Tundra Bed Help

Hey All,

First time truck owner here. Just purchased a 2008 Toyota Tundra and so far it's been great. I need some help with identifying what is going on with the truck bed. If you look at the photos, there are what looks to be plates cut and welded? to the bed floor. I am assuming what happened was that the bed floor rusted through in those spots and they have just cut and welded on some metal plates to cover it up.

What confuses me is that these plates do not feel like metal? They feel somewhat plastic or maybe hollow sounding when tapping on them. It also does not look like it's done very well or maybe that's how it is usually done, I have no clue. Such as how the plates are not flush with the floor.

Looking from below the bed up at the frame, it seems to be fairly clean with not much rust. Someone mentioned it could have been from a welded 5th wheel hitch as well.

It doesn't really bother me since it is covered up with a rubber mat, but I am just curious if this is anything I need to worry about.

What do you guys think?

 

I don't know why it was done, but I can say it wasn't welded. It's some type of epoxy.

The rust around the bed bolts looks pretty extensive.

 

Looks like it might have been something welded in the bed, and then when it was removed they pasted over it with some kind of rubberized/plastic coating or epoxy. Could also be that there were holes and they used something non metal to fill it and used epoxy to hold it. As @Notarobot said, the rust around the bolts looks pretty rough. Personally, I'd be shopping for a new bed as long as the rest of the truck and frame warrants the investment.

 

Yikes. Definitely have a close inspection of the frame to make sure nobody tried to hide rust by painting the frame black. For sure has had rust issues in the past from the looks of that bed

How long ago you buy the truck?

 

Here are some pictures of the frame under where the bed is bolted. It looks like the frame is still fine, a little rusty, but I think it's fairly normal for the rust belt. Ignore the wet looking parts, as that was me testing some fluid film sprays from a few days ago. I don't see any evidence of painting over rust. I plan on undercoating the whole bottom with fluid film to save it from continued rust or at least slow it down. Looks like most of the rust damage was on the bed floor itself as you can see in some of the photos with the rust holes

 

Paint looks real shiny on the side of the frame and still quite clearly corroded at most if not all joints. The paint on brand new frames is not glossy, and for sure wouldn't be after 14 years.

I think someone has tried to cover up the rust issue on this truck in order to deceive a prospective buyer.

If it was purchased thru a dealer, I would look into getting my money back... unless you got a screaming deal on the thing... due to excessive corrosion

 

Ignore the shiny parts of the frame, that was where I sprayed fluid film over it. It was all dirty and dull if you look at the other parts of the frame.

 

I think those are the "wet spots" he was referring to, sprayed by him with fluid film.

 

Bed rust is normal but that patch job is awful. Bed can always be replaced. As for the frame i do not love fluid film. Cosmoline RP342 is military grade and lasts longer.

 

Missed the part we're a film was applied.

I sincerely hope I am overreacting

 

You do know that military grade usually means lowest cost to accomplish minimum results, right?

 

You know cosmoline is nearly twice the price of fluid film, right? And it's been around over 100 years preserved many guns throughout the century although the formula has changed it's still VERY effective. Sorry but you gotta pay for quality bud

 

I think you missed the joke. I wasn't denigrating cosmoline or saying fluid film was better. My statement was purely directed at the "military grade" being touted as a statement of quality because it is frequently the lowest bidder, not the best product.

 

Can confirm. Been in the military for 14 years now. Military grade = shit for the most part.

 

A lot of rust How much did yiu pay

 

08 5.7 4wd with 110,000 miles clean service history every 5k
Paid $17k

Hmm the rust honestly doesn't seem bad at all for where I'm at, but you guys are telling me different. The frame is considered "clean" here and the previous owner had it inspected by Toyota for the recall.

Obviously the bed is not in the greatest shape lol

Yes, I also though the same about the patch job but I have no experience in any of that lol. I will have to take a look at Cosmoline!

 

2nd gen Tundras commonly have problems with rust in the areas your bed has been patched, OP. Take a look at what I dealt with on mine as an example...

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie...

As others have said, the rust comes up from where the bed sits on the frame. Definitely keep a close eye on the areas you pictured, for future problems. And I'd clean up as much of that rust as I could on the frame, Opsho the hell out of it, and protect it with the rust inhibitor of your choice.

 

I'd see if you could find a "new" bed at the local wreck yard. That looks like a 3P job to me. Plywood, ePoxy, Putty knife. ugh.

 

No wonder there is a premium on southwest trucks

 

Tundras actually do pretty good up here in New England, especially if they are maintained the frame could last a long long time. I'm also not in a major city where they dump salt though, mostly sand. Massachusetts was OBNOXIOUS with salt when I lived there. There would be literal piles on the road. So it almost depends on the exact region the truck lived in. A truck in Boston or NYC probably get exposed to a lot of salt where one in a rural part will see a lot less.

 

Proper way to patch the bed (if your not a welder) is to get a can of bondo (10$ or so at walmart) and and you will also need a drill and wire cup brushes for the drill ( I got a 12 pack of wire brushes for like 18$ on Amazon) and then use the drill and wire brushes to remove all the rust you possibly can then clean the area. IF you have a big hole you will need a mesh patch for the bondo to adhere to and to give it structural rigidity. Simply follow what Bondo can says, its easy. You will need a putty knife of some sort. Once you've applied the bondo and its hardened you will need to sand it down ideally with an orbital sander to achieve as smooth a finish as you desire. You could even finish it off with some fine grit sandpaper to get that super smooth finish. And if you want to go the EXTRA mile you can paint match it.

 

Yikes.

Only my opinion. But I would never trust a bondo patch for a structural mounting point. EVER.

Hit a pothole or speed bump a little too aggressively and you'll be dragging your bed behind you by the electrical harness.

 

Step one.) Wire wheel it all the rust
Step two.) pour 15 all under neath and bed floor
Step three.) fluid film the underside
Step four.) bed line the inside of the bed
Step five.) drink beer

 

The pics of the top of the bed floor almost look like it had a drop-in plastic bedliner that cracked and allowed water to sit underneath.

Agree with the wire wheel and por-15 rust prevention paint. I like Amsoil HD Metal Protector a lot. My truck gets it every Fall. Takes 3-4 cans depending on how much you want dripping off your undercarriage.