Tacoma bed mezzanine

Only if Toyota sells 2x6's.

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 16:47:20 GMT, B A R R Y found these unused words floating about:

I'm sure they would supply them at the usual 300% markup ...

I can't complain about my local dealer.

I get OEM oil filters for $4, and he matched the best online prices I could find for running boards, a bed mat, a wind deflector, and some extra tie-downs for my '05 Tacoma.

You know what I mean. I can buy some 2x6s and a sheet of plywood, but to have it unfold and make an 80" or 8' deck would require a 4' continuous hinge and some ~10" legs under the plywood. Also the bed is 56" wide above the wheel wells. A 4' x 8' sheet is not perfect for unrolling a couple of sleeping bags in the back.

I think those indents are there specifically for people carrying 4' wide sheets of plywood or drywall/Sheetrock flat in the truck, it gets the sheet goods just high enough that they clear the wheelwells on each side. You'll have to measure and cut the boards on your own, I've never seen a kit.

I would bevel the end cuts, then take a router and a cove bit and round over the corners of the lumber - since the indents in the bed walls are curved and not sharp corners, the wood will fit better without wrecking the paint quite as fast if the contact areas meet closely and the loads are spread out. Leave a little slop (1/8") because wood expands and contracts with moisture content.

And if you want the plywood to go all the way across in one piece, call around to the larger regional lumber yards (Ace Hardware won't have it) - you can get 3/4" BCX "Game Table" Plywood in 5'x10' sheets.

One sheet of plywood gives you two pieces of ply for a standard

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Thanks.

The dealer told me those notches were to accomodate an accessory, the bed extender. I can't see any good reason why Toyota would publish plans for a wooden thing that would compete with the sales of a nice accessory.

The notches are slightly angled, as you've no doubt noticed. You'd need to put a straightedge across the rails and use it as a reference to measure the angle, which you'd then transfer to the ends of the 2x6 you're cutting.

This is #319 on my project list, so that's as much thought as I've put into it.

Paint?

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 18:06:26 GMT, B A R R Y found these unused words floating about:

At the time of purchase or a year or two later? My dealer had filters for $3.59 in their mailings for the first year, then it became $6.95. I finally tumbled to the 'game' when a new purchaser waiting for a checkup had a mailing for $3.59 and my charge for it was still going to be $6.95 each. (I was there for an unnotified warranty recall I found on line!)

The guy at the parts counter doesn't know I bought the truck there. He types in "cash sale" to the computer, swipes my card, and I leave.

I'm still paying $4.20, or so, when I buy two at a time, with a free plug washer dropped in each box.

If not paint, Rhino Lining or Line-X type plastic coating. They don't ship them raw. (Wait - those are the ones that are molded fiberglass...?)

Then again, if you could pay a 20% or 30% premium and get a truck with an all-Stainless Steel body (painted like normal), frame, and all major rustable components, would you?

They would have an instant best-seller anywhere they get snow. And it would only take minor changes on the assembly line.

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my truck came with a plastic insert in the bed... that got trashed in favor of a rubber mat.

Probably not for me... too many miles too fast, the truck will be worn out/traded in long before rust became a problem. I figure about 8 years max for the milage. (I put 42,000 miles on it in 14 months without a major road trip)

True on both counts... and not just where they get snow, but also on coastal areas.

Riiiggght! NO paint, no Line-X, no rust...

New Tacomas, as the OP stated, don't have plastic inserts, they have fiber-reinforced plastic BEDS. You can drill it, scratch it, slam it, etc... with no rust and no added plastic or spray-in liners.. The only metal in the bed are the bolts, tracks, and the rear corner pillars.

The rubber mat is still very useful for keeping cargo from sliding around and throwing over lightweight cargo (think wood chips or foam insul-board).

I use my truck as a truck, and almost two years into it still LOVE the new bed. The only damage I have is a tiny hole where a 300+ pound, cast iron, TEFC motor-equipped, floor sander barrel rolled into the side of the bed during an evasive traffic maneuver. The sander broke, after moving the truck so much I though I got hit! Great stuff! That sander would have seriously damaged a steel bed.

Okay, but you'll still get contact wear from the motion, so you still want to round off those corners to match. And stick something in there to minimize the rubbing, like a chunk of mud-flap rubber.

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