Three Reasons to put Mud Flaps on a 2018 Ram 1500

It is an age old question. Do you like the looks of mud flaps on a pickup truck? An owner of a 2018 Ram 1500 is asking what others think and they gave him several reasons to buy them.

Sar, from the East Coast, is looking for some input from people who love the 2018 Ram 1500. “I figured I would throw this out to the forum. I'm debating on getting flaps for my 2018 Ram 1500 black out edition. I tried finding pics online to see the truck with them on but have not had any luck. The cost for OEM is $116 through my dealer plus the pain in the a@# of taking off my wheels to do this lol. So just wondering if you guys or gals think it’s worth it?”

Quiet is the first person to respond and he believes that they will help keep the truck cleaner. “They will definitely help but I don't think they will stop everything. I would look on ebay, and craigslist and see if you can find a set of them used.”

Protect Paint from Chipping

Clark, from Indiana, points out that mud flaps will protect the paint on his new ride from chipping. “My Husky mud flaps (price matched by Nick@GotExhaust) arrived yesterday. I have to drive on gravel roads so it's definitely worth it to me. I would think they would help keep your dark truck cleaner too.”

BW doesn’t like the look of the mud flaps but admits that they are a necessity, plus he says that they save money in the long run. “Looks better without them in my opinion, but they keep the paint in better shape and cleaner longer so, Worth it in my opinion. I should have put them on my old truck. Would have saved me a lot of work fixing chips and paint worn off the flares and front edge of the box.”

BT has a pristine white truck. He agrees that they save money. “I got my Husky Mud Guards for a great deal of like 50 bucks for all 4. I think they have paid for themselves. I like the look of them, couldn’t see my truck without them. Oh and those install without taking anything off the truck.”

Newbie says they are hardly noticeable on his 2017 Laramie. “I've got the weather Tech ones on mine, fit good and simple to put on, maybe 15/20 minutes for the set. I don't have fender flares so if you do, you'd have to check fitment. I know there were several questions as far as running boards/ no running boards, flares/ no flares. I have no complaints with mine, they look like they're supposed to be there.”

Easy to Install

Buddy agrees, “I also went with the Weathertech flaps - no drill. I do think the trucks look way better without mud flaps, but I also think they look worse with stone chips. So because I want my paint to stay as good as I can get it, it was mud flaps for me. I liked Weathertech because they are no drill and not too big, kinda don't even notice them now.”

Wiler says they are very easy to install. “Put husky molded flaps on my 13, took 2 minutes to install each and looks fine, the subtle difference in look makes up for the spray thrown all over side and back of truck and paid around $50 for all 4 and fit was perfect.”

Beauty adds, “Agree! Yea forgot to mention that they fit nicely, easy to install with no drilling and they’re molded to fit my factory flares so I’m very pleased with them.”

A couple of owners warn Sar to be careful of the Ram factory mud flaps because they can rub the paint on the truck. “I'll second the paint damage from factory flaps. They rubbed clear through to bare metal very quickly, glad I don't have that truck anymore. The ones that sit flat on the wheel well liner are the only way to go.” Good to know.

Banana is a true believer in mud flaps for every vehicle. “I put factory molded splash guards on EVERY vehicle. They don't stop everything but they make a HUGE difference in the amount crap and chips on your rockers and rear quarters.”

Camren says they definitely protect the truck from rock chips. “We have 4 Ram trucks; every one of them have mudflaps. We had a big problem a while back with stone chips on the bottom of our Reg Cab 6.5' box, after aprox 5 months of ownership there were 20-30 chips on the bottom of the rockers on each side from stones. After putting on mudflaps there were only a couple here and there once in a while. Definitely worth the investment. Plus you don't have to remove the tires to put them on, just crank the wheels side to side.”

Fishing, from North Carolina, pretty much sums up the reasons to get mud flaps. “Good advice. This is exactly why I put them on the truck even though I am not a fan lol. My last truck had damage to the clear coat and chips. Almost looked like someone sandblasted the clearcoat. I always recommend husky liner molded. Can be painted (which I did), minimal contact with the painted areas and they come with clear film to protect the paint where the contact is. Worth every penny.”

So, if you want your truck to stay cleaner, protect your paint from rock chips and save money on repairs in the long run, it is probably a great idea to put on mud flaps.