Summer is the time of year where people are more active. Grilling competitions come out of hibernation, as do regional car shows. It’s the time to celebrate the 4th of July with parades, as well as a time for people who enjoy water sports. They are days where we are grateful for the air conditioner working properly. But, not everybody can get to a lake or a beach to cool off on sticky, uncomfortable days. That’s where pickup truck pools come in. 

You can’t say you haven’t seen it. Inevitably, there is someone in the neighborhood, or someone in the family that has thrown a tarp in their pickup bed, secured it in place with bungee cords, ropes, or tape, and then filled the back of the bed with water. If you haven’t seen it personally, then maybe you saw somebody goofing off this way on Youtube. 

Not a new idea

It is great fun, sitting in the bed of a pickup truck, sipping your favorite beverage as whatever picnic, or drive-in movie goes on around you. Or, perhaps it was just something thrown together for the toddlers to play in at the campsite. Whatever the reason, whatever the location, pickup truck bed pools have been around for a long time, as have videos of people being silly in them, or worse, trying to drive with the bed full of water and people.

Well, apparently, there is enough of a market for pickup truck bed pools that somebody has gone out and actually made a product out of it. That’s right. Somebody has taken the trouble to perfect such a pool. No more dealing with leaky tarps, dangerous bungees, or ropes that can scratch the paint finish on the bedsides. 

The Shark Tank debut

Want a tailgating party wherever you are? A company called Pick-up Pools, went on the popular show, Shark Tank, a few years ago and pitched the idea of the pool liners to potential investors. Mark Cuban was one of those investors that decided to buy-in. In the early days, they could not make them fast enough. Today, the company is still out there, selling their elastic liner product along with competition from other companies that have also invaded the truck pool space.

The dangerous side of the pool

It is not all fun and games, though. There are drawbacks to pickup bed pools. First, you do not want to drive around with them filled up. The water will slosh around, and people in the bed at the time will too easily slide around instead of being secure. Additionally, driving with people in the bed of a pickup is illegal in many states regardless of the presence of water. Oh, and water is heavy. A pickup truck could easily be overloaded when filled with water. A full pool could be especially damaging to suspension components. 

Summertime is fun-time for many people, for many reasons. For those that love water-related activities with their Summer, the fun might be enhanced with a pickup truck bed pool. If you’re thinking about it, be safe, and don’t forget to consider water weight on your suspension. Somebody pass me the pool noodle.