Daily truck users, which upgrade would you actually use more?

[TripleAliners]

Imagine you just bought a new truck and only have budget for one upgrade.

Option A: A bed mat — protecting the truck bed from scratches, dents, and daily abuse.

Option B: A slide tray — making it easier to reach your tools, groceries, camping gear, and equipment.

Which one would you install first and why?

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[Sner]

Easy one.

bed mat.

while I really like the idea of a sliding tray, and have given thought to buying one, what always comes to top of mind is the space they take up in the bed, the wasted space they create, the added weight of them, and the inconvenience due to their size to take them in and out of the bed when I wanted the additional space, and then once they’re out where do i store them while they aren’t in use.

for me they’d cause more of an inconvenience than a convenience even though i really like the idea of them.

 

[IDontWorkForTheWaterCo]

I second the bed mat. The composite bed is great, but it's an ice skating rink without the mat.

And spend a few extra bucks on an OEM mat. My experience with aftermarket ones as been mixed.

 

[Acedius]

Rubber bed mat since the composite bed is too slick, even with the factory bed liner. TPU bed mats are not grippy enough for me.

 

[CharlieLed]

I have a tray in my bed and wouldn't be without it....easy to use and easy to take out.

 

[Ray T]

I would have to say bed mat just because it would make it easier to put large things in there

 

[TripleAliners]

Easy one.

bed mat.

while I really like the idea of a sliding tray, and have given thought to buying one, what always comes to top of mind is the space they take up in the bed, the wasted space they create, the added weight of them, and the inconvenience due to their size to take them in and out of the bed when I wanted the additional space, and then once they’re out where do i store them while they aren’t in use.

for me they’d cause more of an inconvenience than a convenience even though i really like the idea of them.

That’s actually a really good point. I’ve seen some owners who love the tray because they use the bed every day and don’t want to crawl in to reach things. But for people who haul larger stuff or need the full bed occasionally, a bed mat probably makes more sense.

 

[TripleAliners]

I second the bed mat. The composite bed is great, but it's an ice skating rink without the mat.

And spend a few extra bucks on an OEM mat. My experience with aftermarket ones as been mixed.

That’s a fair point. A good mat really comes down to the details — fitment, grip, and whether it stays in place over time. Out of curiosity, what issues did you run into with aftermarket mats? Was it more about fitment, material quality, or them moving around?

 

[TripleAliners]

I have a tray in my bed and wouldn't be without it....easy to use and easy to take out.

Thanks for sharing the pics!
That’s a good point. I think this is what makes the tray vs bed mat debate interesting — for some owners, being able to reach everything without climbing into the bed is a huge advantage.

Since you’ve had yours for a while, how often do you actually remove it? Is it something you keep installed most of the time, or only take out when you need the extra bed space?

 

[Sner]

That’s actually a really good point. I’ve seen some owners who love the tray because they use the bed every day and don’t want to crawl in to reach things. But for people who haul larger stuff or need the full bed occasionally, a bed mat probably makes more sense.

I also have an OE bed divider in the bed, which I value more than a slider. So between the mat and my divider, I can keep things close to the tailgate and keep things of different sizes from sliding around. Thinking on those sliders how would you keep things from sliding around ?

if you’re looking or thinking of something to build and want feedback if it’s worthwhile, make a nice aftermarket bed divider, the OE one is crazy expensive and theres no such thing as aftermarket bed divider specifically for Tacoma that I could find.

 

[TripleAliners]

I would have to say bed mat just because it would make it easier to put large things in there

Having the full bed available makes a big difference when you need to throw in larger stuff.

 

[TripleAliners]

I also have an OE bed divider in the bed, which I value more than a slider. So between the mat and my divider, I can keep things close to the tailgate and keep things of different sizes from sliding around. Thinking on those sliders how would you keep things from sliding around ?

if you’re looking or thinking of something to build and want feedback if it’s worthwhile, make a nice aftermarket bed divider, the OE one is crazy expensive and theres no such thing as aftermarket bed divider specifically for Tacoma that I could find.

Thanks for sharing the idea about the bed divider! I actually think that’s a really interesting point — a good divider can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping the bed organized.

I’d love to see how your OE divider looks and how you’re using it in your truck. If you don’t mind sharing a few pictures, it would be really helpful to understand what features make it useful for you.

 

[IDontWorkForTheWaterCo]

That’s a fair point. A good mat really comes down to the details — fitment, grip, and whether it stays in place over time. Out of curiosity, what issues did you run into with aftermarket mats? Was it more about fitment, material quality, or them moving around?

It was very heavy with no added benefit from the weight. That made it tougher to remove it when needed to come out. It came rolled up and it never did really smooth out. Also, on hot days it literally smelled awful. It never did stop off-gassing. It also started to fade in places.

 

[CharlieLed]

My bed has the sprayed in bedliner so the tray has a bit more to grip. The tray is made by PIG and is about 34" x 52" x 5" and will hold about 30 gallons. I seldom use the bed without the tray in place, in fact, I take it out most often just to hose it out. We make frequent trips to Costco and the recycling convenience center. I slide the tray out on the tailgate and load it up then slide it back in the bed. When it comes time to unload, it just slides out where it's easy to reach everything that was loaded...no stuff sliding around the bed and no climbing up into the bed to get items that slid up there. On a few occasions, bags of trash have leaked...cat litter is the worst...no problem with the tray, just pull it out and hose ot out. Best $125 I have spent on the truck...

 

[Sner]

Thanks for sharing the idea about the bed divider! I actually think that’s a really interesting point — a good divider can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping the bed organized.

I’d love to see how your OE divider looks and how you’re using it in your truck. If you don’t mind sharing a few pictures, it would be really helpful to understand what features make it useful for you.

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