Tool Box or Bed Cap? What fits your needs better?

All my tools and accessories fit behind/under the rear seats. I have a roll up tonneau that I really like (more than I thought i would). It rolls up in 5 seconds and gives me full use of the bed. It keeps prying eyes off of whatever I have back there and also keeps things pretty dry.

 

I'll take a cop out and say Softopper. Maybe not as dry or dustproof as a hard cap but dry enough and very easily removed or folded down. I like being able to move stuff in my truck like furniture, bikes, etc. I found two small tool boxes behind my driver and passenger seats is working fairly well in combination with access cab rear seat cubbies. Tons of space.

 

I get the appeal of a tool box. I don't carry tools often enough to need one, but I would have one anyway if there wasn't decent underneath seat storage for my recovery gear and go bag and such. I use a trifold for luggage and just toss my tools in the back when I need to carry them somewhere. I've almost always got something in bed.

 

Dude that is brilliant. Never thought of putting the jack and too bag in my toolbox to free up space! Damn i love this place

 

Thanks! Credit goes to @mZiggy for that piece of brilliance.

 

Seems it would depend on your personnel usage and the amount and size of tools you carry/use as to which would be most practical for you.
Both toolboxes and caps have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

Toolbox and bed cover combined by Truck Covers USA...

 

Just as a point of reference. Love my weatherguard and the long bed

 

Thats sexy right there!

 

Toyota Tacoma Campershell camper shell cap for 2005-2015
I know this is for a 2 gen... if you search Craigslist under “parting out Tacoma” you can find some good stuff.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/for/d/carmichael-toyota-tacoma-campershell/7031093435.html.

 

never seen that before, super cool

 

This is how I have been running the last year.
Best compromise for me. For now.
Thinking a cap, or soft topper and rack may be the permanent solution though.

 

Toolbox! Lets the pup get some air when he wants

 

Had a topper and long-bed on my 2010, went with a tonneau and short-bed on my 2020. Here’s how I’m solving things currently.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/found-a-tool-recovery-storage-solution-for-3rd-gen-short-bed.642153/

 

I had a cap on my 91, it was pretty nice but had a tendency to acquire things over time that just added extra weight. If it slid to the front of the box it was a pain to climb in and retrieve.

Benefits were lockable storage and never having to worry about rain when hauling.

I put a tool box in my 99 and have stayed that way for the following trucks. Loading and unloading is so much easier if all you have to do is reach over the bedside. Bulk loads like mulch are impossible unless you pull the cap off and that's more of a headache than a toolbox.

Sometimes I think about getting a cap again but it usually passes quickly. I cant believe how much theyve gone up. My roof height gel cap with matching paint and sliding windows was just under $900 brand new in 1994.

 

Get what you need, not what others are doing. I carry items that would not to do well if they got wet and and I like as much theft prevention as possible. Those two priorities did not leave a lot of options. I had a Folder-A-Cover on my 2006 Taco and it met my needs plus I could just open the front to get things out quickly if I wanted. That was very handy. My 2019 Taco has a Diamondback cover that is excellent. And if I need the whole bed it takes less than 5 minutes to remove the entire cover and only about 10-15 to reinstall it and still have it watertight.

 

Nice. Is the rack a commercial unit or did you make it/have it made? I want a taller rack that will also serve as the front of a ladder rack system, with a single upright attachable to the right rear of the bed. I originally thought I wanted a toolbox too but I wouldn't ever have it filled enough with a road set of tools to justify it, and it will make hauling plywood or drywall impossible in the bed. I'm used to packing my tools in blowmolds, soft-sided bags, and 5-gal buckets, they have always fitted wherever I cram them in when needed.

 

DB, secure as a tool box but much bigger!

 

Camper shell with windoors. I carry plenty of stuff when traveling that I'd like to keep dry... camping gear, hunting gear, luggage, etc. If I need to haul something that won't fit, I've got a utility trailer. I had a tonneau, but it limits the amount of stuff we needed when camping.

 

Truck cap for me. Works well for hauling around my tiling tools and hunting / fishing gear during open seasons.