Show me your shell!

Thanks guys for all the input and info ! Very helpful and much appreciated!

 

depending on what you carry you may also wish to consider airbags. Use separate filler valves.
That way you can also adjust for the tacoma lean as well as keeping things level.

 

Same, 93,000 miles, ARE cap, many offroad miles, no issues to report. Maybe stiffeners needed for those running the heavier aluminum toppers with the pop ups, but I have no experience with those.

 

That is all great news. Thanks again to all how replayed ! Not sure what those other guys were trying to say that be running a shell or rack was fatiguing the composite bed and causing it to ware out the composite gussets of the bed where it meets the frame of the truck . I was trying to find that article to reread it and see if I can understand it better. It been a while since I had read that . But at any rate you all are running them with no issues so I will go with that . Much appreciate everyones replays and ideas!!
I do have the bed stiffeners coming .

 

When I had my Tacoma I put the Total Chaos bed stiffness in as precaution. I had the weight of the shell plus the load on top, strictly as a precaution.

 

jsut going to say this, my bed has brackets bolted to them and they scrub my tailgate on the corners and have and my truck cap has been on for the majority of its 200k life. its not opened up once, still tight enough to take some paint scuffing on the mounts.

 

Wait we are suppose to but bed stiffeners with camper shells? I’m newer to third gens never did this on my second gen

 

Bed stiffeners can protect the bedsides from the weight pushing the sides outward, I mean you put tent up there something like that.

You don't need bed stiffeners if you don't carry tent up there, or don't going extreme off roading.. which you going easy on public roads.

But you never know there are potholes all over place if you are carrying load in back such as tent, accessories, etc. The weight can slam bed down if you go over pothole if you didn't pay attention.

I have them on mine.. I went off road with my shell.. No problem.

Remember back in the day, when the 2nd gens came out, not many people install the mods like 3rd gens have.

 

I’ve had my shell on for 4 years now. I don’t have bed stiffeners, but I also only take it off road every once in a while. The bed seems perfectly fine. Like Tazminator said, unless you have the extra weight on top or doing some serious off roading, they aren’t necessary.

 

I didnt put them on until I noticed the gap between my tail gate and bed sides was uneven and they went on immediately after as a precaution.

Regardless of their stiffening function, they are my absolute favorite tie down points and I recommend them for that, alone.

 

Yeah I forgot to mention about the tie downs on the stiffeners.. I have those as well. Works great for carrying my kayak in the bed.

 

Any of you have bed stiffeners with drawer buildouts? I have drawers so I’d bet they’d get in the way

 

Total chaos bed stiffeners.
Fits perfect and doesn’t get in the way. The drawers overlap the bed mat which fits perfectly over the bed stiffeners. I am sure some builds will get in the way.

 

That’s a great point for more tie down areas!

 

I’ll have to see if that would fit mine. I had overland woodworks make my box so it’s pretty fitted to my truck bed

 

Just got this 2018 6Speed with a cap on it.

 

Just got this on 2013, came off of a 2015 access cab, tight fit but will do. Great addition, rubbed some, but got it back 1/16". like it

 

Got rid of the 3.0 ikamper clamps and the standard height alucab loadbar spacer, got the cyst fabricated brackets low-profile mounts. Now the tent sits super flat ontop of my Contour. Super happy about this.

 

one of the few camper toppers id 100% swap out for what i have now!

 

how difficulty was it getting everything tight? it was tough enough for me with the standard height feet on my alucab