04 DC Customized Bed Saga

OK, I know,
and if I had a camera (my Nikon died many years ago and my phone takes pics but can't send them any more (I even had the grandkids try to figure it out??)) I would have taken a bunch to post. So I borrowed a phone and shot a couple yesterday just so I could post 'em for you guys.

Here's the bed on my truck:


That's the only pic I gotz. So, here's the pic-less narrative...grab a beverage and your reading glasses...

I picked up this Tundra in August. I didn't do a build thread because, you know, pics.
The bed had the usual (around here) rust bubbles under the spray liner, so I cleaned and treated them good enough and waited for my bedliner on backorder. After 10 days I was told out of stock. Ordered from someone else who had them in stock. Got it within a week. Put it in the bed and it DID NOT FIT--The width was fine and so was the length, but it was TOO SHALLOW by about 3-3/4" or so, the tie-down holes were in the wrong places and the rear sides didn't exactly fit the contour of the bed sides. Well, I called the distributor and went back-and-forth over a week as to WTF? did you send me and why doesn't it fit? Never did get a straight answer. Finally got a refund and the liner was mine to dispose of as I wished. Well, being old skool, I hate to throw out good stuff and I couldn't resell it 'cuz I dunno what it WOULD fit. I figured I could MAKE it fit the Tundra, but it would be a lot of fiddling around, which I do a lot, so no biggie. And it would suit my needs perfectly if I could pull it off.

I would need to build a false floor in the bed but it would have to be strong enough to for real life HD use. I laid out 2X4s on edge to build a framework in the bed and and some 19/32" plywood for the floor. And the wood is treated just 'cuz.

Then I put the liner back in to see what I had to modify. The front lip was about 3/8" too high so I cut it and refitted it. The rear sides were a lot of dinking around with cutting and fitting but I got it to work. (The L side is prettier than the R side--guess which side I worked on first?) The tailgate liner wasn't going to fit with the raised floor (btw it fit perfectly size-wise, whereas the bedliner did not) so I debated using it at all.

Next was to fab up the sliding storage drawer. With the slippery-ass bedliner in place, I wouldn't need to fab up a roller/lock system with that 'anti-friction' surface as long as it wasn't too heavy. No problemo. No need for a lock or a stop. A 1X4 pine board got shaved down to fit under, but flush with the liner made the drawer face and easy to pull out. I painted it black and stuck on reflector tape to finish it off. Usual stuff in drawer--ball hitch, tow strap, jumper cables, tools, flares, lights, rope, tape, reflective vest, gloves, first aid kit, wiper blades, air compressor, yada, yada, yada.

I wired up a 12V outlet and a switch for LED bed lights on the RR side. With the drawer closed and the tailgate down, you would never guess what's there. With the tailgate closed, you wouldn't have a clue. I ended up cutting the tailgate liner to fit and it all works great. Surprised myself.

Now, about the battery-powered kiddie pool...

Some backstory...
I bought the Tundra to replace my Grand Cherokee and my Tahoe plow truck. I need an open bed and I need a snow plow (preferably in ONE vehicle) for my personal driveway and I do light 4X8 trailer towing, but a car hauler is on my wish list. I can't physically do much of the snow-shovel/blower-thing any more and I've plowed professionally and had dozens of trucks, so don't even start on why Tundra...

Anyway, what's UNDER the blue tarp is 8-40# bags of water softener salt for ballast for the plow. Now the battery is there so I have a hook-up for my hitch-mounted winch (say THAT three times real fast) and a 12V source for the plug outlet, bed light, testing stuff, etc. Haven't bought a case for the battery OR hooked it up to the NEW underhood battery yet, may go solar---have panels laying around somewhere...

Also, the front boards of the 'kiddie-pool' are braced to fit my 4-5&6-gallon gas jugs like, perfectly. (See what I did there?)

So I have about $130-150 invested in the whole shebang, salt and battery not included.

And to think I would have been satisfied with a proper ubiquitous liner for twice the price.

Now, after I built this, I thought I should have planned the 2X4 structure to allow me to put in my 6' ramps under the liner, but that wasn't my goal in getting the FREE liner to fit and function. I'll have to put that on the list to think about when I have
nothing else to do...

EDIT: Correction: only 6 bags, not 8.

 

Clever solution. Looking forward to seeing the solar setup if you go that route.

 

Thanks! Not for everyone, but works for me.

I have one of those 3-panel solar kits from Harbor Freight that I used to have watering the gardens sitting in the basement collecting dust. IF I do it, I'm willing to bet they'd mount right on the 'kiddie-pool' frame, but I'm starting to go "electric outlander" with this idea. Won't be 'til Spring at any rate.

 

Wonder if that liner was for an access cab. Pretty cool idea and engineering.

 

Thanks, Darkness! Dunno WHAT it was for--I confirmed the 04 DC number and 74" length with them before ordering, but the liner was shallow and not the tailgate, so.. ..but the price was right and opportunity was knockin' and I couldn't resist.

Plus, I saved the planet!

 

Nice hidden compartment OP.

 

As you said, it might not work for everyone, but it fits your needs perfectly.
Nice use of what you had on hand and nicely executed!

 

Excellent improv! So here's a bit of humor . . . I just sold my 2003 V6 access cab to my friends son who is ecstatic about it. For the last few years I have been working on and off doing construction w/ an old high school friend who has a 2006 double cab. We drive it often, and pull a dump trailer with it as well. When I load/ unload tools, I was often scratching my head as to why his 'stock' DC seems higher than mine . . . but I had a Leer shell on mine and he has a lumber rack, and so I really never gave it more thought. Fast forward and I just purchased my neighbors 2006 DC 'with a cab-hi snug top shell' and upon climbing inside I noticed there was considerable more headroom! So I immediately called my friends Son and drove over to his house with my tape measure and sure enough, the bed on the AC was EXACTLY as you described, about 3 3/4" shallower than the DC bed ! Same width, and same length however. So this explains why your liner did not fit . . . it was for an access cab and not a double cab. The other thing I found interesting was measuring the trailer receiver height . . . the AC is actually about an inch higher off the ground than the DC. (not that anyone cares just thought it was interesting) both trucks are stock height with stock rims/tires.

That's really cool that you were able to adapt that liner and build out what you needed for work and not waste it.
When do the salt bags come out in the spring for the 'Kiddie-Pool Filing Party'? Hoist the solar panel up cab-high over the pool for shade, and it'll power the pumps and jets!!!!

 

Unlike getting pictures from your phone, the bed solution is kickass! I love when a person has a problem and uses they’re brain to make it something even better then the original intended plan.

 

Thanks, art! It truly is hidden.

Thanks, Goat! Some day I might get a new phone. Might. Rather spend the money on stuff for the truck.

Thanks, Pierce! I'm one of those guys who has a hard time throwing stuff out, so I ended up using some of the stuff laying around, er, I mean, in storage, which was satisfying, too.

 

You rock, HB! Thanks for that analysis--it makes perfect sense. I got the right tailgate liner but they matched it with an AC bedliner. I was under the assumption there was a 2" difference between the AC and DC beds, but what I am learning is Momma Toyota did a lot of mix-and-matching of components when she made our 1st gens.

Pool party, indeed!

 

Hell ya! That is the greatest answer haha, also love that you think outside the box... or inside..? Nicely done