Rear bed cargo storage compartments

Hello. Newbie Taco guy here.
Noticed the small rear cargo areas take on water/dirt etc from open holes to wheel wells (where tabs go in). Im guessing only solution would be an after market sealed compartment to replace oem.
What have you all done to remedy?

 

Drop in option: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cubby-covers-for-sale.496396/

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bed-cubby-caps.491909/page-2#post-15186636

 

I’ve noticed they are not totally sealed but I keep them wiped out. I imagine you could buy a very thick foam strip and put it between the tabs and holes and it would seal ok. There aftermarket options are just so expensive! I would LOVE to have to bed outlet howver I have the SR so I’m lucky I even got a bed!

 

Could you use JB WELD to cover the holes?

 

Yeah, if you want to secure the doors permanently.

@Hemlocktherm78 -Definately buy @micwillia ‘s cubby covers - totally worth it. They should have been part of your toyota in the first place.

 

I was actually referring to the hole inside that's open to the wheel well area. I've got a tonneau cover, so I'm not worried about the door area.

 

That's what my covers help to protect, they are covers for the cutout that the doors secure into. Follow the link in my sig to learn more

Thanks for the tag @OnHartung'sRoad, @tacomarin, @RupertPupkin

 

I used Ice and Water shield Roofing material. Cut 2" to 3" squares (stuff sticks to anything) Applied from underside over cutouts for tabs/drain holes. Applied a thin coat of silicone lube to tabs, so they didn't stick to Ice/water shield. Done this to my 12 and held up great, now to 18.

 

Major Toyota brainfart having a storage area exposed to road salt. Had a can of. Fix a flat in mine. Came out a salt brine rusty mess.

 

It was more of how can we save time and money. Instead of redesigning the cubbies that would cost us maybe $1000, we’ll keep using the same old ones we have for the last 10 years

It never even occurred to me to check and see if they were sealed. Now my ratchet straps are all fucked. Guess I’ll have to get a new set and whatever I carry in those out in a ziplock bag. Or spend money on someone’s solution or my own

 

When I just read your post, I realized that I also had ratchet straps in the left storage bin. Yup, just like you said, they are totally corroded. I even had them in ziplock bags that wore through from just the vibrations I guess. Trashed them and gonna have to buy another set. You can't seal the holes because they are the hinge and latch points for the door.

 

The covers I posted by @micwillia do cover the holes/ they are little plastic “cups” that glue to the edges of the hinge holes and make a seal around the hinges so the cibby doors work. @micwillia also includes foam door weatherstrip to seal the cubby doors - after rain and dusty dirt roads, my cubbies now stay clean and dry.

 

You could take some fiberglass and lay it over top leaving some room for the hinge points. This will seal it all up. Or make some kind of cover that will go around those points or the entire housing. A lot of engineers don’t have common sense. This is definely something that should of been revised back in 2006 or maybe 07, but definitely changed when this new body style came out. Even if you live in a place where it’s normally dry and they don’t get snow and use salt who wants dirt and mud all inside a compartment like that

 

Maybe there's a way to glue magnets to the cubby and door. Then you could completely seal the holes inside. Just thinking out loud.

 

As @OnHartung'sRoad mentions, my covers will adhere to the cubby preventing water from getting in through those slots but, still allow for full function of the doors regardless of if they are the OEM doors or Mobtown doors. I also offer gaskets that can be added on to really make the cubbies water resistant.

As for you magnet idea, it would just be a matter of getting the magnets positioned that the door would still go flat against the cubby.

 

Its pretty sad considering its a 35k plus vehicle.

 

Ziplock will wear thru in no time.

 

What are you talking about? Where are they? I almost never got in the bed...consider it an open extension of the truck for dust collection.

 

I use ziplock bags doubled up and that seems to work.