Trunk-or-Treat Ideas for Trucks

There are plenty of interesting ways to decorate the bed of a pickup truck for this Halloween event.

Greg Fitzgerald | 

Sep 30, 2025 | 3 min read

Ford

If you want to create a memorable trunk-or-treat setup, you may have an advantage if you drive a pickup truck, even though it technically doesn't have a trunk. Using the truck bed, you can build the ultimate trunk-or-treat experience. And if you have an electric truck with a front trunk, you can put a fresh spin on trunk-or-treat by making it a frunk-or-treat night.

Use Onboard Power for Effects

Many newer pickups offer AC power outlets in their rear cargo beds, which creates a lot of possibilities for adding household decorations to your trunk-or-treat setup. You could use the outlet to add Halloween-themed decorative lights, power some eerie electronic decorations, get a fog machine going, or blow up front yard-style inflatables.

Just be careful not to use anything that draws too much power, which could drain your truck's battery. Consider bringing jumper cables along, just in case, and keep the vehicle running in accessory mode.

If you have a vehicle with a built-in generator, like a Ford F-150 with the Pro Power Onboard system, you may be able to run more effects simultaneously — such as atmospheric lighting, scary music, and a fog machine — without draining your truck's starter battery.

It's not only gas-powered pickup trucks that are good for trunk-or-treating: An electric Ford F-150 Lightning, for example, could be decorated using both the truck bed and the frunk for a full-vehicle Halloween sight.

Utilize Multifunction Tailgates

Some trucks offer multifunction tailgates that provide a fold-down step to make climbing into the truck bed easier. The Chevrolet Silverado's Multi-Flex Tailgate, the GMC Sierra's MultiPro Tailgate, and the Ford F-150's available built-in tailgate step all create a place to put a candy bowl lower to the ground so little ones can get to the Halloween treats more easily.

Go Tall With Your Decor

Unlike those who organize their trunk-or-treat out of a car, crossover, or SUV, the sky's the limit for how tall you can build out your pickup truck's bed display. So go all the way: Fill your pickup bed with life-size skeleton models and pile up the jack-o'-lanterns. You could also use the open tailgate to create a multitiered display using the truck bed and the ground.

Get Messy and Have Fun

Another benefit to doing trunk-or-treat with a pickup? A hose-out display area means you can get messier than somebody decorating an enclosed trunk. If you know cleanup won't be an issue, you can get out that fake blood and spray it everywhere. Or stack up hay bales without worrying about your back seat smelling like a horse barn. Go ahead and toss the candy corn around for the seasonal vibes without worrying about it getting ground into the carpet.

You can hose out your bed liner as soon as you get home.

Greg Fitzgerald

Greg Fitzgerald is a New Jersey-based writer, photographer, adventurer, historian, and Land Rover enthusiast. When he's not writing about travel or cars, he's probably getting away from it all in the wilderness.