Bed Modification Please help

I have an 01 Taco. I recently purchased a golf cart. The cart does not fit in the bed of my truck. The wheel wells are a little to narrow. I need about 4 more inches of width for it to fit in the bed.

I want to cut my wheel wells back to accommodate the space I need. I figured I could just rivet now metal to cover the holes and paint rhino liner over the repairs to keep it from rusting. I don't think I have to worry about wheel clearance since I never off road or drive hard.

Ill need to cut approx 3 inches off each wheel well, down to the bed floor. Does this make sense ??

Does anyone have anything to input about my idea.

 

Is a trailer an option?

 

Just build a system like ramps up to the wheel wells or build a platform the same height as the wheel wells. or as sugested a trailer would be a good option

 

If that golf cart is over 1000lbs, put it on a trailer.
If it's over 500, you'll wish you had put it on a trailer.

 

trailer

 

go with a trailer! you will be glad you did!

 

does a golf cart weigh more than a quad ? Cart is about 900 pounds.

I hate trailers

Will it be unsafe to carry the golf cart in the back of the truck, I don't mind driving slow and carefully but don't want to roll the truck either ?

Thanks

 

Golf carts are not exactly "well balanced" in the first place (I see then roll over all the time) and to be honest, a mod to the bed like you are talking would affect the structural integrity of the bed unless you used a strong enough sheet metal, and welded it into place. Not to mention you would KILL your resale value of your Tacoma. A small trailer would be my recommendation as well.

 

run a long chunk of chain in and around your bed, just the bed and back up to a tree and tie it off. Then drive like shit. Then put a flat bed on it.

should take a couple hours. and a couple bucks but'll look great

 

You can make anything fit just ask these local guys by me.

 

LOL^ niiice, if it was me I'd let the golf carts front tires sit on the wheel wells and strap her in around the back of it and let the tailgate stay down.

 

you could do it. but i would not! that kinda weight more than once or twice a year. is going to really shorten the life of the leaf springs. and you will have to replace them. also just puts more wear and tear on the truck.

why do you hate trailers? IMHO anything over 500 pounds i’d rather tow it. (unless it’s bags of dirt/top soil from lowes or HD. but any big items i’d rather tow.) also the little bigger the trailer is, the easier it tows some times.

 

I think that cop must not like whatever it is that they're dragging.
Or maybe ordering them to add a red flag since its over 3 feet past the truck's tail lights? Aside from those two issues, looks pretty normal to me

 

lol I'm betting he mentioned the words "unsafe load" a few times in that conversation.

Yea OP I'd trailor it if its being hauled alot, your truck will like it so much more.

 

900lbs?

Yes... the golf cart will be unsafe in the bed.

If you cut the wheelwells, it will be even more unsafe. Some of the strength of the bed comes from that sheet metal.

 

whats wrong with trailers? way safer than cutting apart your truck to fit a golf cart.

 

Trailer. Don't torch/cut the bed. You'll kill the value of the truck (if you ever want to resell) and you may compromise the integrity of the bed.

 

I was uncomfortable with trailers for along time. However, part of moving to the taco (a 3 truck downsizing from a K3000 longbed Crew > F150 > Taco was that I had to have a trailer to haul the big stuff. I can fart a couple of peices of plywood into the bed with the tailgate gate down - even drywall if I block it up right - but for serious 4x8 hauling a trailer is needed, and likewise for serious weight a trailer is needed (man, that K3000 was a beast that took weight like nothing - but it drank like a fish, too.)

After the "put off for 30-odd years trailer backing learning curve" I'm happy as a clam with the trailer. Mine is wider than the truck (it's considerably larger than 4x8 - that was just the minimum needed), so I have to remember that and check the mirrors - a golf-cart specific one would not need to be so wide. Learning to back it was not a stunningly long process, but could be frustrating at times, and I still need a slight tuneup if I haven't used it for a few months, but it comes back quickly. Loading heavy stuff is much easier with the lower bed and a built-in ramp.

Do get the thing set up right, with adequate drop on your hitch adapter so the trailer runs level or very slightly nose-down, and keep the lights in good shape. And spend a few days practicing backing up, a lot, so you get over that (my understanding is that a longer trailer is actually easier to back up, as it's less "twitchy" than a shorter one, so keep that in mind when shopping - also good for hauling longer things...) Also, it's always OK to pull ahead a bit and take another stab at backing up - continuing backwards when things are not going right is where problems occur.

 

I it's been mentioned already but get a trailer. The trailer will also be easier to load and unload since it's lower to the ground. I would not cut up the bed just to haul a golf cart.

 

I would build a wood platform about the height of the wheel wells that would allow you to drive in. Park it backwards so the bulk of the weight is as far forward as possible. I've hauled over 900 lbs with my truck but I'm not sure what suspension you have.