500-Pound Engine Dropped From Air Into 2022 Toyota Tundra Bed

Update: The original video has been pulled down by the uploader.

How much abuse and punishment can a pick-up's bed take? Well, truck manufacturers are keen to prove that theirs can take a pretty extreme thrashing. Chevrolet, GMC, and even Honda have pulled stunts like these. We've seen them drop cinder blocks, rocks, and other things on beds, just to prove who makes the toughest one out there.

This time around, it's Toyota's turn to put one of their trucks to the same test. The model that will get subjected to the torture test is none other than the recently launched 2022 Tundra. So, how do they want to prove their point? They'll be dropping an engine straight to the bed. By the looks of things, it seems it was done during dealership product training.

But first, a background. The 2022 Toyota Tundra's bed isn't made from pure steel or aluminum. Instead, the new truck makes use of Sheet-Molded Composite (SMC) sheets. It gets extra strength from aluminum cross members within the bed as well. Toyota claims that the SMC construction offers added protection against dents, impact dings and rust compared to traditional steel trays.

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In the video, it is said that the total weight of the load that was dropped on the Tundra was about 500 pounds (227 kilograms). The height of the drop was about 12 to 15 feet, or about 3.66 to 4.57 meters. That's a lot of force concentrated to one part of the bed.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Tundra appears to have shrugged off the massive whack on its bed. After all, this is a demonstration from the manufacturer. The truck did squat, but it did go back to its normal ride level fairly quickly. Of course, we'd like to see a closer look of the bed following the aftermath.

The only other pick-up in the class with a composite bed is the GMC Sierra. They did subject the Sierra's bed to a torture test as well and performed well even after independent testing. With that, we'd like to see these composite bed trucks have a durability showdown soon.