Swift camper tie downs - Tacoma Composite bed.

[Hodakaguy]

Anyone mount a swift camper onto a 5’ Tacoma composite bed with internal tie down mounts? I was thinking about making a flat bar that would clamp down inside the bed and provide tie down points while distributing the force on the bed. I really hate the look of the external mounts.

Hodakaguy

 

[Living The Dream]

I believe FWC makes what you are looking for. Check out my third post in my build http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/11945-84-fleet-09-tacoma-project/

and you will see a photo of the brackets that get mounted to the bed mounting points. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[MattC]

The fleets get inside tie downs, but the short bed swift get outside tie downs.
I don't know what the difference is, or why you couldn't make it work.
I would look at the bed bars they use for the longer bed

 

[ETAV8R]

Even though I have a long bed Tacoma the guy I purchased my Finch from had a short bed. Only one of the bars is specific for the shortbed. FWC makes the mounts.

 

[VanGoOutdoors]

FWC has bed bars, which bolt into your stock bed bolts, and then have tabs for tie downs. Required for the tacomas

 

[Hodakaguy]

Thanks guys, those bed bars are exactly what I was thinking of. Is there a reason they say on the 5' beds you need the external tie downs on the composite beds? Looks like the bed bars would work on the shorter beds as well.

Hodakaguy

 

[adamxcl]

I have a Swift on a 06 short bed. It uses the internal mounts, designed by the Denver FWC dealer a while back and then spread to the overall company.

 

[pollux]

 

[drewdown]

Can anyone else clarify to me that you can use the internal mounts on a shortbed Tacoma with a Swift? I really dislike the look of the visible mounts. FWC website says they are required but most of their pictures don’t show them. I think they look awful and it’s enough for me to not even consider a Swift for my truck.

 

[Stalking Light]

I'm not sure but you should ask Martyn at AT when you talk to him, he will certainly know.

 

[pollux]

Can anyone else clarify to me that you can use the internal mounts on a shortbed Tacoma with a Swift? I really dislike the look of the visible mounts. FWC website says they are required but most of their pictures don’t show them. I think they look awful and it’s enough for me to not even consider a Swift for my truck.

if the nuts on your shortbed are located in the same spacing as the pictures shown above, then i guess you can use the "Tacoma bracket" from FWC.

 

[drewdown]

Yes they are

 

[kestrel69]

Does anyone know if the bars would also work in a Frontier 5ft short bed?

 

[cuervo]

Does anyone know if the bars would also work in a Frontier 5ft short bed?

I do not know the answer to your question directly.
However I think that with a bit of persistence and patience an internal tie down solution can be had.
I recently got a new Swift installed with a fully internal system on my 2017 double cab 5 foot bed Tacoma, design courtesy of a dealer in Colorado who seems to be on the cutting edge of engineering cross bars for whatever truck needs them. Also my dealer made mention of the factory in Woodland having hired engineers specifically to work on internal tie downs for the current fashion for short bed vehicles.

 

[kestrel69]

Thanks for that info. Have you taken the camper off your truck since having it installed with the internal system? I have recently ordered a Swift shell for my Frontier, and I expect that I will only have it on the truck 1/2 of the time.

I ordered it through FWC Jackson Hole and will be picking it up/installed in Bozeman......so if this internal system is being used by other dealers I would think the folks in Bozeman could do the same.

 

[cuervo]

I picked up and had my installation done in Oregon, they got the bed bars from Colorado as I understand it. Talk to your dealer and discuss this issue, I'm sure they'll come up with the best solution.
I haven't taken mine off and don't expect to unless necessary for some reason. I am however replacing the wimpy aluminum-bodied turnbuckles provided at the installation with stainless steel ones from a marine hardware supply company. It's a bit tricky hooking up the turnbuckles and tightening them, working by feel through the access hatches but it's worth the effort not to have external tie-downs.

 

[slash2]

Does anyone know how much torque to use on the bolts on the tie down bars on composite bed Tacoma? I needed to take the bars out temporarily in my newly acquired 2011 Tacoma and it took a 3 ft cheater bar to break them loose. I figure they were rusted in place because I couldn’t see any evidence of thread locker when I got them out. I’m concerned about over tightening them with the composite bed.

 

[Crickert]

I would imagine it should be the same torque spec as the stock bed bolt. You could always confirm with one of the dealers.

 

[cuervo]

Does anyone know how much torque to use on the bolts on the tie down bars on composite bed Tacoma? I needed to take the bars out temporarily in my newly acquired 2011 Tacoma and it took a 3 ft cheater bar to break them loose. I figure they were rusted in place because I couldn’t see any evidence of thread locker when I got them out. I’m concerned about over tightening them with the composite bed.

Preparing to have my new Swift installed, I was expecting to have a struggle loosening the bed bolts on the new 2017 Tacoma. To my surprise it took minimal effort to break them loose, I used only a short cheater pipe on the breaker bar.
At installation the dealer used thread locker on the bolts and didn't use a torque wrench tightening them down.
I simply made a mental note of that fact and will check the bolts next time I take the camper off.
I researched "Tacoma bed bolts" on You Tube and found that the older the Tacoma the more likely the bed bolts have rusted to the frame threads. I can't imagine over tightening would have any effect on the integrity of the composite bed itself, especially with the bed bars in between the bolt head and the frame. My biggest concern would be stripping the threads on the frame underneath.