Anyone using Bed Stiffeners?

Here's something close to what your looking for. I imagine you could weld a spreader piece along the bottom of the bed to connect the 2 stiffeners SS Built sells.

https://ssbuiltinc.com/products/ss-built-07-tundra-bed-stiffeners

 

Thanks. I like the idea of the stiffener; just wanted to make sure it wasn't essential for everyday usage. Appreciate your confirmation of my thoughts.

 

Thanks, too bad its not offered for the 3rd gen.

 

Damn I didn't catch that on the website.

 

How are your racks attached to the rails on your setup? I have a DB cover that sits on the entire perimeter of the bed. My rack attaches to the cleats on the cover. And tent is clamped to the rack. I guess the side to side shifting will play into the moving the rails over time.

I am trying to see how the forces would splay the bed rails. Is there something going on with the design of the bed rails that would make this situation more noticeable.

Perhaps the Rago or similar stiffeners would make sense for the Gen 3's?

 

@PBNB -- Rago website states they are available for Gen 3 vehicles. Visually appealing to me.

 

Has anyone tired victory4x4.com "TUNDRA BED STIFFENERS | TUNDRA (22+)" They look stronger than Rago and well made. I'm leaning towards them. Also on sale right now.

https://www.victory4x4.com/product/VTUBST-22.html

 

I have had the Rago installed since ~September. Also have a steel tall bed rack and soft top roof top tent. No signs of bed issues and they are plenty strong and the build quality is excellent. I was able to intall them with the Decked box already installed as well. This is the best I can get right now, screen caps from my YouTube video. I can get better pics this afternoon if you want.

 

I love Rago. I have a couple products from them. I however have Total Chaos bed stiffeners for my 2016 Tundra. Have had them on for a couple years no complaints.

 

I'm looking at Rago, but they say that for the composite bed, modification may be required. Not sure what that means. Do you have the composite bed? What was the installation like?

 

Are those Ragos on the composite bed? If so, what additional work was there to install?

 

I have them as well. You take out the rear most bed bolts, drill a few holes in the sides, take out the taillights and tighten everything down. Super easy if you’re cool with drilling holes in your new truck.

 

I fully understand the benefit to this but have to wonder; if Total Chaos said this..."Due to the design of the 3rd Gen Tundra Bed being all composite with no metal channel, and not having a smooth surface close to the tailgate, it would require more holes drilled into the bed to mount the stiffeners.
Our R&D team at TC decided that it wasn't worth potentially weakening the bed to then strengthen it back up."

Rago's design has you drill the bed to add additional bolts to help strengthen the bedside, TC didn't seem find that worth the risk. My drivers bedside is a 1/4" off at the top compared to the passenger side, discovered it the day I bought the truck and had the salesman note it on my paperwork before I drove off the lot.

Has anyone noticed any spreading of their bedsides?

If so did you do any off roading?
Did you have a cap, ladder rack, roof top tent, or any other weight that may have contributed?

I'm thinking about getting something like this and now I'm concerned about the already off bedside getting worse.

 

Food for thought I added some bottom bed rails on my 2nd gen Tacoma that fit into the bottom channel grooves secured on the underside using fender washers and nuts. I had easily 900 lbs in the bed very frequently (two motorcycles and gear) for many years and never had a problem.

 

I’m curious if any of these stiffeners will work with a swingbox? I have a swingbox on the driver’s side.

 

With mine, the bed seems unaffected by the weight of the rack and tent etc...

The weight is:
DiamondBack SE cover - 70 lbs
Uptop Rack - 60 lbs
Rooftop Tent - 175 lbs
Bike racks - 10 lbs
All the time: 315 lbs

Not on all the time:
Kayaks x 2 x 50 lbs each - 100 lbs
Bikes x 2 x 20 lbs each - 40 lbs
People in the tent ~ 300 lbs

I think the DiamondBack cover keeps the bed sides from splaying out.

The way it attaches and the stiffness across the top of the cover puts downward pressure on the bed sides and prevents the bed sides from moving outwards. I think the racks by themselves would flex and allow some movement outward.

To stiffen that deflection, a cross bar could be attached where the racks connects to the bed sides to restrain that flex. Same could be done at the swingbox connection.

Just some ramblings...

 

I have a swing box on the driver's side as well.
I got some stiffeners coming in a few days. When I get them, I'll see if they work with the box or not.

 

Pretty sure this guy is active on the forum here. He has a video I saw a few months ago the shows how he did the rago stiffeners with swing case.

https://youtu.be/JQi56xDqAw8