Tacoma Ballast for Winter Conditions?

Our Tacoma will be the first truck I have driven in the weather that was not purchased by Uncle Sugar. Hopefully our DCSB OR (TRD Lift) will be built this week for delivery sometime this year. Anyway, I have read several posts about putting sand / weight in the bed to help with traction in the snow. What's the best way to do that? I would prefer to not be lifting 100lbs at a time or have sand pouring out of the bed. What's your solution? It would be nice to have containers of like 25lbs that could be quickly swapped in and out of the bed, but wasn't sure if they existed already. Saw that some companies have water bags, but the reviews are terrible. Also, not sure i want any water sloshing around in the bed and containers with water tend to freeze, expand, and crack. First, what makes the best ballast? Second, what's the best way to keep it contained?

 

Rubber OEM bed mat keeps things from sliding around. I use 4x40lb bags of cat litter, 2 on each side over the rear axle. And you can use the litter as a traction aid in a emergency.

makes a very noticeable difference

 

I have used 2 40 lb sand bags butmy next project is making some sand tubes with some leftover 4" PVC pipe. Going to add stainless u-bolts so i can tie them off so they dont roll around.

 

I built a simple wooden frame with 2x10s that forms a box braced by the wheel bumps. Filled that box with tube sand. Works great.

 

I actually didn’t do this intentionally but last snow storm we got about a month ago, I had two 60-pound dumbbells in the bed. I was just transporting them home from the store. I put one on each side of the bed, in the corners by the tailgate.

I have a set of very short bungee cords that I used to secure each dumbbell to the tie down point that is bolted to the bed closest to the tailgate. Hopefully I’m describing that well.

They didn’t move or shift an inch and it actually kept the truck on the road so well, I left them back there for a few days until all the ice and snow was gone. I have a Bakflip bed cover so they stayed dry.

I’m not sure how safe or practical that would be for long term use, but it worked amazingly well for the few days I needed it.

 

Agreed. Some weight helps.

usually while shoveling the driveway I just put some in the back of the truck… by the time the snow melts it’s no longer needed.

 

Ive found my bed with the spare in it (i dont like my spare under the truck), some recovery gear, bed mat and a couple odds and ends makes a difference. You dont need to go crazy adding weight.

 

I keep between 2-4 70lb sand bags back there strapped down directly over the rear axle. We live super far out in the country in the very corner of a county that receives very very minimal road clearing and literally zero salt / sand / brine. 280lbs is probably overkill if you drive on treated roads but it makes it so I barely have to think about snow out here. It allows me to keep it in 2WD in even the worst conditions and just use the rear locker when I need a little extra ummph. I haven’t actually needed 4WD to get out of anything yet, even this past ice storm was no match for the weight + the locker.

 

If it’s 4wd, I don’t see the need. Just a waiste of gas.

 

Another benefit of a camper shell.

 

Mine is empty and I don’t find it to be lacking in traction at all. The snow stays on our roads basically all winter, it gets too cold for salt. When the occasional plow or grader comes through, it basically has a zamboni effect and you end up driving on ice. Proper snow tires have the most impact, not just all terrains with the snowflake, actual dedicated snow tires. More expensive than sandbags, but if winter driving is a big concern, they are an invaluable investment.

like somebody mentioned above, if you have 4wd, use that. My trucks basically stay in 4wd from late October through march.

sand bags are always nice though. They’re cheap, can give you a little extra weight, and can be used for traction if you find yourself stuck on a hill/ice. Somebody was stuck in my driveway a couple months ago when they couldn’t get up the hill so I just threw down some sand and they were out.

 

I don't keep a lot of weight in it unless I'm having traction problems. Then 1 tube by each rear wheel. I used too, but with winter tires it's changed the need. I run 2 sets of tires.

 

To be honest, with the last four trucks I’ve owned I did put a couple of sand bags in the back each winter. Since I’ve had my taco I haven’t bothered and haven’t felt like I needed to.

 

Two 2'x2'x2" cement patio tiles, six 50lb sand bags along with the couple of hundred pounds of gear and tools for work. OME HD and air bags in the back, OME 886 in the front.

Tiles sit flat and don't take up much space, sand bags can always be used for traction. I built a small deck on top of the rear wheel wells for my tool box. Sand bags for between the deck and the tiles.

 

You think you get the same MPG in 4 as you do in 2? 2wd plus a couple hundred pounds is still better than 4WD MPG empty.

 

Three 70 pound sand bags in our two Tacomas has worked for me. I have driven 4 wheel drive trucks for over 30 years and have always added sandbags in the beds for traction. If seventy pounds is too much for you to lift, have someone from the place where you buy the bags load them for you. In the spring just drive someplace where it will work for you to open the bags and just dump the sand off you tailgate. The sand bags are very inexpensive. Do the same every winter.

 

So OP, if you havent figured it out from the comments, ill break it down for you.

1. Anyone that thinks they need weight in the bed for winter is a massive idiot and is wasting fuel and or is a pussy.

2. You should fill your bed with anything you can get your hands on.


Try it with and without some weight in the bed and make up your mind for yourself. Your opinion is the one that matters.

 

I have 4 50lb bags of ice melt across the back of the bed. Use as needed and replenish when two are left. Works for me.
I had 2 4' pieces of railroad track in there last year. The bags stay put better.(on the bed mat)

 

OP, if your vehicle is 4X4 I wouldn't add any weight, other than a bed mat or whatever gear/cargo you may haul. 2X2 is different story.
If you do decide to add weight, remember there is a downside to it: added weight will decrease your braking/stopping efficiency. Its very important to be able to "go", and even more important to be able to stop.

 

Flat cement patio tiles, dumbbell weights or railroad tracks (wtf??) are among the stupidest things i have ever heard anyone put in the back of a truck for ballast. They cant be strapped down and could kill you or others if you get into an accident.