New to me 2018 Tacoma/ what is this?

Hi! I'm a new member here having purchased a used 2018 Tacoma TRD OFF Road earlier this month. I love it!! Still trying to get used to the 20 MPG. I was driving a Camry that got around 35 MPG.

I'm still learning things about it. One thing in the bed puzzles me as I can't find anything about it in the manual or online.

I've attached a picture of it. There's one on each side of the tailgate.

What is it?

Many thanks.

Thom

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/oem-bed-extender-install-write-up.153713/

Bed Extender mount


....and welcome to TW

 

Where is the bed extender?

 

Looks like a bottle opener until you find the extender

 

if must have flew off during the op's test drive....

 

Original owner probably sold it?

 

It’s rust, get used to it. Probably spread from your frame and is now rusting your bed (one of those two results might be inaccurate).

Weird that the prior owner may have kept the extender but did not take the mounts.

 

Bed extender..hmmm.....I'll have to go back to the dealer and ask. Maybe the original owner kept or sold it. Or maybe the dealership has it. No, it was not on there when I made my test drive. Lol

 

When I first bought my truck I thought about getting a bed extender.

Since I use Craigslist often both buying and selling I searched and almost every bed extender was listed “without mounting hardware”.

If I were you I would ask the dealership but if they didn’t have one laying around that they would give you for free, I would search used.

That is if you decide you actually need one.

I figured out that for my needs, a bed extender isn’t necessary.

And also- welcome to TW.

 

I'd bet anything it was either lost or damaged/discarded by the original owner long before the truck was sold to the dealer.

 

Having the short ass DCSB bed, I find the extender to be very handy. If the dealer doesn't help you out it's worth looking for a used one IMO.

 

The bed extender is in the cubby next to the blinker fluid.