Locking rails with locking bracket delete?

[Stallworth]

I'm thinking about removing these rails. I guess the way I'm seeing it is with 10 tie downs scattered across the bed that I would hardly need a bracket that I could move around. I plan on cutting lumber bed dividers which would keep most things from rolling around. These look like they would be in the way if I wanted to add a soft roll up Tonneau aftermarket. Does anyone have any good uses in mind for these rails that maybe I'm missing?

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[Dbergie]

Yes, I plan on using them to hold my load tight against the cab. You can pinpoint the angle of the tie down straps. A low tie down point would be pointless for say fuel cans.

 

[balucipher]

soft cover manufacturers will figure out a way to secure the cover without interfering with the rails. If you don't like them, remove them and resell them to an owner who didn't spec a truck with them, should be decent demand for them. I like them because you can move around the tie down points and it gives you high points to tie to

 

[russross]

I added these to my Jeep Gladiator and liked having them. I had two cleats on each side and my daily configuration was to have a three-pocket cargo net hanging from them. The cleats let me tension it perfectly and it was handy for grocery runs and the like so things wouldn't fly around the bed. On camping trips when I loaded the bed too high for the tonneau cover I'd use a bungee net to hold everything down and having the adjustable attachment points at the top of the sides was nice.

These are standard on the Tacoma and some of the aftermarket tonneau covers are designed to attach to the rails instead of clamping to the rim of the bed. It seems like a tidy setup that is easy to install and remove. I don't know if something similar will appear for the Maverick. I didn't order the luxury package on my XLT but I plan to add the rails myself eventually.

 

[theek]

I'll use them to secure the middle of a 100lb propane tank using 2x6's to secure the base

 

[notfast]

Does anyone have any good uses in mind for these rails that maybe I'm missing?

I have a similar system in my Nissan Frontier. I use the rails for attaching all sorts of stuff. Shovel holder, whip flags, floor jack handle, and hanging the Thule crossbars for my camper shell (topper).

I use the cleats as intended as movable tie-downs, but not frequently. The cleats are cumbersome to move, so they largely stay put. But it is nice to have tie downs higher up near the bed rails. It's not always practical to reach down into the corners of the bed tub to hook a tie down.

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