I bought this truck bed trailer, and I am trying to figure out what year of truck this came off of.
Its a 2wd for sure, and its a longbed, but that's all that is certain.
The tailgate is like this:


with the tail lights being replaced with LEDs.

The side of the trailer:


My best guess is that its around a 75? Does that sound right?

My two trucks are an 03 tacoma and an 84 4runner, so I don't know my 1st gen identifying marks. I remember reading that there were different beds and tailgates for the US and the other markets. That's what has been throwing me off.

My plans are to clean this up and use it as a utility/camping trailer. I would like to do a "bed restore" on it, but I will settle for just getting it trailworthy and rust free first.

Thanks

 

I just compared pics and it looks like the 75, but i have an 81 and it looks just like mine also lol

 

wow that's kinda odd, round tail light with no reverse light, doubt that's factory. I can see how your having trouble identifying it.

 

I literally spent hours on toyotareference.com looking at old brochures, googling images, and searching on here. Just when I think I know what I have, something is different.
On the tail lights, the PO put a piece of sheet metal in and put in the LED's. Are the 78-83 lights different than the earlier tail lights?

I am finding out now how the skirts of these trucks are notorious for rusting and this bed has lots of that. There are areas that pieces of sheet metal have been tacked on and the old skirt cut off, so the original shape of the bed has changed.
I just want to bang it back to shape, sand it down, cut out what I need to, weld in what I need to and make it look good from 10 feet away. Not to mention putting on a trailer axle..and then and then...

Any help will be appreciated.

 

I am thinking that its an early 80's or 79 bed with a 70's tailgate. The lettering on the tailgate is the older style, but the bed is the newer style?

Looking at all of the original brochures makes me want to build up a full truck, but I have too many projects as it is.

 

looks pre-79 to me and you can tell that the original tail lights have been filled in,
that tail light is not stock toyota. pre 79 taillights are not compatible with 79-83

roll pan under the tail gate also looks pre 79 to me

edit--missed the part where you mentioned the tail light fill in

 

absolutly a 72-78 bed .. no question .


I'm asssuming the PO replace the tail lamps , so they would work with the trailer tail lamp wiring


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Now I have to decide how much work I am going to be putting into it. I would spring for one of your fiberglass beds, but this is a trailer, so I can't justify that.
I have read your posts on how these beds rust at the seams, and that has been going on with this one for sure. Currently, there are two holes in the bed floor. One is smaller than a fist and the other is about 3 fingers width. There are also the signs of the rust having pulled away the area between the wheel wells and the body sides. For a trailer, I could just put some wood on the bottom and see how long it lasts, but I want to make this into a roadworthy camp trailer down the road, so I am trying to think long term.

I found a cleaner 1980 long bed near here that I am going to look at, and I might go that route.

Smart money says to just make this work for the moment and then see what shows up on craigslist over the next year.

Thanks for all of the info.

 

wow, that looks like the bed on my 72' hilux, but i don't have the tailgate. looks like 70s though!

 

The best part of the whole trailer is the tailgate! Its in great shape and the old old school lettering is what makes the trailer.

If I go with that 80's longbed, I will lose the tailgate, unless I can swap them over.

time to search on swapping tailgates....

 

I'm with slacker. pre 79

 

Will an early style,1975, double latch tailgate swap with a later, 79 -83, double latch bed?

I have decided to find a cleaner bed for my trailer build instead of fixing all of the rust and holes on this one. The tailgate is in great shape, and I found an 80 longbed that doesn't have a tailgate.

 

thought you had asked this before...but no, I am pretty sure that the lines are different

 

try it !! it's only a couple of bolts


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