Organizing Your Tacoma’s Interior with Storage Solutions

Packing up the Tacoma for a weekend excursion is no easy task, even with the “extra” room from the Double Cab. If you’re looking to fit anything of serious size, stowing the rear seat is going to be necessary, but that takes longer than wanted—not to mention an overly complicated process of returning them to their original position.

Besides the center console, there isn’t a whole lot of storage cubbies inside the Toyota Tacoma either, making it difficult to keep track of small belongings and equipment. That means either having to haul along extra storage containers (which will take much needed space away that can be used for larger, heavy duty equipment) or lay them on the floor, hoping that they don’t go flying as you hit a bump on the road. Even the side door pockets are too small to make much use of.

Frankly, there are several other trucks on the market that offer better interior storage capabilities. We appreciate you, Toyota—but why do you make this so difficult?

If you like to take your Tacoma into the backcountry for days on end, you’ve probably already experienced all those faults on your own. What you may have not realized, however, is that there is a whole host of upgrades and additional storage options that can help the Taco in the long haul. These aftermarket parts can make the next weekend outing much less of a headache and much more fun.

You park your Tacoma in an empty parking lot or campground and leave for a backpacking excursion that could see you gone for hours or even nights—but do you really feel confident leaving your remaining belongings in your pickup? Honestly, it’d be easy for thieves to rob your truck of what’s left inside, only for you to return to a massive headache.

Several aftermarket companies offer solutions in the form of safes that perfectly insert into your Tacoma’s center console or glove box. Most units are secured inside the truck via OEM mounting locations, meaning it’d be difficult for thieves to take the entire safe, and are usually constructed of heavy gauge steel and come with high-quality locks to ensure the most safety possible. Sure, you can’t fit everything in your center console, but these safes can go a long way in protecting important items like wallets, personal information, and other valuables.

• Easy installation
• High-grade steel for serious protection
• Several lock options (combination locks, key locks, etc.)
• Added piece of mind

This is also the best option if you plan on carrying a handgun along for your adventure. Placing the weapon inside a locking center console (assuming you have the appropriate permits for your state) will keep things safe while driving, as well as if you plan to leave it in the Tacoma while you’re away.

Truth is, we all love our cell phones—we can’t go anywhere without them. But by no means is that an excuse to be holding them in your hand while driving, period. There are a number of companies on the market offering dashboard mounts for just about every phone imaginable, so you can have both hands on the wheel. These mounts place the phone conveniently in the center of the dashboard, which means the driver can easily read its GPS function, answer phone calls, or simply change music choice.

Several dashboard mounts are also available for GPS units such as Garmin and TomTom navigators.

• Keeps your hands on the wheel
• Conveniently located to read GPS directions

This one might be simple, but some of us really appreciate an organized cockpit. There are several aftermarket inserts that easily slide into your Tacoma’s existing center console to add a number of pockets and containers to better organize small belongings like coins, cell phones, and other small pieces. 

• Low cost
• Slides into the existing center console in seconds
• Adds small organization to your Tacoma’s cockpit

Just about everywhere you look, there are options for seatback organizers. These simple add-ons can go a long way in keeping the interior of your Taco clean. 

Seatback organizers are most often installed by hanging around the headrest posts, and offer extra storage compartments accessed from behind the front seats. Most units are designed with a universal fit and constructed of a soft material, like polyester, that won’t damage your seats. Oh, and if you plan on hauling any little ones in the back seat of your Toyota, these will offer a place for their clutter, before it hits the floor and makes a mess.

• One of the easiest ways to add storage space to your Tacoma
• Especially useful for children riding in the back seat

Not planning on hauling any passengers along on your next outing? There are several ways to take advantage of the Tacoma’s cab space to better fit toolboxes, equipment, and other items you may need in the backcountry. 

Where to start? Most begin with sacrificing the rear bench in order to free up room for storage—especially in the small Access Cab Taco. From here, we’ve seen several different approaches to utilizing the rear cab space. The most popular? Purchasing toolboxes that perfectly match the height of the OEM storage compartments that also fill the rest of the floor space, which creates a clean, flat space in the back of the cab.

Now, some drivers lay down a soft rubber material on top of the toolboxes to have a grippy surfaces for more equipment to be placed on top of, or for a comfortable spot for their four-legged friends to relax on long drives.