Bed Stiffeners: overkill or useful?

I don’t think you need bed stiffeners if you’re just using the box to haul stuff around. Or if you are just throwing a canopy on.
Two of my friends who have Tacomas (2nd and 3rd gen) have had their composite beds crack. they both had RTT’s supported on the bed sides.
the 3rd gen noticed a gap on the left side of his tail gate indicating that the bed wall had warped.
I have a RSI Smart Cap and a RTT on my 3rd gen. I usually only go on weekend trips and hadn’t noticed cracks or side wall bends.
A few weeks ago I did a 10day trip with lots of off road and used the tent every night (2 people and a dog). When I got back I noticed a sizeable gap on the left side of my tail gate. Very noticeable. So I installed Caliraised bed stiffeners. I haven’t noticed much in terms of ride quality (maybe a slight stiffness to the box) but I did notice the bed stiffeners fixed the gap!
So if you are carrying weight with a RTT plus people I’d highly recommend!

installation of the Cali Raised stiffeners was super easy! They sit below your cargo D ring and bed mounting bolt. You drill 4 holes in the side frame. They give you all the instructions including videos. It took me 20 minutes to do both sides. Make sure you remove your tail lights first. Your factory cargo mat will need to be trimmed slightly.