2nd Gen Bed Questions

a good first mod would be to add more d-rings to your bed

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS!!!!!!!!!

 

Just wonder where you got that bed extender thingy or who makes it?

 

post #306 http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/28533-installed-d-rings-bed-pics-16.html

 

i added the OEM bad mat, 6 extra tie downs on the bed bolts (and anticeased them while they were out.. believe me good idea).. and got a bed extender because i have a short bed and 'might' need the extra room sooner or later. plus it's nice to keep stuff towards the back and not rolling around. the bed mat is almost a must.

It is strong as an ox... never had any problems.. never heard of any problems. I prefer it over metal after having experience with both. The tie down rails are very strong as well.

 

Agreed.

The OEM bed mat is thick, fits perfect, and keeps things in their pace, yet can be taken out, washed and put back in. I think I paid $75 while on a road trip to Portland.

 

Hi everyone, where you guys find those bed extender. I just got a 2013 double cab and i need one to haul an atv in the bed. Thanks!!

 

Don't buy one like that as it was probably a work truck if that abused looking. Look for a cleaner one that doesn't appear to have been someone's mule....or buy new.

 

I definitely won't be buying new. I'm pretty much a cash-only type of buyer. I might get a tiny portion of the overall cost financed, but not much at all. The only reason I even looked at those "abused" trucks is because I wanted to see the difference in the way the 1st and 2nd gens compared side by side.

There's a guy locally who has about 50 Tacomas of various years. They're not pretty, but they're all on the same lot and its easy to compare them literally side by side. I just wanted to clarify that his stock is very beat up and abused, and that I shouldn't expect cleaner ones to age/wear that quickly.

After sitting in a 2003 then going to a 2005, I can say that its probably time to move to the 2nd gen. I've driven my '86 for 7 or 8 years now (through college) and I'm ready to upgrade. The 2001-'04 don't seem much different from my '86, IMO. Mainly, I'm ready to NOT be crammed into that tiny cab, haha. The 2nd gens have so much more interior room that it makes the 1st gens feel like a go-cart. I think the 2nd gen will suit my needs really well.

Now it just goes back to the configuration - and I'm torn. I've narrowed my search to '05-'08 Access and Double Cabs (4x4 and cruise required!). Here's a list of the configurations I think would suit me best.

1) 4-cyl MT Access Cab - not enough power, but fair mpg
2) V6 AT Double Cab - not a fan of AT and I'd rather have a longer bed, poor mpg
3) V6 MT Access Cab - still unsure about the 6-sp MT, probably not great mpg

 

Picked mine up at the dealer, but have seen them both online and at the place where I purchased my shell.

 

OEM cruise is easy to add for less than 100.00. So is adjustable intermittent wipers.

And I went from a 1982 reg cab to an 05 access cab so it was a huge plus on room in every direction, lol. I went back from access cab to reg cab when I found an 08 prerunner with buckets/console/5 speed. That is what I wanted to begin with. Take your time and find what you really want & good luck with search.

 

I recommend a bed extender as well. The extenders shown above are universal, so it'll work for Frontiers and Tacomas. I have the one that is a square shape, not the 'half hexagon' shape.

Found mine on craigslist for 30 dollars without the mounting brackets. It was originally used in a frontier, it worked perfectly for my Tacoma without modifications. All I had to do was buy the mounting brackets.

I'd also recommend a tonneau cover - i like my Extang Trifecta for the price. If hard shell tri-fold covers were cheaper, i'd get them instead. There are no issues using the trifecta and bed extender simultaneously.

 

I'm sure there are threads on this, but what's the quick rundown on how to add a cruise? I didn't think it would be that easy, but if it is, then it may be well worth getting a base model 4x4 and adding on as opposed to spending the extra couple grand to get a SR5 or other convenience packages.

 

Well you might not believe this, but Ford...I had it on my previous truck, a Ranger. You can see my thread on how I worked it. It actually ended up being quite simple, but it just took some thought:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/163337-ranger-bed-extender-2nd-gen.html

 

And honestly, I really like the look of the Ranger extender better than most (aftermarket or Toyota OEM)...seems pretty clean to me:

 

Yes, there are threads and it takes maybe an hour to install both cc and int adj wipers. CC = stalk, wheel cover with hole, wire for wheel & clutch sw if manual. Wiper is just cover off column and a screw.

 

Cruise control is extremely simple to add if you have an AT. MT adds a pain in the ass clutch switch, but it is not terrible (you just have to remove your lower dash to get to it).

 

Good info, thanks. In that case, I'll probably just try to find a truck with cruise already installed, unless I go with an auto.

 

Oh, don't let it scare you. I am not mechanical at all and I had it done in under an hour and a half; it is just the clutch cancel switch is really difficult to reach...but you'll get it just fine if you are limber enough.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't no cruise = manual windows and split bench seat? If so, I'll pass for those reasons alone. Maybe I'm thinking of the 1st gen with the bench seat...? Manual windows wouldn't be horrible, but I do not want the bench seat.