10 Father's Day Gifts for Pickup Truck Guys

By Ben Stewart

Have a dad who digs trucks as much as you do? Finding the right gift can be a challenge, especially if you've waited to the last minute. But don't stress, we've got you covered, or should we say, the internet has you covered. Here are 10 last-minute cool and unusual gifts for the pickup-loving dad on your list. Order now. 

1. Kodiak Canvas Truck Tent 

There's a good chance that if your dad owns a pickup truck he probably enjoys camping. But sleeping on the ground can be a little too close to nature, and camping trailers can get pricey. A truck tent is the perfect solution. We like the Kodiak canvas tent. It's completely waterproof, strong and has a tall 5-foot ceiling. Best of all, Kodiak says it can be used year-round. Price: $369.99; http://www.kodiakcanvas.com. Manufacturer image

2. The Standard Catalog of American Light-Duty Trucks: Pickups, Panels, Vans, All Models 1896-2000

There are truck books you look at for the artwork, the photography or the story and then there's reference material. The Standard Catalog is perfect if your dad wants to brush up on his pickup history and learn a little bit about some of the stranger work trucks that have come from America's factories. The book shows pricing and year-by-year specs. Yes, we do wish the book could be updated to fix a few errors and include newer vehicles. But it's still a great source. Price: $43. Image from Amazon.com

3. Remote-Control RC4WD Trail Finder 2

Search for remote-control pickup trucks and you'll find a staggering array of cheaply made toys that don't look much like real pickups. That's fine for kids but dads need a cooler rig — one with detail. The Trail Finder 2 is one of the most realistic ones we've ever seen. It's a near duplicate of a modified 1981-83 Toyota pickup right down to the transfer case and axles. Best of all, this is an RC truck that can really four-wheel. The kit takes two to three hours to build according to RC4WD. Price: $399.99; http://store.rc4wd.com. Manufactuer's image

4. Vintage Pickup Truck Sales Brochure

You don't have to spend a lot for a cool Father's Day gift. If your dad is a vintage pickup truck fan, a quick search on eBay will likely pull up the truck of his dreams — in brochure form. In good or even excellent condition, even the most obscure brochure isn't likely to cost more than $20. But dads will love pouring over the trim levels, specs and original photography. These provide more fun-per-buck than just about any gift. Here's a classic Ford truck brochure from 1970 that costs $13.95. Image from ebay.com

5. Optima Digital 1200 12-Volt Battery Charger and Battery Maintainer

You can think of the Optima Digital 1200 as a complete toolbox for all 12-volt batteries, not just Optima's absorbed glass mat batteries. The 1200 can recover batteries that have been deeply discharged as well as charge, condition and maintain flooded batteries. And if pops has a truck that's in deep storage, the Digital 1200 has a battery maintainer port too. There's even a USB charging port for your cellphone. Price: $199.99; http://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/products/charger. Manufacturer's image

6. Grizzly 16 Cooler

Everyone has a cooler or two in the garage. And it's likely that your dad has some gnarly beast of a cooler that's probably missing a hinge and might smell a lot like his last fishing trip. Upgrade with one of these nearly indestructible Grizzly coolers. These coolers can handle extreme duty and feature super strong hinges. The latches, as one might expect, are certified bear resistant (yes that's a real thing), so they are excellent coolers for camping. These tough coolers aren't cheap, but they should last decades longer than the traditional light-duty ones. The Grizzly 16 can hold 20 12-ounce cans. Price: $179; http://www.grizzlycoolers.com. Manufacturer's image

7. Pickup Truck T-Shirt

The right T-shirt will almost certainly find a permanent position in any dad's clothing rotation. And CafePress has a huge variety of cool truck shirts. It's hard to find a shirt that embraces our love of all things diesel, but this one sums it up. This Duramax shirt is available in 11 colors and sizes small to 3X large tall. The company also sells a similar shirt for Cummins and Power Stroke fans. Price: starts at $34.99; http://www.cafepress.com. Manufacturer's image

8. "The Fall Guy": Season 1

For dads of a certain age, there was no cooler pickup truck on TV in the 1980s (OK, maybe it's tied with the Macho Power Wagon in "Simon & Simon") than the lifted GMC long bed in "The Fall Guy." This brown beast was jumped in just about every episode with Colt Seavers (Lee Majors) behind the wheel — so there was always something cool to see. Of course the series, which ran from 1981-1986, also starred Heather Thomas. So that made it easy to watch too. If you need a five-minute refresher as to why this show was so great, take a look at this compilation of just about every "Fall Guy" jump there was. Price: in the $20 range. Image from Walmart.com

9. Bully Adjustable Hitch Step

Climbing in and out of a pickup truck bed all day can be tiresome. And not every truck has a built-in step. An easy and inexpensive way to help your dad load and unload the family truck is the Bully Adjustable Hitch Step. The step slides into the receiver hitch and can rotate 180 degrees under the truck — so it's out of the way. Smart. And of course it can be completely removed and used on other vehicles, including the family SUV. Price: $63.45 at numerous online vendors. Manufacturer's image

10. Leatherman Micra 30th Anniversary Multitool

Leatherman Multitools are some of the most useful devices a dad can have in his toolbox. But sometimes it's easier and more convenient to have a smaller version around. The Micra has 10 tools including a knife, screwdrivers (in regular, medium and extra small) and scissors. The Micra is only 2.5 inches long, so it can fit right on the truck's keychain. Price: $35; http://www.leatherman.com/multi-tools. Manufacturer's image

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