls for lights and wipers.

 

- A good stereo that can read a modern MP3-MP4 devices and maybe DVD or even Blu Ray.
- Working A/C, I have no need for heating, but some might like it.
- Proper cupholders.
- A 11m radio.
- A GPS.
- Good, comfortable and supporting seats.

I really wish there were some real gauges for oil pressure, ATF and coolant temperature.

 

I know for single cab trucks, at least in half ton, only the eddie bauer trucks came with a split bench with the fold down middle seat. I enjoy it, because I have the seat when I need it, and when I don't I have an arm rest, center console, and cup holders. The only bad thing is the cup holders are very shallow, so if I brake hard and have a big drink, it will topple over easily.

 

The only real 'MUST-have' items for me is AC and something to rest your right arm on.

I've owned 3 bricknoses ranging from a bare-bones Custom to a nearly 'decked out' XLT Lariat Supercab (current truck). I've had manual door locks and windows and didn't find that to be too much a of a nuisance, though I will admit power windows are quite nice on the current truck since I really like to listen to the exhaust note (passenger side) when the windows are down. Tilt is another thing I've had and could care less about.

But the first truck had no AC, and that was BRUTAL in the hotter months. You can open every window on the truck, but more hot air does NOT equal COOLER air. As for the armrest, all my trucks have been stick (by choice) and it's really odd not to have something to let your arm lay on when you're not shifting. I always found myself bracing awkwardly on LH corners, too. My solution for the first and current trucks was to buy a nice universal armrest/cupholder doohickey from the auto parts store. They typically run about $40, but they work GREAT and the cupholders will handle most cup sizes just fine, plus a little extra storage never hurt. I intentionally don't strap them in so they can be quickly moved to allow the seat to fold. The second truck was a std cab with the flip-down center section, so no issues there.

Mike

 

What do you wish your truck had? Cup holders, head rest, more head and leg room (I'm 6'1'', no matter how I set in the truck ether my head or my knees are going to hit something.), seat warmers, A working A/C, speaker mounts in the back, heavier duty alt, and not have aerodynamics of a ****ing brick....
What does it have already, that you can't live without? I have a xlt lariat, so I have the power windows, p locks, speed control and auto trans. All of which are neat to have and when the truck was newer I enjoyed having, but as it has aged I have found I would much rather have crank windows, and manual locks. The auto trans is really nice to have for town driving, and the speed control is nice to have on long drives. But when I want to have fun, or use the truck as a truck; I wish it had the heavy duty 5 speed.
What have you added that should have been factory? I really haven't added anything to the truck yet, but do plan on upgrading some things like the alt, stereo, and seat.

 

Vent windows, why these ain't offered anymore I have no idea but I sure do love them and is part of the reason I refused to buy a truck newer than 96 (97 if 3/4 ton or heavier) when I went looking last time.

Rubber floor covering: looks good, cleans up easy, will never get to smelling bad no matter what gets spilled on it.

Comfy seats: can't stand sitting straight up... I don't lean way back like a teenager but leaning the seat back a bit makes my back feel better.

Modern stereo: I don't own any CD's or tapes... so I replaced the factory stereo with one that can read a USB stick. Easy to add new songs as I get them, and share with friends.

Room for improvement: I love how there's plenty of space to install new equipment such as radios, controls, displays, etc.

A/C and heat: I don't use my a/c often but when I do I'm glad to have it. Most of the time I use it, it's purely to take the humidity out of it while defogging the windshield. Heat is nice to have too, during the few months it's cold round here.

Power windows: nice to have for convenience. Not having to reach across the cab to roll a window up/down is great, since it can be raining where I'm driving and a mile down the road the sun is shining...

What I don't like: auto trans, electric shift 4x4. The electric 4x4 is gone, but the auto trans... that will have to wait til the current trans dies. Which I hope won't be for a while, no reason it shouldn't last... to me, the only time an auto is good is in traffic, which I only see once in a while on the highway usually.

 

As for me, I'm a storage nutjob. I added 1987-1991 Map Pockets, and looking at putting my bucket seats back in.

 

Working speedometer that don't dance around, arm rest with a place to conceal a 9mm, stereo system with some low bass thump to get a fuller sound, tint is a must, and working done light in the cab...pretty much things I don't have off my "to-do" list!
Oh one more: comfy seat that doesn't have a spring digging to infinity and beyond

 

What do you wish your truck had?

Tinted rear windows from the factory. RI tint law is basically "no tint unless it came factory". I'm going to attempt working around this by tinting the rear window, and rear door windows, and see if anyone notices.

What does it have already that you can't live without?

AC, automatic trans, Bluetooth radio along with the rest of the sound system, four full size doors, 4wd.

What have you added that should have been factory?

38 gallon fuel tank.

 

Great comments, keep them coming. Hopefully guys will see something they overlooked that would be useful.

You guys made me remember another one, some kind of locking theft resistant storage is a good idea for those with concealed weapons or valuables that must be left behind.

 

I need to have the vent windows(or "wings" as we call them)
A good stereo system with an aux input
heat, I have not had AC for 3 yrs now, and I never once thought, "Man, I wish my AC worked"
comfortable seats
better cup holders would be nice

 

I've pretty much got my truck the way I want it.

I wish it came with/I added: Bucket seats or captains chairs; at least 1 cup holder

What it already had: A tachometer (I believe everything should have one); vent
windows; easily replaceable stereo; non power windows and non power locks (ultimate in reliability)

What shouldn't be there: dual tank set up could have been one 38 gallon rear tank. The dual tank issues are absolutely endless.

 

The two best interior up grades I've ever had in a truck are a killer stereo and the best seats money can by. I drive a lot of highway miles pulling a trailer and the seats are a MUST HAVE! These are in my super duty. I have a set just like it coming for my OBS.

If you're going to do any work in a PSD, Performance gauges make me feel a lot better about monitoring how hard I'm pushing it.

TV/DVD and a fold down bed in the back is pretty nice if you have to sleep in the rest areas.

I put in floor lights by the center console so that I could have light in the cab at night without the glare on the windows. It's amazing what a little light in the cab will do to keep you alert and awake at night on those long trips.

This may sound a little crazy but I really like having a CB when I'm traveling. It's saved me a lot of time missing traffic jams on the interstate.

If you're pulling a trailer an engine brake makes it a ton easier to drive in traffic and on curvy roads.

 

I've got the XLT package, so mines pretty decked out. I've got A/C, tinted back windows, tinted rear slider, split front bench, AM/FM/CD, power windows, power locks, cruise, manual shift 4wd, auto hubs, etc.

I wish the cupholders were deeper. Having stuff tip over or go flying is annoying. I also wish I had larger (towing) mirrors like the Superdutys. Heated seats would be nice in winter (my WRX has em and they rock!), along with a sunroof option.

Overall it has everything I need and nothing I dont.

 

I think it's kind of pointless to ask "what should have been available from the factory"- when these trucks were new they pretty much had everything available that was current technology at the time.

Things I'd like to see available would be a true HID headlight system with the correct lenses and reflectors. Sequential fuel injection would be nice instead of the 'batch fire' system. A solid axle, coil spring front suspension would have been great

How about real factory rust repair/replacement parts available instead of the LMC crap that we are offered?

I sort of the like the Neanderthal, knuckle dragging personality of my F250- it's a truck. It rides like an ox cart and handles like a freight train locomotive ( and pollutes just about as bad ) It doesn't make any excuses, it just works hard, makes lots of nasty noises and gets the job done. It starts 80% of the time I turn the key and gets me home 90% of the time.

I have a cloth bench seat to sit my fat **** on, I have ice cold A/C that works better than the system in my '12 Mazda 3, I have STEEL bumpers that crush everything that cuts me off on the road. I can toss a ton of material in the bed and the back of the truck barely squats and the brakes work as good as they do when the bed is empty. It's a TRUCK.