Toyotas are reliable lil rigs. Absolutely LOVE their cruiser. Please don't take this as a bash, just sharing my knowledge. But when it comes to any Toyota bed system, my temper flares.
I owned a truck equipment shop for a few years where we built and installed flatbeds, utility beds, etc (some way cool stuff like EOD set ups also but different story.)
Anyways- Toyota is the only truck mfr that designed their truckbeds to rip off in a crash. When it is an empty bed, or just hauling a but of lumber, not the worst idea. They are the only mfr in the world that drops all liability for the vehicle when you alter the bed, or replace it with something else.
Many huge lawsuits have been filed over the years to go nowhere because Toyota authorizes NO MODIFICATIONS to their vehicles what so ever. The largest dealership chain in the world is headquartered in Vegas, and was one of my customers. They sell every make of pickup, and several semi.
The dealership had a fleet customer demand a 6' long 54" wide flatbed on a brand new (94 iirc) with basic headboard. Normally a declined request, but they bought 50+ Chevys a year, so on it went.
Toyota corp. voided the warranty on the truck when it went in for an engine oil leak, and the rep happened to see it in the shop. Less than 5,000 miles on the truck. We removed the flatbed and installed another brand new bed to no avail. No warranty to ever return, and corporate Toyota contacted local dmv and had the title change to "salvage".
A bit of research into NTEA and Toyota will scare you away from anything heavy in a Toyota for life. Highest death and injury rate by far when truck bed has secured cargo and truck is near, at or beyond rating. This was at least the case until 2000. No clue on the last 15 yrs.
I really hope they changed by now. But seeing how they did their retailer, and their end customer- you can guess one brand pickup that will never park in my driveway.
