Rust on the bed rails of composite bed

My 2017 Tacoma SR has a few rusty spots that I need to take care of. One area of concern is under the corners of the plastic of the composite bed. The truck had been a fleet truck and may have had a rack or equipment resting on the plastic, causing the plastic to wear through the paint on the metal bed rails.

I'm wondering the best way to gain enough space to get in to prep for painting and to paint. I see that the entire unit ( metal quarter panels and plastic bed) is designed to be removed as if one piece. Is it possible to loosen fasteners somewhere so the plastic and metal can be separated enough that I can get enough space to work?

 

Those are caps and just pop off.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/plastic-bed-rail-cap-removal.755925/

 

Wow. Thank you so much. It's so dependent on using the right search terms like "bed rail cover removal" lol

here's one youtube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WFRlUiBH7s

 

Clean ur car more often and it won't happen

 

Read the original post correctly and you won't appear to be so ignorant

 

This reminds me I need to pull my caps off this summer and clean under them.

 

ewwwfff, that rust looks rough.
I guess I need to check mine before it gets this bad. I wonder if it has to do with the white paint.

 

This is caused by a combination of a few things. Having a bed rack or cover puts pressure on the caps, sand and silt gets under the caps and the slight vibration of driving causes the sand to grind into the paint over time.

 

the 'bed' is composite but the bed sides are still metal.

 

thanks, that's what I figured. Mine was clean when I out the topper on, I am assuming dirt doesn't get in and up under there? I am sure it needs to be kept clean, but merely hosing up under the lip with the hose and a foamy sponge sufficient?

 

Bingo

 

I would spray it out as often as possible if your on dusty conditions.

 

Careful, you'll get called ignorant lmao

 

Im just waiting for the "its a truck, it should be scratched and dented" crowd to show up.

 

That or the known problem of white paint flaking off in large pieces.

 

While the white paint does flake off, the underlaying primer is always still intact so rust on white trucks is not a terrible issue when the paint flakes off. Now the spot welds on the front side of the bed on white trucks is a whole extra issue.

 

Im here, Beer me. Its a truck but damn i wouldnt want rust bubbling out from under the bed cover.

 

Often around here, if you don’t use your truck like a knuckle dragging Neanderthal, it’s not a “truck”

 

Heck, if you pay the thing off it ain't a real truck!

 

If you aren't using affirm to buy mods, making an IG profile with "overland" incorporated into the username, you ain't got a truck at all.