Mud flaps for a pickup truck or sports utility vehicle offer a practical solution to keep clear of dirt, rocks, splashes, and still to appear in great condition. A heavy-rubber mat comes designed to protect a trucks side against loose rocks or chips, while also being effective as a splashguard to keep free of mud or tar.

Splashguards often come in heavy-duty materials, such as formulated PVC, high-impact rubber, and thermoflex to fit most makes and models of pickups, sports utility vehicles, vans, and trucks. Beside the resilient plastics, mud flaps also come in a powder coated aluminum for a distinctive appearance.

A large to standard-sized mud guard measures in the region of 15 to 34-inches in length, while a mud flap with reinforced backing is able to endure the most challenging of conditions, and often equipped to cope in sub-zero or extreme heat conditions with no discoloring, splitting, or cracking.

A PVC or heavy-duty plastic mud flap often comes in a standard black or dark gray finish, although some are paintable for a custom or individual appearance. A mudguard can also feature a variety of motifs or designs, such as logos or cartoon characters.

WeatherTech, Cruiser Accessories, Husky Liner, Dee Zee, and PlastiColor all offer a collection of splashguards to fit most pickups and sports utility vehicles, include those models from Nissan, Jeep, Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota.

Mud flaps often come designed to facilitate ease in mounting with all hardware included for home or workshop installation. On some of the mudguard systems, a minimal amount of drilling is a necessity. A complete splashguard system might only be required when towing a trailer – at other times its taken off to maintain the stylish nature of the pickup.

All in all, a quality set of mud flaps are perfect to avoid the build up of dirt on the side of a van, SUV, or pickup, and that means less body damage, rust, or scratches with a sufficient-sized mudguard system.

Sam Greenfield writes articles, reviews, and products reports on a variety of topics, including those on the heavy-duty Truck Splashguards and the multitude of Sew On Appliques.