What is the purpose of this body style?

Is there any benefit to that bed design?

 

Maybe it's some type of anti theft.

 

That body style was made so that the rest of us can look at it and say "WTF my Tacoma looks way better than that!"

 

I've actually always been a fan. One of the early Toyota trucks I experienced and started my (problem) enthusiasm with them was a flareside 4WD my great uncle had.
At the time I was a kid and I thought it was a rocket and climbed any hill he pointed to.

So I am the one guy that likes them. Just saying.
I'm not a vegan though

 

There were a lot of PT Cruiser rear quarter panel and tail lights left over from Chrysler so Toyota bought them and gave us that truck.

 

Years ago narrow bed pickups made sense because there was space for the spare tire and maybe a gas can on the outside. The new ones don't do much for me.

 

I think Toyota was trying something new and it didn't fly.

 

Not Cool

Cool AF

 

They made those for the sole purpose of making people throw up in their mouths when they see it.

 

Tacoma version less WTF than on the Tundra IMO.......would definitely like to have 1st gen AC prerunner or 4wd 6cyl stepside, something like this............not everyone's cup of tea but whatever, nothing is............much rather have this than a 16, that front end is much more WTF than this bedstyle, once again IMO.

 

I saw one of those stepside Tundras yesterday. I didnt realize Toyota ever did that. Mostly I dont care for stepside, but a couple weeks ago I saw some Chevys that looked nice.

 

A nice square box with no fender bumps. Lots of "muscle" in the haunches of the fenders. "Steps" in the fenders to get into the box. I never liked them myself, but whatever.

 

Rather have the bed like that than a step thing in the receiver hitch or tacked on under the corner of the rear bumper myself.............at the end of a slider is cool tho.

 

It's quite clearly a Tundra?

Looks like stock trophy truck bedsides to me?

 

I don't haul enough plywood often enough for that to ever matter to me. I could haul 2 or 3 sheets laying in the bottom and resting on one bedside with a towl or blanket under it if ever needed...........and I wouldn't get rid of the 2nd gen to have another truck like that either so I'd have no issue with a bit narrower bed.

 

Embarassing would be a 2016 cab with that Tundra stepside bed on it.........

 

Ha! I own one. I actually use the step to get to the front middle of the bed. I put that gritty step tape on the cutouts so I don't lose a kneecap slipping off of the plastic.

They were only 2003-2006 Tundras, Access Cab only, 4.7 only. 50 inches between the wheel wells same as fleetside Tundras. More of a novelty than utility. The bed depth is two inches higher than the fleetside so if I had the standard bed I might actually be able to reach into the middle, go figure. Toyota wanted the bed capacity to be the same, hence the higher sides.

I didn't go looking for the mutt, it just happened to be the only low miles '05-'06 4WD Access Cab Tundra I could find anywhere near me. Plus it was a Limited with nice leather, no rust, factory Eaton LSD, clean two owner Carfax, 110k miles. I'm not particularly handsome myself so I felt an immediate connection to the mutt.

In two years of ownership I have not received a single compliment on its good looks.

 

I mostly just think they coulda done better with the taillights on the Tundra version. I actually like the "Hey, WTF was that" effect that both of them make people do. I woulda done the same thing if searching and one with the stepside was what was best shape and had other features I was looking for and/or extras I might not have been.

 

Best post in the whole thread!