16 replies to this topic

[Oilbrnr]

If the factory tie downs are accessible, use them. That's what they are designed for, especially on modern beds.

[Adventurebound]

If your handy with a torch/grinder start by fabing up larger backing plates first. In my opinion the ones from the factory are too small and do not distribute the load over a large enough area of the bed and will start pulling through the metal. I have the other post with this same issue and the larger plates have seemed to have fixed this...for now.

[WjColdWater]

You need to have the bed repaired and welded by a body shop. Then get some plates to mount under truck bed to prevent what happened. Also make sure you do not over tighten.

This ^^^^^. 

[makalutoo]

Tacoma's with composite beds have cradles that the camper mounts to that are tied into the frame.  You could fab something like that up or figure out a way to mount eye-bolts to the frame and tie the camper directly into those.

[robcocquyt]

I had the same thing happen on my Ram 1500.  I had the install done at an authorized FWC dealer / installer and was a little disappointed when I noticed that the tie down was installed in the sheet metal rather than the cross member. I'm sure the sheet metal is "almost" good enough in most cases but when I reinstall my tie-down in my new truck, I'm certainly going to be going through the cross members directly.  Those spot welds are a weak link when it comes to an upwards pull (i.e when going over a speed bump a little too quickly.

[camper rich]

https://www.wanderth...ough-truck-bed/

[Jon R]

That looks like the bolt and backing plate are pulling up on bed floor causing bending at the location of the crack, I suspect fhe crack was started by bending stresses causing fatigue and not by overload in shear. The bed is too flexible for the usual FWC mounting method. Any repair of the sheet metal without stopping the flexing will likely crack again just beyond the repair. A bigger backing plate probably won’t help. As others have suggested, you need to transmit the bolt loads to stronger structure and stop the flexing of the bed floor.