Tacomas doing work

Hauling some pavers

 

Air bags????

 

12' slab of cedar. Safe to say I took the long way home and was sloooooooow

 

why not drive with the tailgate down since it's that long anyway?

 

Now thats a real TRUCK

 

How does the box hold up to that?

 

Custom airbags brackets with separate bump stops, Hammer Hangers, Dobinson leaf pack, MRA shocks, wide rims, E-rated tires, 4:88 gearing. 2 low mod when I need it.

 

The box has some superficial scratches, but that's about it. The Mobtown aluminum tailgate panel and the gapshield really help out .

I've hauled quite a bit with this truck. You can see my post history using the back and forward arrows at the bottom right of this post.

 

I suppose you never know when the Mother-in-law might need a ride home from Bingo

 

I line the bed with a tarp to extend over the tailgate so when I open it 'stuff' doesn't fall through. Makes cleanup a snap too.

 

Check out the Gapshield

 

I've been on the fence about getting this. Has there ever been an instance where you wished you didn't have the gapshield installed?

 

I haven't experienced one so I'm not really answering you, but I'd imagine the biggest downside I could foresee is that it could/would make the tailgate harder to lift when closing. Obviously this is minor, but I think we can all agree Tacoma tailgates are heavy and if the gapshield is brand new, and someone's tiny wife goes to close it, perhaps a struggle ensues?

 

Not once. I'm surprised more trucks don't come with it. For example, the Rivian is a nightmare when it comes to gravel down the tailgate hinge.

The only minor thing is that it tends to fold back. Like, the other day hauling 3/4" rock I had to duct tape it against the tailgate before the rock was poured in. A very minor annoyance. The product is amazing. I don't know how I survived before without it.

I prefer gapshield over the competition because it's taped to the bed only. I frequently remove my tailgate for the slide-in cab-over camper. The other stuff is glued to the bed and the tailgate.

 

chopped straw bedding for the sheep

 

Not a problem from my experience. The gapshield is super light. Installing the Mobtown Offroad aluminum tailgate panel is where I noticed the weight difference.

 

Bucked and hauled three loads of hardwood, oak and madrone, out of a ravine that only my “small” truck could squeeze down and crawl back up. Low range 1st gear needed, just and inch or so clearance between trees. This is mostly a play truck and DD so I was happy to get a free load of wood from the lot owner. Next time I gotta remember to take off the tailgate pad first; lots of bark and wood chips wedged under it.

 

I feel silly for asking, but the Aluminum is heavier than stock?

 

The stock tailgate panel is the lightest. The thin aluminum smooth panels are minimal difference. The Mobtown Offroad Renteless Fab includes the top rail for protection, so it's the heaviest. Unfortunately, they went out of business and stopped making them awhile back. I don't have experience with the cutting board material, so not sure how much those weigh.

 

HDPE is pretty heavy stuff. Heavier than aluminum for sure. I think I'm either going to research plastic for a few days and find out what the bed plastic is and how to get sheets of it, OR use wood and replace it when needed.

EDIT: The density of HDPE ranges from 941 kg/m3 to 965 kg/m3 depending on its formulation. By comparison, although aluminum is considered extremely light, it has a density of 2699 kg/m3, nearly 2.8 times heavier than HDPE

I think you need a thicker piece of HDPE though? Anyone?