A truck with the right gear looks ready for anything, but keeping the paint safe from flying gravel and mud takes a proper setup. A set of all-terrain mud flaps and fender flares usually runs about $450, and you want to look for them when end-of-year clearance sales drop prices to their softest points. Holding out for holiday markdowns is the easiest way to keep your project well under budget.
When you are buying truck parts, keep negotiating separate from how you pay. Lock in the best price on the parts first, and only use financing for the total cost or the extras if you need a little breathing room. Never treat plastic and hardware like an afterthought, but do not let a monthly payment trick you into spending more than the gear is worth.
Keep in mind that the 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers is a hard deadline, not free money. If you still have a remaining balance when those 15 months end, deferred interest or standard purchase APR will kick in on what you owe.