Managing Weight of Truck Cap and DECKED Drawer System

I have a 2010 Base Standard Cab 4x4 4-cylinder Tacoma. The truck is being loaded for "car" camping, part-time videography jobs and for occasional house projects. All scenarios can have several hundred pounds loaded into the bed. I'm concerned that the stock leaf springs, suspension and other mechanisms that I'm unfamiliar with may need to be replaced or beefed up. I've researched some in these threads, but would really appreciate comment on my specific use case so that I can focus my research and make informed decisions. I'm woefully ignorant right now though.

An A.R.E. MX truck cap with roof rack will be installed soon. I've already installed a tailgate lock (Pop & Lock

$100 PL5400 Black Manual Tailgate Lock with Bolt Codeable Technology for Toyota Tacoma

PL5400). I'm considering adding a DECKED Drawer System for circumstances where I need to briefly secure some videography equipment in the drawer. The drawer and sleeping platform will be very welcome. I'm also considering Cali Raised Bed Stiffeners as insurance.

Is this too much weight to have in the truck (should I give up on the drawer system)? If not, what parts should I consider to preserve the truck and the ride?

 

Good call on the bed stiffeners, they're very good to have with a camper shell.

It's not too much weight to have in the bed, but you'll definitely want to consider upgrading the rear leaf springs with at least an "add a leaf" or new leaf pack. Or you can do airbags.
I'd recommend installing the drawers and camper shell, then loading the truck as it'll be driven most of the time, then take it to a truck stop/CAT scale and weigh it. Knowing the true weight of the truck is crucial to setting up the suspension appropriately.

Where are you located?

 

Excellent, thank you!

I'm located in Portland, Oregon. I make frequent trips at all times of year to mountain trailheads and campsites.

 

On my truck the ARE cap alone put the truck in the Butt squat bro Mode with the headlights aiming noticeably higher then they should have been. It had Toyota's crappy recall springs and definitely needed heavier springs or add a leafs esp when I put something with a little weight in the topper. I ended up with HD leaves and OME884 springs up front to level it out. The job lifted the truck about 1 3/4" which was something else I hoped to come out of the job. An add a leaf would be a cheaper alternative.

I didn't want a drawer system but wanted a place to store and lock stuff in the back. I ended up building a storage box in between the wheel wells that's bolted into the front tiedown points. I didn't loose the headroom in the topper for it's full length and this was a fraction of the cost of a drawer system. My DCSB is too short to sleep in so it's not interfering with any of that. If did sleep back there I wouldn't have gone this route. The platform works out nicely when loading the truck up for camping, I added lots of tiedown points

 

I’d start by getting a truck with a truck engine

 

It sure would be nice to have a V6, but this 4 cylinder was in my budget and it has been a good truck for my needs.

 

There is a sticker on the drivers door jamb with a statement that reads something like "(The weight of all passengers and cargo should not exceed XXXX lbs). It varies but 1000-1300 lbs is typical. You need to determine this 1st. Considering you have a base model truck with a regular cab you should be on the higher side so that's good. You might be closer to 1400 lbs with the 4 cyl engine.

That includes your weight as well as any passengers and cargo you put in the truck including the cap or the tongue weight of a trailer.

Figure out how much the cap weighs as well as everything you want to put in it. Most caps are 180-200 lbs and I doubt if everything else will go over your payload rating. Not having a crew cab keeps the weight of passengers down. Four adults riding in a crew cab Tacoma could just about max out payload without anything else in the truck.

I think you can make this work, but you have to 1st figure out the payload of YOUR truck and do the math on the weight of what you want to haul. If you're close to maxing out payload some suspension modifications will help improve the ride, but they don't increase how much weight you can safely carry.

 

Thanks for the insights! Combined weight for my truck should not exceed 1,300 lbs. (technically 1,297 lbs. per a sticker that reduces capacity by 3 pounds due to modifications). A.R.E. states that a stock MX cap on a mid-sized truck with a long bed is 200 lbs. The DECKED Drawer System for my truck is stated to weigh 205 lbs. Toss me and my daily carry items into the truck and I'm about 50% of the truck's capacity before gear/equipment.

 

I wasn't happy with the wasted space in the decked system so I built my own storage bench.

I'd recommend building something with PVC foam board. It is lighter than plywood and waterproof and you can custom build it around the items you need to secure.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ld-and-ramblings.452204/page-35#post-30196004

 

Don't listen to the 4-cyl haters. The 2TR-FE is one of the most reliable, most durable gas truck engines Toyota ever made. A proven million-mile motor if taken care of.