How much strain will the bed rails on our Tacos take? Lateral strain, mainly.

I have an idea I'd like to try and I don't know if the bed rails will suspend 400# spread across 12" centers and both rails. It would end up with 33# pulling down and in every 12" on each railside.
With the tailgate closed to provide stability, would the bed rails hold that much mass, and does anyone know the structural limits on those rails?

 

Page 178 of the 2022 Canadian Owner's Manual.
"Do not exceed a total tensile load of 440 lb. (200 kg) per deck rail."

 

Oh, sweet! So not even a problem then; I won't be touching even half load. Thank you!

 

You're better off pulling OUT on them, then down or up.
The rails will twist. The closer you are to a rail mounting screw, the less it happens.

 

Just keep in mind the bed itself is polymer. It's one thing to suspend weight statically from the rails, and another to suspend weight and to flex that weight repeatedly for some time.

 

Ah, the rails are not through to the metal bed itself? Sorry, I've onlh had my Tacoma for a few weeks and haven't been able to fully explore details yet.

 

Hmm.. good point.
Once I have a solid test, I'll post up to 2nd Gen of teh project. I just don't want to talk about what it is because then I'll never do it.

 

You'll pull the D-Ring out of the rail, before the bed breaks.
But you'll start to see a gap between the bed and rail before this happens.

 

The bed is not metal. Knock on it with your fist and look at it through the rear wheel wells. The entire "tub" is polymer.

 

Ute tray

 

A lot depends on your use case.

"..the structural limits..." is a very broad umbrella. They're different in different directions, and in particular they're different depending on the dynamic loads they / the truck will be subject to regularly. Think "fatigue cycling."

If this 400# of whatnot is going to be around town on paved roads it may be fine, even long term.

If it's a truck that sees regular off-road use, depending on exactly what you have in mind it might not be all that good for the bed.

No need to be mysterious in the design phase. Make some sketches, share them here, before you spend 10 or 20 hours and 100's or 1000's of dollars and end up with something that is... questionable as far as long term durability.

 

I wasn't being secretive; if I talk about it, I will end up not doing it. .
I think I have to skip it, though. I was going to suspend a sheet of 3/4 CDX from cables connected to brackets in the rails for use as an easily removable bedframe during good weather travel; without taking up significant space in the lower portion of the bed.
Since the bed wall is fully plastic though, it won't work.