When it comes to safely hauling longer loads that normal, a Bed Extender can often save the day and even help prevent accidents or loads from shifting or falling out of your truck bed. The first brand that comes to mind when we think about Bed Extenders is AMP Research. AMP offers three different styles of very versatile extenders, including the BedXtender HD Max, HD Sport, and HD Moto. Each has its own specialized function, and likely the first version most truck owners are going to want to consider is the HD Max. This product adds 2 feet worth of useable storage / hauling length to the end of your bed. The Sport and Moto versions also add length, but both are designed to haul motorized two wheel vehicles in your truck bed specifically (Sport for dirt bike sized bikes, Moto for motorcycle sized bikes). All these products work simply enough. When you install the HD Max on your truck bed, it will be capable of flipping or folding out over the top of your tailgate when your tailgate is in the down position. Once extended, the Max encircles this area in a stretched out “U” shape with rounded corners. This product virtually adds 2 feet onto the end of your pickup bed, transforming a 6 foot bed into an 8 foot, a 5 into a 7 foot for the purposes of hauling longer and larger loads. And that’s just the initial use of this great product. Let’s get into some of the additional cool features of this great bed extender product.
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No time to read this whole article? Just want the quick and dirty dets? “Too long; didn’t read” your fav acronym? Don’t worry. We hear ya. Here’s our Midwest Aftermarket Bullet Point Breakdown of the AMP Research BedXtender HD Max:
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One of the biggest decisions truck owners face before they even buy their first truck has to do with bed size. Back in the day, you had a little less of an option than you do now. But with all the different advanced features today, you might even feel overwhelmed. And of all the options and features that need to be considered, few are bigger than cab size and bed size configurations. The old school standard cab size, the two door with bench seat of yester year, has almost become impossible to find without making a specific search or request to your dealer. And with less standard cabs sold, that means less 8 foot beds on the road that aren’t dedicated work trucks.
So most of us are left with the options of Crew cabs / four door cabs and standard or short beds. The short bed tends to be roughly a foot shorter than the standard, which is typically around 6 to 6 and a half feet long.
While truck beds have gotten shorter over the years, equipment, tools, and supplies such as lumber, have not gotten any shorter.
So we are left with a conundrum. How do we haul 8 foot lumber or an 8 foot ladder in a standard sized bed and do so safely without fear that something might slide out the back of your tailgate?
The quick answer is tie downs and straps, bungie cords and twine. And while those products do work, it can become a hassle to have to strap down all your gear each and every time you head out. Furthermore, straps break, wear out, get lost. I can’t tell you how often I was sure I had a strap with a hook in my cab only to find someone had borrowed it or it just disappeared on me.
Now I’m left either taking a risk driving home with that lumber or plywood just free balling in the back of my open truck bed or just heading back into the hardware store to buy yet another set of straps and hooks.
I’m not saying straps aren’t useful, but they can be a pain, and if you’re like me and you lose stuff all the time, then this is probably a regular issue.
One possible solution is to pickup an AMP Research BedXtender, like the HD Max. First, once you install the HD Max, it bolts right on near your tailgate. It folds up and into the bed when you need to close your tailgate, and it is designed to fold out and sit on your tailgate when you need to extend your bed.
The first obvious benefit here is that this baby is always there when you need it. You won’t loan it out to someone or have it fall off or come loose in transit like a bungie cord could. Seriously, how many bungie cords have you lost? I can only imagine.
Instead, it is bolted to your truck, so whenever you need to extend your bed, you just fold it out and BAM you’re ready to roll.
Secondly, this BedXtender is designed to work under most tonneau covers. For some covers with larger side rails that extend into the bed, you may need a Spacer Kit to make this product fit properly.
The ability to have this Extender hidden beneath your tonneau cover just adds even more versatility to the product. And when it is folded up into the truck bed, that doesn’t mean it isn’t usable or is just stored away inside your bed.
No, the BedXtender has a secondary use or function here too. This product acts as a cargo gate or multi-level cargo bar to help keep items near your tailgate. What I love about this product in particular is that the nylon uprights double as a hook to hang your shopping bags or totes on.
While I love driving my truck, my kid and I head out on the town nearly every weekend in the truck, and one of our frequent stops is at the grocery store. I used to have an old school, tension cargo bar that ran from one side of the truck bed to the other.
But I would find myself having to build a little wall in front of the bar to help keep the rest of my groceries at the tailgate so they wouldn’t roll all around my truck bed while in transit. When I had a case or two of soda or beer, this wasn’t that big of a deal. I would throw the case up against the cargo bar and build a mini wall to keep my other items behind it.
I could do the same with milk or any big box.
However, sometimes, not every time, because I’m decent at cargo tetris, but sometimes, I would find that items would slip through the cracks and end up near the front of my truck bed anyway.
And even if my groceries stayed at the tailgate, my bags would often fall over and dump out. Nothing like dealing with all your groceries getting rebagged at your tailgate when you get home while you’re holding a screaming 2 year old.
This is just one of the ways that the BedXtender made my life easier. Now I can just loop my plastic bags and totes over the nylon uprights, and the bags stay in place the whole ride home. No more rebagging my groceries for me. Loading and unloading groceries just got a whole hell of a lot easier for me.
And again, this is just one additional function of the AMP Research BedXtender HD Max. Changed my world in more than one way, by saving time and making hauling easier and more secure. Get your BedXtender HD Max today!
The installation process is super simple as well and for most cases it is a no drill install. You attach the hinge receivers to the truck bed near the tailgate. The install sheet will show you exactly how high up and how to attach them.
Next you attach the rails to the hinge ends so that you have two “J” shaped sections with three rails each. Next the BedXtender HD Max rails are inserted through the nylon uprights and into the other half of each rail--three rails total. This design allows you to manually adjust the width of your BedXtender to match your truck width perfectly. Once inserted and adjusted to the proper width, you tighten down both uprights to lock in the position of the rails.
Then you attach the straps in the right place for your make / model by folding the Xtender out over the tailgate. And at that point, you’re pretty much done.
Of course, you should follow the installation instructions found in the box, but we give you this example of how it went for us during an install just to let you know how easy it really is. This is definitely a DIY install.
When you’re ready to order your AMP Research BedXtender HD Max, we hope you’ll get yours from us here at Midwest Aftermarket. We only promote products we believe in and sell them at the lowest prices, shipping quickly to you for free if you’re in the lower 48 states. We have an excellent return policy and strive to get you the right product in perfect condition the first time.
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