Worried about tailgate strength

I say this coming from a 3rd Gen. But I had a 380lb fridge and two ~160lb people on it for a few minutes and it's just fine.

 

I'm running the steel tailgate skin and steel tailgate cap and man, its getting heavy. The tail gate has NO BEARING on the integrity of the bed as the bed is one-piece composite. The bed sides BOLT on unlike the typical FORD/GM trucks where they're welded ( spot welded ) together.

The tail gate design is strong enough for a lot - at one point, I've had close to 600 lbs and NOTHING bent.

BUT

if you're working with ... say, concrete debris or huge pieces of 8X8 or 12X12 10'+ Lumber AND you start to ratchet it down, I can see it bend....

 

You're bed is SOOOOO fricken clean!!!

 

Thanks it helps if you black everything out

 

Ahhhhhh, just buy the tailgate plate that you sound like you really want to buy .

This is for the wife : hey you really need that plate or your tailgate is going to cave in !!! Lol

 

I'll be experimenting with the U-POL Raptor coat over the composite surface... right now, it literally looks like a garbage can... paint/ debris/ dirt all over the place...

 

Gloss black paint works too, anything sticks to the composite bed

 

Guess this adds about 35lbs. Doesn't this make your tailgate slam down real hard?
Or did you install a damper?

 

ive flexed the bed by ratcheting side to side I honestly think the whole composite bed idea is shiet

 

Totally agree - great for no corrosion and being light weight.... BUT it definitely doesn't help strengthen out little frames. Go and take a look at the new 2500 RAM Diesels - their frames are fricken massive. ... And so is 1000 lbs of torque....

 

You can thank all the soccer dads for that who put nothing but baby strollers in their trucks.
Sadly that's who Toyota is targeting with the Tacoma now.
If you actually used this truck for truck duty it would fall apart in no time

 

yeah but they also weigh 10000 pounds lol

 

Nope, shipping weight on the skin was 22#, when I sold the plastic OEM it was 10# shipped, so a net gain of 12#. And the tailgate doesn't slam down, I let it down like everyone else, no noticeable difference.

 

You sounded exactly like my coworker. He said it's easier to ask her forgiveness than her permission.

 

Always ask forgiveness permission??? What’s that ???

 

Nah.... They weight couple thousand lbs more... BUT with 600 HP, close to 1000 lbs of torque right around 1800 RPM they certainly can handle that massive weight.

Honestly, the ONLY reason I frown on getting one is not the fact they cost close to 60K... but their shit craps out - I've seen electrical and mechanical issues on 2016 / 2018... but their resale is up their with Toyota... and that's referencing their Diesels only.

Forget about the gas powered trucks...

 

I agree! If they actually built the tacoma to handle full size "like" duty, they would have a full box frame and a diesel option. Unfortunately, your suspicions are correct - this truck is geared for the soccer dad while the 4runner is screaming soccer mom ( that doesn't want a minivan )

 

the cummins was the only thing that those trucks had going for them, now they don't even have that.

 

Dude if you have any questions about how strong the tailgate is, take off the plastic liner on the inside and look at how it's made. Sheet metal holding sheet metal. Nothing structural at all. I run dirt bikes in my bed, and having the rear wheel sit on the tailgate is no bueno. +1 for the Relentless fab plate. Been running that for years now with zero issues.

 

I'm somewhat heavy at 200lb and I've climbed up and down using the tailgate ever since I've had the truck with zero issues.

If you are using ramps to load the atv, I dont see you having any issues.