TL;DR - I've not really had any noticeable bed spread over the last 5 years, despite every other Tacoma seeming to have the problem. However, I've noticed recently that the gap around the tailgate is not as even as it used to be. I'm not worried for now, but I'll likely address it with and update to the bed rack.
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TL;DR - The passenger front corner of the bed cracked all the way down to the bed floor. I've fixed it, for now. On our first day of the trip to Plumas National Forest, on our way down to Poker Flat, we heard a new banging noise. It reminded me of the noise I'd heard when I'd broken a leaf spring, so I was out of the truck quickly to look for the problem. I wasn't able to isolate it entirely, but I was pretty sure that I found where the bed had split (more than in the past) in…
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TL;DR - The battery tie down that bolts to the core support has cracked core support as a result of all the rattling around. I've reinforced it, and will monitor it going forward. As I was pulling my battery to make a bit more room to remove the alternator and service the worn alternator brushes, I was greeted with a rude surprise. Upon loosening the 12mm bolt that secures the battery tie-down, the nut underneath just started spinning. At first, I thought the tack welds that secured the nut to the core support had broken. If only I'd been right!…
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TL;DR - Just a little bit of maintenance, replacing the insulator under the hood. Easy and done. For a long time, my hood insulator has been falling apart. I probably didn't help the situation by trying to pressure wash it once to get some of the dust and dirt out. I resisted getting a new one, because Toyota wants over $250 for an OEM (53341-35010) one. I even looked into making my own high-temperature blanket to cover the old one and eek a few more years out of it. Finally, I did a search on eBay and found that there…
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TL;DR - I'm loving a new, clear windshield. I should (but won't) make this an annual maintenance item. After getting the windshield fixed, it's amazing how much more pleasant it is to drive - especially when driving into the sun. I can't recommend fixing your windshield enough if you can find somewhere that will do it for a reasonable price, and without leaks.
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TL;DR - it's time for a new windshield. I've had my current windshield for 20 years now. Up until about a year ago, it'd been cracked by a rock only once - and even then, it was minor and easily fixed by one of those chip repair shops. Today, the glass is pitted and glitters in the sun. It has also taken at least four hard hits and on the last trip, a combination of freezing temps and defroster use caused the windshield to expand/contract unevenly, resulting in two of the cracks creeping into and across the driver's field of…
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TL;DR - The new rack works just fine, but I have no idea if it's preventing bed cracking until I take it off. I have nothing more to say about this, but you're welcome to read about the new bed rack design and the issue I was having.
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TL;DR - I found two cracks in the bed of the truck, likely from the weight of the RTT bouncing around up there. I'll need to fix them and come up with a way to reduce/change the stresses in the future. Just before our last few trips, I discovered that the bed of the truck was cracking in two places. The first was at one of the locations where the bed rack attaches to the bed rail - a crack had formed along the inside edge of the rail. The second was in the front corner of the bed -…
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