Again (IMPO) Chris's problem may look isolated (at present) to ONE truck. If it turns out that it is; then so much the better, for Toyota and all other '05 owners. I'd like to hope that, it is! But if it isn't; Toyota could be, on the very verg of cutting their own throats here! The reason is simple... the Tacoma, as we ALL know, has been Toyota's "flag-ship" (if you will) for basically, the life of the Toyota truck name, since the truck market (in general) became an established intity [in-and-of itself] several years ago, here in North America. With a completely new Tundra expected for '06/'07; if the Tacoma isn't cuttin' the mustard [now], it'll be an even HARDER sale for Toyota, if the new Tundra utilizes the new Tacoma's techology! Wouldn't you agree?! We can only hope, right now (until Chris advises us on his truck) that this "is" an isolated issue to just ONE truck. If down the road though, we find out that there are other '05's developing this same problem; let's hope Toyota will think this thing through rather quickly! If for no other reason, than that of Toyota's... "Truck Reputation"!
I wouldn't go as far to say the new bed will wipe the reputation the Taco has earned through out the years... If Toyota fails, and by all means it's possible... Then they'll just make the next Tacoma with steel beds again... Toyota would not be cutting their own throats and fall off the face of the Earth because a few hundred trucks they sold start to have cracking beds...
All I know is, Toyota can build a whole line of crappy cars / trucks... I'll bet you they're still going to be in business long after smaller companies crumble... As long as they have their Camry, they can make all sorts of monsters
This whole thing could be another example of why you shouldn't buy a 1st year vehicle. If this is a widespread problem, you can bet they'll fix it at the factory ASAP.
Remember this when the "new" Tundra comes out in a couple of years. You know there'll be lots of bugs in that too. I'd wait (easier said then done) at least 2 years to get the bugs out.
I brought my truck home from the dealership last night. The replacement bed hasn't arrived yet and anyways they want me to remove the shell before they change the bed (of course).
So far I haven't got any new information; the service manager said that he couldn't understand the Japanese that the Toy techs were speaking but they took a lot of pictures and notes. They also left a questionnaire sheet as to how the shell works and how much of a load I had in it while 4x4'ing. I told them roughly 750-800 lbs. Maybe they weren't expecting this much weight?
Anyhow here are a few new pictures for those interested. So far they still haven't said anything about my mounting method - good or bad.
Also, and I forgot to mention this before since it takes a backseat to the huge crack next to it, but look closely at the picture of the crack. To the right you will see two white marks on the bed. I thought at first that they were just rub marks from something rubbing (as things always do offroad no matter how careful I am). But if you rub your hand over them, they are 1/8" indentations in the bed! Turns out my metal Coleman camp stove was rubbing there for who knows how many miles, and it started to rub clean through the bed!!! What does this mean for long term durability? I had so much stuff rubbing against my Line-X'd bed in my old truck and it barely made a mark on the Line-X.
I'm really starting to worry about the longetivity of this bed.
I brought my truck home from the dealership last night. The replacement bed hasn't arrived yet and anyways they want me to remove the shell before they change the bed (of course).
So far I haven't got any new information; the service manager said that he couldn't understand the Japanese that the Toy techs were speaking but they took a lot of pictures and notes. They also left a questionnaire sheet as to how the shell works and how much of a load I had in it while 4x4'ing. I told them roughly 750-800 lbs. Maybe they weren't expecting this much weight?
Anyhow here are a few new pictures for those interested. So far they still haven't said anything about my mounting method - good or bad.
Also, and I forgot to mention this before since it takes a backseat to the huge crack next to it, but look closely at the picture of the crack. To the right you will see two white marks on the bed. I thought at first that they were just rub marks from something rubbing (as things always do offroad no matter how careful I am). But if you rub your hand over them, they are 1/8" indentations in the bed! Turns out my metal Coleman camp stove was rubbing there for who knows how many miles, and it started to rub clean through the bed!!! What does this mean for long term durability? I had so much stuff rubbing against my Line-X'd bed in my old truck and it barely made a mark on the Line-X.
I'm really starting to worry about the longetivity of this bed.
-Chris
Wow time to sell this truck if it was me i would be looking for something else aka Tundra .I really hope Toyota doesnt add this bed on the new Tundra if they do it's there loss .If Toyota thinks plastic is going to hold up in a real truck enivioment there dead wrong. It's intresting Maytag the spinner i have in my washer stated that too would last lifetime and that too is made of a plastic is that why i just had this replaced under there warrenty.Plastic in my opinion doesn't cut it and the material is soo cheap too use reason why number one I wouldn't suggest this on a bed material..
Man, I really hate seeing this. If the bed in your truck isn't any different from every other new Tacoma bed... Toyota is going to get a preverbial kick right in the junk. As if we haven't heard enough flack from domestic truck owners already.
If a Coleman camp stove rubbed INTO the composite bed... how can they advertise a quad doing a burnout in their commercials?
Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope you just bought a Tacoma made on a Friday and the material for the bed was accidentally mixed with paint thinner before it was molded. J/K... I don't wish that on anyone. Just hope you make out alright after everything is said and done.
Thanks for the updates and pictures
__________________
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
I wouldn't go as far to say the new bed will wipe the reputation the Taco has earned through out the years... If Toyota fails, and by all means it's possible... Then they'll just make the next Tacoma with steel beds again... Toyota would not be cutting their own throats and fall off the face of the Earth because a few hundred trucks they sold start to have cracking beds...
Absolutely... you're entitled to your opinion. I think you may have misinterpreted my point on this, as I doubt Toyota is gonna' go out of business over this either. However, "IF" this does turn out to be a problem with the new Tacoma, AND Toyota does go through with using this same composite bed on it's new Tundra... IMPO... I believe, that Toyota will suffer some rather heavy repercussions! After all, most people buy trucks to be used as trucks, without the worry of how they place cargo, in the bed, or for that matter (as in Chris's case) off-roading and placing a shell on the bed! If this new bed does fail, you're right, in the fact that... they will have to do something! Either find a composite solution or (as you stated) return to the steel bed. Even so, the fact is, this could be a VERY costly (call it a) growing pain! Fact is, as the cost of these trucks seems to get a little higher every year, at some point, the consumer is going to say... enough is enough and they'll move on to another manufacturer sooner or later. That's when, Toyota will [kinda'] have slit their own throats... IN THE TRUCK MARKET ONLY!
Yet, even had said that... just this morning, Chris has added more info, which further serves, to help prove my point!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisc16
Also, and I forgot to mention this before since it takes a backseat to the huge crack next to it, but look closely at the picture of the crack. To the right you will see two white marks on the bed. I thought at first that they were just rub marks from something rubbing (as things always do offroad no matter how careful I am). But if you rub your hand over them, they are 1/8" indentations in the bed! Turns out my metal Coleman camp stove was rubbing there for who knows how many miles, and it started to rub clean through the bed!!! What does this mean for long term durability? I had so much stuff rubbing against my Line-X'd bed in my old truck and it barely made a mark on the Line-X.
I'm really starting to worry about the longetivity of this bed.
-Chris
Quote:
Originally Posted by KAuss
All I know is, Toyota can build a whole line of crappy cars / trucks... I'll bet you they're still going to be in business long after smaller companies crumble... As long as they have their Camry, they can make all sorts of monsters
I totally agree with you here. But here again... Toyota's Camry is also their car equivalent to the Tacoma, as the company's flagship! If they mess around with the success of the Camry as they "may" have done with the Tacoma, it only stands to reason... it's gonna' cause Toyota some BIG problems down the road. Heck... just look at Nissan's Titan for example! They couldn't GIVE me one of those things! Ah-mmm... correct that. They could, but I'd turn right around and trade it, on a Toyota!
See, I don't think Toyota's going out of business either.
__________________ 2004 SR5 Double Cab 4x4 w/TRD Pkg. Mods to Date:
16" 5 Spoke Brawn Enkei Wheels, Keyless Entry, Line-X Bed Liner, Challenger Running Boards, Husky Floor Liners, Bug Flector II (painted to match), Colegan Bra, Borla Dual (Side-Exit) Exhaust System, 2" Wheeler's Coil Lift, TRD Add-A-Leafs Mods to Come:
265/75/16 BFG A/T's, Possible Mods:
Seat Covers, 3M Clear Bra (hopefully... just cost so friggin' much!)
I hope not. Saturn is the only manufacturer that I know of that has extensively used plasic for its body panels. I have heard their use of plastic panels is one of the main reasons why their body panel tolerances are not up to par. I have heard that the panels expand a lot more than steel in hot climates.
actually, the saturn body panels work out rather well in hot climates and overall conditions. my brother has a Saturn VUE and he lives in San Antonio TX during the summer (round 95-110) and then in Dallas during the winter(stuff gets pretty damn cold up there, 10s 20s.) and hes had no problems. I was originally skeptical of these plastic body panels but they work well and make allot of sense. its like having durable fender flares for body panels
I brought my truck home from the dealership last night....
So far I haven't got any new information; the service manager said that he couldn't understand the Japanese that the Toy techs were speaking but they took a lot of pictures and notes. They also left a questionnaire sheet as to how the shell works and how much of a load I had in it while 4x4'ing. I told them roughly 750-800 lbs. Maybe they weren't expecting this much weight?
Anyhow here are a few new pictures for those interested. So far they still haven't said anything about my mounting method - good or bad.
Also, and I forgot to mention this before since it takes a backseat to the huge crack next to it, but look closely at the picture of the crack. To the right you will see two white marks on the bed. I thought at first that they were just rub marks from something rubbing (as things always do offroad no matter how careful I am). But if you rub your hand over them, they are 1/8" indentations in the bed! Turns out my metal Coleman camp stove was rubbing there for who knows how many miles, and it started to rub clean through the bed!!! What does this mean for long term durability? ...
-Chris
Thanks, Chris, for sharing this information. It certainly gives all of us considering the new Tacoma something to think about. And thanks for the new photos; they show clearly how you attached the shell and also the aftermath. I for one really appreciate your efforts to keep us all informed!
Those rub marks in a painted steel bed would be right down to the bare metal. You can't compare a Line-Xed bed (with a $400 add on liner) to a stock composite bed.
As an engineer I'm a little curious as to how much force was applied to the bed bolts and then to the liner from holding the angle iron which was holding the cap. Caps are designed to be supported continuously around the entire bed by the bed rails not at point loads on bolts around the bed.
Those rub marks in a painted steel bed would be right down to the bare metal. You can't compare a Line-Xed bed (with a $400 add on liner) to a stock composite bed.
As an engineer I'm a little curious as to how much force was applied to the bed bolts and then to the liner from holding the angle iron which was holding the cap. Caps are designed to be supported continuously around the entire bed by the bed rails not at point loads on bolts around the bed.
I agree, a stock metal bed would have the paint worn through to the metal in this situation. But that's where the damage would end. I wish you could feel for yourself how deep these indentations are.... and this is after only ONE trip with 50-100 miles offroad. What is this bed going to look like one year from now?
I'm sure their engineers were curious about the same things as you. But I really can't see another way to mount a shell to this thing. Caps ARE designed to be mounted continuously around the top... but the metal there is so thin I am sure it would bend the metal and possibly tear out any nuts underneath. Not to mention the fact that you can't even get under there to attach a nut - the composite bed blocks all access to under the bed rails. And further, the plastic rail caps mount through the metal using lots of rectangular holes - look at the attached picture - which weakens the metal further. If I can bend the metal with my hands there's no way I am bolting a shell to it.
I now see from your picture why it will be hard to put a cap on the bed. I didn't realize there was no lip under the bed rails to attach to, that the inner bed (composite) is a straight wall from the bed rail to the bottom. Most trucks have a lip that you can attach a C clamp to the underside of the bed rail to the lip on the top. I wonder if bed manufacturers will find a way to adapt a clamp from the channel used for the movable D rings to their tops.
When you get your new bed you might want to add a cross member or 2 between the angle irons for added support. Of course that will limit your bed access, but should help to spread the load out some. Can't tell from the pics, but does the shell actually sit on the rails or slightly inside of them?
BTW- luv the shell hoist set up!!!
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chrisc16 is getting a new truck bed. Now, how will the bed be repaired in case of a collision? Will the entire bed need to be replaced all the time? If so, will insurance rates go up for trucks with composite beds? Hmmmmm.
chrisc16 is getting a new truck bed. Now, how will the bed be repaired in case of a collision? Will the entire bed need to be replaced all the time? If so, will insurance rates go up for trucks with composite beds? Hmmmmm.
EXCELLENT POINT... there, big "D"!
It certainly is, something to consider! Hmmm... I'm starting to wonder if Toyota even "thought" that far ahead?!
__________________ 2004 SR5 Double Cab 4x4 w/TRD Pkg. Mods to Date:
16" 5 Spoke Brawn Enkei Wheels, Keyless Entry, Line-X Bed Liner, Challenger Running Boards, Husky Floor Liners, Bug Flector II (painted to match), Colegan Bra, Borla Dual (Side-Exit) Exhaust System, 2" Wheeler's Coil Lift, TRD Add-A-Leafs Mods to Come:
265/75/16 BFG A/T's, Possible Mods:
Seat Covers, 3M Clear Bra (hopefully... just cost so friggin' much!)
.I really hope Toyota doesnt add this bed on the new Tundra if they do it's there loss 
.If Toyota thinks plastic is going to hold up in a real truck enivioment there dead wrong. It's intresting Maytag the spinner i have in my washer stated that too would last lifetime and that too is made of a plastic is that why i just had this replaced under there warrenty.Plastic in my opinion doesn't cut it and the material is soo cheap too use reason why number one I wouldn't suggest this on a bed material..
If this new bed does fail, you're right, in the fact that... they will have to do something! Either find a composite solution or (as you stated) return to the steel bed. Even so, the fact is, this could be a VERY costly (call it a) growing pain! Fact is, as the cost of these trucks seems to get a little higher every year, at some point, the consumer is going to say... enough is enough and they'll move on to another manufacturer sooner or later. That's when, Toyota will [kinda'] have slit their own throats... IN THE TRUCK MARKET ONLY!
If they mess around with the success of the Camry as they "may" have done with the Tacoma, it only stands to reason... it's gonna' cause Toyota some BIG problems down the road. Heck... just look at Nissan's Titan for example! They couldn't GIVE me one of those things! 
Hmmm... I'm starting to wonder if Toyota even "thought" that far ahead?! 
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