DECKED Truck Bed Systems

The DECKED system is weatherproof. If you submerge the bed of your truck, water will get into the drawers. As for anything else, IE rain, snow, car wash pressure washing the bed of your truck, the contents will not get wet. The only place for water to get into the drawers is at the tailgate, and the water would need to be sprayed directly at the point were the weather stripping and the deck come together.

 

The reason that it is as stout as it is, is because it is not purely designed for camping and overlanding. We have designed the DECKED system to have such a high payload because it is useful in the construction and trade fields, as well as hauling atvs and other heavy item. Many DECKED customers use the system to store tools and still be able to load a pallet of tile, rock or other items up to 2000lbs on top of the system. While many of these users are not doing so in the Tacoma, it is quite a large market and one that was the basis for the DECKED systems design. We want our product to be able to withstand the heaviest of abuse from all customers. As for the depth of the drawers, you are correct in that the design is meant to give the customer a full platform above the wheel wells. If the deck was lowered, we would have to build it around the wheel wells, therefore wasting much more space as you mentioned.

 

I see your intentions I guess. But has it not become sort of mediocre at both things then. I've worked in construction before and no one I've come across would consider a decked system because they all prefer the standard steel tool box which leaves most of the bed available.. Putting a pallet on an elevated surface seems like a bad idea. It may not be, but it definitely seems that way which in itself would scare people away who would need to do that.

 

I went with the Decked system for my truck and have been meaning to write some sort of review for it. Someday I'll copy this and add pictures to my build log, but for now, here are my thoughts:

It's not perfect, but its seems like a great bang for your buck. I would have needed to spend >3x more to buy a system that's any better. And to make something better myself, it would have cost at least as much as the Decked system (probably lots more), and eaten up 2+ months of my free time, because I'm kind of a perfectionist. That made buying Decked an easy choice for me.

Pros:
- Made in US by an awesome company.
- Excellent materials. Steel-reinforced composite polymers beat plywood in terms of weight and durability any day. If I wanted to do better as a DIYer, I'd have to use tig-wedded aluminum.
- Easy install. I wish I had friends to help, but even without, I was able to install, then remove and reinstall this several times by myself, no problem.
- Very strong design. I can carry 300 pounds of crap in the drawers all the time. They are super smooth. And I can stack whatever I want on top of it. If I overload the truck, this won't be the thing that fails.
- Moderate security. When the drawers are locked (and the gate is locked), you aren't getting into this without tools. I consider it on par with a snug top. I don't trust it for valuables though, any ass hole with a socket wrench or pry bar could break in within a minute or two.
- Drip proof. While not fully waterproof, my stuff has never gotten wet in the rain or in the mud. Dust is another story though.
- They offer a line of toolboxes that fit perfectly in the drawers, and offer weather-tightness on par with an ammo can.
- Great sleeping platform for up to (2) short people. I use this with a black soft topper. So no, I can't even sit up in there. Bit I've never slept better on the trail!
- For us long bed folks, there is like a 6" gap between the tailgate and the platform. At first I was annoyed by the loss of drawer space. But it turns out this space is a perfect for the following:
- A 5lb propane tank
- (3) 10 liter Jerry cans
- A 5lb fire extinguisher.
And except for the extinguisher, which is strapped to the bedside, all these things fit perfectly between the tailgate and the decked platform, and don't need to be tied down or secured if the tailgate is up and locked.

Cons:
-This thing is a murderer of your bed space. No joke, I estimate that I can use at most 50% of the volume within the envelope of this system. There's a gap under the drawers, and a thick platform above them. And between the roller design and the liberal draft angles, you lose a ton of space around and between each of the drawers.
- Unlike the full-sized systems, you only get (2) of their "ammo cans" instead of four as I was expecting when I ordered it. So us long-bed folks lose the entirety of the bedside space forward of the wheel wells. And to add insult to injury, the rear "ammo cans" totally block access to your lower bedside cubbies and AC outlet. This is hands-down the most frustrating aspect of this system for Tacoma owners. By changing one part -- the rear ammo cans, we could gain access to the cubby space and only factory-installed AC outlet on our trucks. (And no, Decked people, telling met to plug a low-profile extension cord into my outlet before installing the system is not a valid solution for a truck that lives outside in the rain) So, the very first thing I did was to cut gigantic access holes in my ammo cans so I could reach into my cubbies, where I also have an electrical panel, USB outlets, and 12V outlets.
-The Decked toolboxes further eat up your storage space. The larger toolbox is too big for tools or recovery gear. Unless you are using it for a feather collection, you will throw out your back. Do not buy it. The smaller toolboxes are great, but you lose so much space between them (again penalized by liberal bevels and draft angles), you are again giving up a substantial fraction of your storage space. To put it in perspective, if you decided to pack both drawers to capacity with the smaller toolboxes, which I think is 10 boxes for the long bed... then you would only be able to fit 10 uncrushed loaves of bread in the whole system.
-it's not great for loose materials. Once I had to haul some gravel, so I made a plywood sheet to cover the gap between the platform and the tailgate, then loaded her to the bumpstops (which honestly isn't that much gravel!). It worked, but a bunch of it slipped under the sides of the platform during the drive, and i had to remove the whole platform to clean it out. Another time, I threw my CB antenna in the bed so i could fit in a parking garage, then forgot about it for a while. When I went to find it, it had slipped under the platform as well, again requiring lots of disassembly to access it.


Overall I am happy with the system for my truck, and I have to plans to change it. Both drawers perfectly fit all my tools, recovery, towing, and survival gear, when I'm on the trail. It's not like it gives me any extra storage space for groceries or suitcases though. It works great for my weekend adventures while still letting the truck function as a truck during the week.

If you are looking for a convenient, well-made, durable, weather resistant, and light-weight drawer system (and sleeping platform if you are under 5'8"), then this is perfect. If you are looking for highly secure or space-efficient storage system, then this is probably not the right system for you.

 

Considered it, saw it in person, not considering it anymore. Eats up way too much bed space and honestly, the drawers aren't that big. I had a removable plywood system I built a while back that was much more efficient and cost me $200 in materials and a few hours.

 

It is not made for everyone, but if it works for you, we are stoked. We are constantly listening to what people have to say about the product and we will continue to improve it and listen to people's needs and desires. It is a hard argument to make that nobody in construction and trades would consider a DECKED system when they make up for almost 70% of our customers. At DECKED, it is important for us to continue to listen to the needs of these customers. That being said, we will listen to what you are saying and take it into consideration.

 

Thank you for the feedback.

 

Curious after others felt like it ‘killed’ space so I found the measurements and did a little math. Margin of error for the space taken up for wheel wells and my calculations were for squared drawers. (My math or googling isn’t good enough for cubic ft of tapered drawers). I’ll also round up/down but will attach pics of the calculator.

The exterior dimensions add up to 25 cubic feet, while the drawers (again, assuming they were square) make up 5 cubic feet each, 10 total.

Half of the space is unoccupied? Someone correct me if my math is wrong.

 

The decked system has worked great for me wiring houses. I use it mostly for tool storage, having a cap is a big help as well.

 

Sounds like an opportunity.

 

I have not seen a decked system in person but did consider them, and came to the same conclusion many of you have; inefficient use of space. Im spoiled by my truck vault with a 1500lb slider in my work F350. That thing is crazy solid and weighs more than anything I actually store in it, but is a more efficient use of space. I would never put anything like that in my Taco because of the weight. My 350 is on the overload springs because of it.

 

Here's what I meant about the extra space between the tailgate and the platform. It's a perfect fit for three 2.5 gallon nato cans (two shown), and for a propane tank and fire extinguisher.



I had to cut the curved "handle" off the propane tank to close the gate. It's a very tight fit.




Finally here is a picture showing it in a state of partial disassembly so you can get a better idea of the space efficiency.



It's still a lot of drawer space. They do go all the way to the back of the bed.

 

I have no idea, but seeing the numbers made me laugh

 

You in sac and the bay? Do you have a long bed?

 

Having a setup with room for batteries behind the drawer for deep cycles and solar inverters would be awesome

 

currently its in LA but i go to SJ during the week, and Sac every once in a while. yes i have a long bed.

 

This is what I’m looking for. Would like drawers, but I have a small ATV tool box against The cab wall that’s maybe 12” deep. My second battery and odd/loose parts/tools/straps/recovery are all in there. If someone makes one with shorter drawers and enough space along the bulkhead(?) I’d be sold. Hence why I have a feeling I’ll just make my own.

 

How much are you selling it for?

 

Personally I love the idea of the Decked bed storage system, I just wish it wasn't so expensive. My bed is exposed to the elements so I worry about making one from wood. Especially since I don't have a garage and I'm really not much of a fabricator.

 

Where did you get those bed lights? I love them!