Breaking Down the Uptop Ute Bed Setup for the Tacoma
If you’ve been around the off road scene long enough, you’ve probably seen a few Ute conversions floating around. The Aussies figured this out years ago... ditch the factory bed and build something that actually works for how we use these trucks. Uptop’s Ute setup is one of the cleanest we’ve seen, and yeah... we had to try it.
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What’s the Deal With It?
This system replaces your entire factory bed, tailgate, bumper, sometimes even the hitch if it’s built into the rear. It’s designed for midsize and fullsize trucks and gives you a flatbed that’s ready for gear, camping, tools, or whatever you throw at it.
We’ve been running this on our Tacoma build, and it’s a game changer. No more crawling over bins or digging out the cooler from under everything else. Everything has a spot, and it all stays dialed no matter how nasty the trail gets.
Why It Holds Up
The whole thing’s built from aluminum and stainless where it counts, so it’s light enough to keep your truck nimble but strong enough to handle washboard, weight, and weather. No powdercoat flaking, no rust streaks, no cracked welds—this thing’s overbuilt on purpose.
Mounting points everywhere. Storage options where you actually need them. Modular from the jump, so if you want to start with just the tray and add a canopy later, no problem.
Storage That Works
We’ve all been there... everything’s covered in dust, and you’re digging through five bins to find your stove. Uptop solved that. Lockable side boxes, integrated drawer systems, and tons of tie downs give you way more options than a regular bed ever could. Plus, it’s all weather sealed so your stuff actually stays dry.
It’s built to work with rooftop tents, awnings, racks, and more. This system plays well with others. We’ve got a TRUSS rack mounted to ours and a full camp setup stays bolted down without needing to reconfigure every trip.
Install Notes
Install is straightforward. You’ll need to pull your factory bed and bumper, and possibly add a hitch if yours is integrated. But everything else bolts up without any weird fab work. All the hardware is included, and it's beefy—grade 8 and locking washers across the board.
Uptop has this setup dialed for the Tacoma, but it also works with platforms like the Ranger, Gladiator, Frontier, and fullsize trucks with short or long beds.
Real Talk
Look, this isn’t some gimmick product. If you’re hauling serious gear, running tough trails, or just want a bed setup that finally makes sense, the Ute system is worth a look. It’s not cheap but if you’ve already dropped money on suspension, armor, and a tent, why leave the bed setup unfinished?
You can check out the Ute bed trays and canopies now over at TacomaForce. We’ve got the Summit Expedition Trucks version up as well, and we’ll be adding the full Uptop version once it launches. If you’re ready to ditch the stock bed and go all in, this is the move.