Question For those that USE their Truck bed as a truck

+1 for the rubber bed mat. Changed my opinion of the bed completely.

 

+2 for the mat. I had a Gen 2 without one, dealer talked me into one for my Gen 3. Wouldn't live without it after having one now, world of difference. Plus get a good set of tie downs, I use ratchet style, they work very well.

 

I have a DCLB and bought a 4' X 6' heavy rubber stall mat for livestock from tractor supply for $35. I just had to trim around the wheel wells slightly. It's almost 1" thick and doesn't budge.

 

I would LOVE a steel bed. but weight is a huge factor.

Why, you ask? because the first thing I ever loaded into the truck bed was a metal cabinet that I was moving to my garage. While sliding the metal cabinet into the bed it hit the wheel well and put a gash into it. Had this been a steel bed, it might have only scraped some paint instead of tearing into fibrerglass.

Thats said, my bed will be Line-X'd for further protection.

 

That's a lot of stink!!! No problems with the outlet.

 

Bed mats are great unless you need to slide a load in like pallets, firewood or shovel a load out like gravel, sand, large boxes etc...

For my purposes they are more of a hindrance than a help. Seemed I was always removing the damn thing or flipping it back...

 

I hauled 1,400 pounds of cement no sweat.

Get a bed mat, it's way to slippery. I was hauling a steel plate 2'x4' x 3/16", and slammed the brakes, and I thought I punctured the front near the cab it it so hard.

The total chaos bed stiffeners give really sturdy tie down points, and a antenna/ whip mount.

 

Don't know if anyone has said this or not but next time you feel like going to the dealer tell them to check out this Tech Tip for the leaf springs. You could probably do it yourself really. T-TT0429-16 is the number

 

That looks like Canadian Geese, you got a permit to kill our citizens?

 

Yup..anyone not strapping stuff down is an ass. One thing to not care about your item, but care about others on the road in case something happens.

 

Right here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/duke-of-deals-round-2.463174/

 

I've moved a ton of things in mine.

Plywood
Sheetrock (both from the store and junk pieces to throw away)
2000 pounds or damn close of paver base and stone.
Patio stone kit.
Tractor (quite a few times)

I won't tell you my bed looks brand new but I shouldn't expect it to. Trick is like any other bed just place things in it as opposed to throwing or slamming things. No bed mat, no problem..

 

Got ours from the dealer as an aftermarket accessory when we bought the 2017 Tacoma.

 

Did this already but they start squeaking again as soon as you drive down a dirt road

 

yeah figures...well just trying to be helpful at least!

 

I haven't had any issues with the bed . I do need a bed mat though .

 

We figured they were- they went "HONK eh?, HONK eh?" brfore we dropped 'em...

 

My 2006 long bed held up okay. There's a few area's I found weak, the front panel against the cab, the tie down rails and cleats and the composite material didn't hold up to gouging and scratching so a bed mat was needed. The bed on my 2010 Frontier is excellent, the only thing I miss about the Tacoma's is the storage bins.

 

+1

it's Dee Shit!

 

Yeah I haven't had mine long but it has been nice being able to smoothly slide in a pallet full of junk and then secure it. Way better than awkwardly grinding it forward with the forklift.