The Drifter - Specs and FAQ

The stock plastic bed caps are basically hollow inside with cross pieces of plastic that sit on the bed. It would be very hard to seal them by just putting a bead of sealant down. I’ll get a pic of one tomorrow if needed.
The flat kbvoodoo style caps make it much easier as there is actually surface area there and can sandwich the sealant well and actually seal. I also taped off the top of the bedside with aluminum tape because it has multiple holes all along it.
You’ll also probably need to put a bit of sealant in each front corner of the bed where the sides meet the front. I used butyl strip pieces and it worked awesome.

Just a couple pointers I’ve seen and tried that have been successful with keeping water/dust out.

And this tailgate seal is a game changer as far as dust is concerned. Highly recommend

$50 ESI ROK Block 4.25" Width Tailgate Gap Cover and Ultimate Tailgate Seal with Taper Seal 6ft for Sidewalls

https://www.amazon.com/BLOCK-Tailga...lgate+seal&dpPl=1&dpID=41NjZ+BnN5L&ref=plSrch

 

Has anyone installed the drifter on a 3rd gen with the KB Voodoo rails? The stock bed rail caps on the 3rd gen are not much thicker then the 1/8” KB versions. Just curious if a shark fin mod is still necessary given the significant difference in bed rail height and bed rail cap difference between the 2nd and 3rd gen. The only way I see it being a problem is if the height on the drifter sides are lower on the 3rd gen version and the overhang is really close to the shark fin.

 

IIRC the 3rd gen beds are 1" taller than 2nd gens, and the KB Voodoo bed caps make the Drifter sit ~1" lower and that will cause the overhang to hit the shark fin. If I was in that situation, I'd just trim down the shark fin like (I think) Jim Bob (@inv3ctiv3) did here.

 

Rocky, Eazy, Andy, Gee, Thanks for all your responses! I'm smart at some things, but truck mods are not one of them - they are not intuitive to me so your responses are informative and very appreciated.

Tacomagee, You capture exactly what I have been wrestling with.....there are lots of holes and given the plastic shape of the stock bed caps it seems like it would be hard to ensure a seal. The flat kbvoodoo caps have surface contact area. Thanks for the link to the tailgate seal.

Is this what you mean by butyl strip?

$13 Dicor BT-1834-1 Butyl Seal Tape - 1/8" x 3/4" x 30' Repair Tape for RV, Trailer, Motorhome, Window, and Vent Sealing

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FCB4J...colid=BBEMDB43KS7X&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Aluminum tape?

$13 Impresa Aluminum Foil Tape - 1.9"es Wide (150 Feet/50 Yards) - Foil Tape for Ductwork - Ideal for Sealing and Patching Hot and Cold HVAC, Ducts, Pipes - Silver Tape for Home and Commercial Use

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FROBUX...colid=BBEMDB43KS7X&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Eazy, what type of double backed weather stripping did you use? We have a 2nd gen so no problems there.

 

You shouldn't have any problem.
I've got the stock rail caps, but there's at least 1 1/8" of clearance between the shark fin and overhang.
Unless KB Voodoo now requires chopping 1/2" off the bed rails to install, theirs will still leave a good amount of clearance.

 

That’s what I figured after bouncing numerous measurements between my 3rd gen and friends 2nd gen - thank you.

 

You could always use a 2011 satalite antennae. It’s not a shark fin shape and is much, much lower in profile.

I have one to install on my Drifter. The hurdle has been the factory connectors. I found a 2015 Camry has the same connectors. I had a wrecking yard in Rancho Cordova cut up a Camry harness for the connectors(male and female) so I could make my own length harness. I still haven’t figured out how to splice it yet. Or find the correct diameter coaxial cabling. Once that task is completed, I’ll finally have my favorite stations back.

 

I began switching out the shark fin on the 3rd gen based on this post: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...shark-fin-with-a-oem-satellite-stubby.552228/ only to find significant differences between the two generations. I believe the Nav and sat radio are both wired into the shark fin on the 3rd gen. The electronics and hole configurations are completely different:



I didn’t have the patience to try various shark fin models and years to make it work. Better to find out if the mod was actually necessary before I tore into the interior again.

 

Interesting.

All data is good data.

Are the plugs the same? I would at least plug in the new antennae to see if it functions like normal. If it’s only a mounting variation, that’s a small hurdle.

Either way, please report back what you find.

 

I got to the point of checking out the additional hole needed in the roof. From what I remember, there are 3 wires going into the 3rd gen shark fin versus the 2011 low profile version having only one. I bailed at that point, since I didn’t want to lose any of the functionality. Now that you bring it up, taking the connector apart would have been a good idea to see the difference in pins and connector comparison. After I compared measurements between 2nd and 3rd gen, I suspected that the mod was unnecessary and buttoned everything up.

 

Not sure of the brand that came with the KB rails but I have been using this for mounting my L track and awning mounts with good success. not double backed though.

$16 MAGZO Weather Stripping Door Seal, 1" Wide X 1/8" Thick Adhesive Foam Tape Soundproof Weatherstripping for Windows, 2 Rolls Total 33FT Black

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071RDDC2R/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Sorry for not chiming in earlier. Here’s @anomalyTRD ’s 2015. Sharkfin. KB Voodoo bed caps. It clears with no modifications.

Not sure if XM Radio still works though.



Edit: Not sure if the roof dent helped with clearance

My kids also treat the truck like a play structure...

 

Thanks, Phil! So with the voodoo caps it doesn't look like the frontrunner table would fit underneath a 2nd gen. Can you confirm this? Thanks!

 

Too bad voodoo doesn't make these for the gen 1 tundra. I have email twice now w/o a response. Any CAD designers out there? I took off my plastic caps and noticed the paint wear from the plastic.

 

It looks like the table would hit the sharkfin on the 6’ bed models. TheFrontrunner prep table would definitely work. We mocked this up on @aaen ’s camper and it looked too close. Plenty of room on the DCSB’s.

It would work if the sharkfin was cut down, but maybe not with the KB Voodoo caps.

 

I’ll snap a pic to the space btw the camper and shark find on a third gen witb the stock rails. Also shows the spacing btw a prinsu which i kept as the guy who wanted it never got back ahold of me. Actually glad I kept it. Filled the hap btw the roof and camper and oddly I have very little wind noise now. Sadly just a bad squeak in the truck.

Ugh let the suspension upgrades begin!!

 

Phil, Just to make sure I understand, are you saying the frontrunner table doesn't work with the original plastic caps for the DCLB, 2nd gen without cutting down the shark fin?

 

So is there a final word on levels of bed sealing? I need to start getting supplies and prepping.

Best- replace plastic rails with (product X), use (something) to seal tailgate, run foam tape or something around bed rails

Good- silicone under plastic bed rails, etc

Send it- plop Drifter on and head into the bush

 

I've been prepping for a GFC and so far I have the kb voodoo bed caps that I used aluminum duct tape and silicone to seal. I don't foresee any water coming from under them.

 

It does not fit without cutting down the shark fin in either configuration. We originally thought it would, but that damn piece of plastic ruins everything!

So it physically fits under the overhang without the shark fin.

These tables will definitely fit and are 7.8" narrower:

https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/table-mkii-1130mm-x-550mm.html

https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.c...ess-steel-prep-table-with-foldaway-basin.html

They will only fit with the factory bed caps for 2nd gens though. And on 3rd gens.

I will send you an e-mail with pricing on these options since you ordered the full- sized table. Sorry for the confusion.

The full sized tables (standard and Pro) will fit under the overhang of the DCSB Drifters on 3rd gens.