Which Accessories to buy?

I have a 20% off coupon from my dealership that is burning a hole in my pocket. I have yet to buy any accessories for my 2007 Nimbus Gray RTL (w/o Nav) but I am thinking running boards, roof rack, bed extender, and maybe even the Honda tonneau cover. The wife said "go for it", so any thoughts on how to take advantage of this discount? I would appreciate photo examples if you have them.

Thanks!

Before you do that, check the ROC sponsored forum, they have great prices and may be even better than the 20% off. Or you could get those prices, print them out and see if your dealership will match them and still give you 20% off after that.

None of the oem accessories have really interested me that much, so can't help. Very little fog here, after market radio with ipod already. I had the under seat cargo system and liked it until I got my sub woofer. Good luck with you choices

Also check eBay. There are a few Honda dealerships on there that sell parts for much less than 20% off.

A word of caution, once you start to look at aftermarket stuff, you'll likely want them more than Honda parts.

maybe it is better to know how much you'll be allowed (without causing household troubles) to spend then we can give you some ideas and likely save you so much on a few parts that you'll be able to get one more than you thought you could.

Good points. I figure if I was going to spend $2000 at the dealership, it would only cost me $1600...at least that was my logic. So where would I get the most bang for my buck for $1600 in accessories? Thanks!

One option I did not get and wish I got were floor mats and a bed mat.:rolleyes:

One option I did not get and wish I got were floor mats and a bed mat.:rolleyes:


Here is the mat I got http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13146&page=2. It was $68 with s/h. Fits great and is heavy.

$1600? DANG! NICE!!!! You can get a BOAT-LOAD with that committment

What you were originally inquiring about.....
Running boards.... go aftermarket, much more/better options and MUCH cheaper. I have Westins, but if you want Black, they are much more affordable than stainless/chrome. I think Black run $250 for Westins (guessing)

Roof Rack.... There are a few after market, but OEM is not a bad choice.

Bed Extender.... You can get this in the $200 range

Tonneau Cover.... I don't know anything about them :(


Other suggestions...
Mudgaurds... a MUST HAVE!!!

Trailer Hitch... It's a truck, it should have a hitch! Honda will cost you a lot. Other top names on the market which installed will be well under $200. I have UHaul

RTX grille.... I am not a fan of the original "bar" grille, so I have the RTX grille. No idea on cost.

Door Moldings.... (protects against door dings) I went after market on mine and cost $110 shipped from a guy on eBay. I have the chrome look, but he also sells them in Black. I have sent him plenty of business and everyone else from here who bought them, love them.
Here is my experience with them and install info:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6130

Tint.... I love my tinted windows, so if you are into that :)

"5S Dude" Door sills.... He custom makes door sills to your design. There are a lot of ROC-members that have purchased from him. EXCELLENT product!!!!!! The cost will depend on the complexity of the design you desire. I bought the first and only Chrome door sills (to date)... care to be a chrome-bro?
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2226

K757...thanks for the ideas and threads. I don't mind installing some of my own parts....until it requires special tools, like for the running boards. I also forgot to mention I will be putting a bug shield on too. You are right about the dealer's prices...best I can find in the Chicago area is $550 for Honda running boards installed.

K757...thanks for the ideas and threads. I don't mind installing some of my own parts....until it requires special tools, like for the running boards. I also forgot to mention I will be putting a bug shield on too. You are right about the dealer's prices...best I can find in the Chicago area is $550 for Honda running boards installed.The Westin bar did not require any special tools. It took me about an hour to install which could have been much shorter, but I had to keep taking breaks as I was lying on blacktop in Florida summer. (OUCH) Very simple install, just a bit time consuming running all of the bolts into the frame as I didn't want to use a power tool to do it (fear of cross-threading)

$1600 won't go nearly as far as you think ... but it will be fun spending it. Okay, here's my list in the order of what to get first ...

1. The "5S Dude" Door sills -- These will "personalize" your truck like nothing else. The guy is easy to deal with, puts out a quality product, and you'll love yourself for doing it. Just put some time into picking out the right things to have on the sills ... view the different ideas on the link provided above and have fun with it. They don't come from the dealer, but with what you'll save on other stuff maybe the wife will understand. Plus ... get the passenger side for her ... then she'll really love it.

2. Tonneau Cover -- I have the Honda and paid way too much at the dealer, but I got such a great deal on the truck that I don't mind. I love the cover simply because it adds to the look of the truck and gives me a secure place to put stuff when I'm out. I don't haul a lot of heavy stuff in my bed (I have a trailer for that stuff) and so most of what I put in the bed fits under the tonneau cover.

3. Bed Extender -- H&A has it right now for $210. I got it a bit cheaper the last time they put it on sale, so maybe that will come around again soon. Either way, the money is well worth it ... especially with the tonneau cover. I love the fact that it makes a nice little spot for putting grocery bags and luggage without the stuff sliding around the bed.

4. Bed Mat -- Believe me that darn coating Honda uses is worthless ... it will scratch with a heavy wind. Not sure what those engineers were thinking, but do yourself a favor and buy the bed mat. Here's the link for the discussion on this forum ...

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13146

5. Trailer Hitch system -- if it's not alread on the truck then get one. I bought a small trailer for hauling stuff and LOVE it. The truck does well and you'll congratulate yourself for not banging up the bed.

6. Dividers for the In-Bed Trunk -- I didn't think I'd like these at first, but now that I have them I love them. I keep some small items in the trunk all the time and these dividers help me keep it organized.

7. Running Boards -- I have the Nimbus as well and I put on the black ones. They look GREAT!

8. Body Side Protectors -- Think about getting them now. Don't wait until you start getting dings ... it's too late then.

Once you get away from the dealer items then consider the following ...

1. Neoprene Interior Pads -- Wilson makes a quality product, ships quickly, and the price is well worth it. I bought the entire set and love them. They take care of sliding items in the little trays and crannies of the Ridgeline. Here's the link to the discussion on this forum ...

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10919

2. Brush Bar -- I was torn between the Bull Bar and the Brush bar, but after reading the links here and looking at some of the pictures I went with the Brush Bar. It looks great and really adds some muscle the truck. Here's one of the discussions here about the guard ...

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9803&highlight=brush+guard

3. Rear Seat Understorage (you may be able to get this at the dealer as well) -- It looks good under the seat (especially the leather seats) and allows you to keep stuff from rolling around. Here's the discussion thread ...

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12148

4. Bully Firing Strip -- This a nice little set of lights that you can mount on the back. I ended up mounting mine actually under the bumber though you can mount it between the bottom of the tailgate and body. Here's a link to a discussion on this forum ...

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11352

Dang ... I've blown your $1600 plus at least that much more ... but it sure is fun buying stuff for this truck. :p

I like to categorize accessories into two groups: functional and esthetic. Both groups are subjective so take my suggestions for what they are, my opinion. For example, you mentioned that you don't have much fog...but they make the front of the RL look more "complete." Is that functional or esthetic...in my case esthetic since I don't have much fog where I live. Roof rack...again IMO, it completes the look of the RL. Have I mounted anything on my roof rack? I've had my RL since March '05...guess what, nothing ever mounted on the roof rack (I guess you know what group this accessory falls into for me). Bed extender. For the most part, it resides in my garage but I use it to get that extra length out of the bed with the tailgate down. This has been a great functional addition to my stock RL. Okay, I won't bore you with the accessories I have (I do have more than the ones I've already mentioned) but as you can see you can spend a lot if you want but I feel your decision will be based mainly on what you are trying to acheive...use this forum to gather information because what I might think is functional may not be for you. :cool:

It seems most of us would rather buy accessories from someplace other than the dealership...
20% off at dealership?...
The OEM bug deflector looks good on gray RL's.
The rear mudflaps are another.
The runningboards?..
Unless your vertically challenged and need them... I'd pass.

Wife gave you the go ahead?... COOL.
Show her you can be frugal and not go overboard just cause you
have a 20% off coupon.

This way... in a few months... she be more receptive towards this
http://www.underseatstorage.net/honda_ridgeline.html

And lastly... yes.. the door sills from 5Sdude are on everybodys list.

bed cover, running boards and mudflaps if you dont have them.