Does my taco have the power?

Hey everyone, I have been searching for a long time trying to find the right shell for my truck. But can’t seem to find one in my price, I am being a bit cheap.

But I am thinking it would save me quite a bit of money if I built my own cap instead. Going to make out of wood and guessing it would be somewhere around 300 pounds.

I have a manual 4 cylinder access cab with a long bed. Great truck but no power. I am wondering if the heavier cap would weigh my truck down too much? What do you guys think?

 

Yes, yes it would. Also you should look for an aluminum shell. They are significantly cheaper due to the 1980’s styling but substantially lighter also.

 

Or go with a soft topper if security isn’t an absolute.

 

Nonsense.

It will not. You will be fine.

I have a fiberglass shell (220lbs) plus another 200 lbs of everyday weight. I frequently load my truck to 1,000 pounds and even then I have no trouble maintaining the speed limit even in the Sierras. Yeah you're gonna have to downshift more often and use 3rd/4th a lot at highway speeds when going up grades but the truck will do it and I have been doing it regularly for the last 6 years.

I even have oversized tires which works against me. You will be in better shape than I for this reason.

That said... a DIY wood shell kind of sounds like a bad idea to me. I'd stay on the hunt for a used old fiberglass one. Crappy ones come up for cheap pretty often, at least around here.

 

Yes, you can haul a 300 lb cap. But I'd not build it from wood. Chances are it's going to be over 300. Aluminum will be under 100 and the way I'd go. You can buy a new aluminum cap for about 1/3 to 1/4 what you'd pay for fiberglass.

Your trucks payload and GVWR won't change. Every 50 lbs you add in accessories is 50 lbs less you can haul. And Tacoma's have limited payload to begin with. It varies by truck, you're probably around 1200-1300 lbs, maybe less. Check the sticker on the drivers door jamb. With a 300 lb cap that gets you to 900-1000. A driver and one passenger will be 300-500 lbs. Maybe more.

 

I guess it’s a magic little unicorn of a truck that perhaps does not know it’s own strength. LOL. I respect the position you have but stand by my assessment of the situation.

 

I drove my 09 access cab 2.7L stock with a leer 100R for a few years and it had no problem getting around. Adding a shell will be no problem at all

 

I'm not saying he'll be in the left lane going over Donner blowing by minivans like your 5.3 probably does. But a 2.7 loaded to payload is able to maintain 55 mph upgrade easily. Hell it's rated to tow 3500...5000 in Australia. It's not a weak 4 banger. Comparable to full size V8s of just a couple decades ago.

 

It is pretty weak by any modern metric. It is a 2.7l engine that produces 159hp. As a comparison, the 2.0 engine on the Corolla makes 169hp. If your criteria for being adequate is doing 55mph in the 3rd gear at 5k RPM, yeah I guess it is adequate for that.

 

*going over steep mountain passes

He asked if it will be weighed down too much. I'm saying he can throw in 3x what he's proposing and still easily maintain the speed limit in extreme scenarios, easily exceed it during normal flatland driving. We aren't street racing 'round here. If he asked "will I still be able to smoke my neighbors subaru down at the drag strip?" I would have said no, but you couldn't do that anyway!

Comes down to the type of driver you are. If you have the need for speed and like to floor it and hit your target merging speed 1/3 the way up the on-ramp, then no, you won't be satisfied. But If you just want to get around and drive the speed limit and don't care if it takes you awhile to get there.... then the 2.7 will do anything you ask


Hell.... if OP is really curious then just go down to home depot and buy 4 bags of 80lb concrete and throw it back there. Find out for yourself if it's acceptable

 

Not doubting your carpentry skills but you can find a shell used for amount you will spend on supplies, especially the lumber prices right now. Just be patient and those caps do pop up on CL for under $500.

 

I’m just busting your balls man. You and I are familiar with the same roads and I once had a Tacoma with a 2.7. All things considered they are impressive for daily driving.

 

Either you're not driving the 2.7L or this is the Stockholm Syndrome-iest shit I've ever read

The 2.7L is the epitome of gutless wonder, sure you can almost maintain speed uphill, as long as you're cool cruising at 4500 rpm.

 

OP. If you are skilled in woodworking. You could possibly use a monocoque construction like used for wood canoes or kayaks.

Build a mold.
Cut strips with a cove on one edge and a bead on the opposite edge.
Use wood glue to attach strip to strip following the mold shape.
Fiberglass the outside when complete.
Remove shell from the mold.
Fiberglass the inside.

I built a 16' Prospector canoe using this method. The canoe weighs 70 lbs. The strips are 3/8" thick made from Douglas Fir.

Look up wood strip canoe building to understand the process. Using this method the shell should be well under 300 lbs.

 

save up and buy a proper cap. A wood one is going to look like ass no matter how hard you try to make it look decent.

 

This

 

My '15 is a 2.7 machine and it has a Leer 100r on it. While the cap weighs a few pounds ( I can't fully lift it by myself, definitely a 2 person job), the truck seems to deal with it ok. The few times that I had the cap off I could tell a bit of a difference in the 'acceleration' but it wasn't enough that I would have kept the cap off.

 

I beg to differ on this bed rack.

 

That's a great rack! Just needs some hides over it to go full Fred Flintstone!

 

Will accommodate an RTT with zero issues. Just don't camp where you expect alot of beavers or woodpeckers.