Assistance with Soft Top

I am contemplating the purchase of either a Soft Topper or a Bestop. I need a little help from the folks here who already have one installed.

This is a long shot but I would like to keep my tool box installed with the top. My tool box is a UWS and is 1 ft. wide and about 5.5 inches tall. It sits on the rail but only uses about an inch of space. Just wondering if this combo will work. Photos attached.

As always, any information is much obliged.

 

@JRGMann @DoorDing

 

Just from what I see, it will not work. The bar that the soft top mounts to goes on the inside edge on top of the bed sides.

 

If it didn't sit on the rails, it would work

 

I may have to just settle for a new tool box that would sit on the fender wells and perhaps get it flush with the rail height. That way I could access it by opening the side of the soft top (either brand).

 

I had a chest style a long time ago that would have worked

 

Appreciate the input Gentlemen.

 

I will be taking by soft top off tomorrow, I'll try to remember to take some pictures of where the rails sit on the bed.

 

I feel like a bestop would work but not a softopper. Bestop mounts with 2 clamps on each side which hold down its flat rail. You might be able to get away with mounting it with the front rail clamps up against the box and the rear ones in their normal spot and you'd have to have the toolbox sit on top of the Bestop rails that run along the stock plastic bedside caps. Only issue id see is you probably would be able to fold it down properly which almost defeats purpose of having a soft top. But it'd be fine if your fine with in lipping the top when you didn't need to use it.

 

I'm not familiar with it because I have a Bestop but do softopper clamps have to be in a specific spot on the rail to set the top up? The main reason I'd bet a Bestop would work is because the clamps can be fudged in there position a bit.....I think they recommend like 12" from each end or something like that.

 

Yeah true. Bestop has the rails tucked more along the center line of the plastic caps but like I was thinking, even if that cleared he'd probably never be able to fold the top down cause it'd sit right on the toolbox 100%, unless the box was moved forward toward tailgate ~8" but then it's cutting into bed space.

OP I'll take a snapshot tomorrow to give you and idea of spacing. And maybe get you some measurements depending on when I have free time

 

I'm late to this cause I just saw I was tagged in it. Bestop won't work. Mine sits right on the inside railing, so there won't be any space. I actually just took mine off yesterday so I can't take a picture for you. But I think you're out of luck. I have a chest toolbox in the back of mine kinda like you used to have. Sorry I didn't see this sooner so I could get some pictures for you.

 

Though as it was mentioned, the Bestop does have a flat rail, but I still hesitate to say that there's enough room on the flat rail for your toolbox to rest without damaging the topper.

 

Not the greatest, but this photo is form the Tacoma front inside edge of the Tacoma bed rail system to the part of the bestop arms that support the top.

 

This photo is from the inside vertical edge of the soft top rail edge to inside edge of bed.

 

Thanks for everyone's input. I decided to go with the soft topper. I find the looks a bit more appealing and I didn't want to have to remove side windows and what not. Based on the feedback here the soft topper will be close to the edge so keeping my toolbox is out. I did manage to find a tool box that will function essentially the same and will sit on the fender wells. I opted for the gull wing design for easier access from the sides. Again, thanks for the feedback.