Diamondback HD Cover and Bed Stiffeners

Hello all,

I recently purchased and installed a Diamondback HD truck bed cover and the Cross Bin 13 toolbox. They can both be found here.

https://diamondbackcovers.com/products/diamondbackhd

https://diamondbackcovers.com/collections/accessories/products/cross-bin-13

My question is, should I be concerned with the bed spreading under the weight of these additions? Should I install bed stiffeners to preemptively get ahead of any potential warping? The reason I have not already installed them is because I lack the tools and the technical know-how (meaning I would have to find someone to help me with these which also increases the total cost), and I am always extremely apprehensive about drilling holes in my truck (one of the many reasons I went with the Diamondback cover is because it does not require any drilling on the Tacoma).

The total weight on top of the bed is approximately 115lbs for the cover, 45lbs for the cross bin, and maybe 40lbs worth of gear in the bin for a total of roughly 200lbs. The weight is pressing directly down on the bed, not out and towards the sides. I do not go off-road very often and when I do it is for camping (uneven roads at very low speeds), not rock crawling and/or heavy off-road use. I do not put a lot of weight in the bed or on the cover on a regular basis.

200lbs seems like a very light load to be warping the bed. It is also worth noting that the center panel of the cover is rigid and attaches at the bed rails with four clamps, which seems like it would act as a bed stiffener in a way.

If it is not already clear, I am very anal retentive about keeping my truck in pristine condition. It's a condition that I deal with daily and yes, I am seeking help...

Thank you in advance for all of your help.

 

I wouldn’t think you would need them unless you are adding a RTT or something similar. The cover is very easy to install....it took me any my 10 yo son about 35mins to do it. Simple hand tools and you are done. Certainly not worth paying someone to do it!

 

Diamondback looks so good on Cemenet Tacomas. Can’t wait to get mine installed!

 

Thank you for your reply. My wife and I installed the Diamondback HD bed cover in roughly the same amount of time as you and you son installed yours. My concerns about drilling holes into my truck was a reference to the bed stiffeners, not the cover.

That's a sharp looking rig, sir. I really wanted to get the cement model, but I settled for silver.

 

Ohhh, I see.....apologies

 

The tonneau mounts using the bed rails correct? If that’s the case then the tonneau is basically holding the bed taught anyway.

The only reason I’d buy bed stiffeners is for a fiberglass cap, heavy additions such as Rooftop tents or bed racks. Otherwise you can buy them just to have something else to install, but that’s about it.