Truckboxes

[Paddy]

Any recommendations?  I need to carry more crap around in my truck.  It's a 2003 extended cab 4x4 Ranger.  I leave the extended cab part clear most of the time to accomodate the dog, so that area's not an option for tools, etc.

First, it's only a 6' bed, so I don't want to give up too much space.  We need the room to carry crap to the dump every coupla months.  And I bring home lumber from time to time when I'm on a 'project' binge.

But I'd like to have some tools, the inverter (in case I need 120v AC), a tarp, towline, chain, hitch, spotlight, etc. with me all the time, but secure.  Might even throw an SKS and some ammo in there, too.   

Been looking at the Delta Champion series-not the crossover, the chest.  I like the chest better because it sits below the rails and is less visible.

I know this seems like a simple matter, but the more I research it, the more complicated it gets. 

What's in your truck and how do you like it?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200043624_200043624

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200343624_200343624

my lil ranger has these plus a bed slider down the middle  bed slider is pricey unless you have a cap on the truck

[geronimotwo]

from what i have seen, the bolted down chests are the most secure. where i live theivery is not a big problem. here i prefer the top loading side boxes. top loading so nothing falls out when you open it up. side box so there is easy access, and you really don't lose the bed space. i don't feel like climbing on my truck for every tool i need. good luck!

[roo_ster]

Riley:

I have an itty bitty truck like yours (1997 Nissan Ext Cab).  Leaving that box in there permanently is going to drive you nuts when you need all the bed space you can muster (mulch, lumber, etc).

If it were my truck...

1. Get a box you can manhandle out of the bed yourself, when it is empty. 
I went with a plastic box that spans the bed.  It was built by Rubbermaid.  Not the sexiest box, but is has servedme since the truck was new.  I am sure some diamond-plate boxes are light enough, but I would worry about scratching things up*.

2. Attach it in such a way that it can be removed. 
I installed bolts from below that would stay in place without the box being installed.  They went through the bottom of the box and were secured inside with washers & wing nuts.



* I forget, you are a member of the "Ate up pickup truck bed club" and do not worry about the appearance of your bed.

[Ben]

Whichever way you go, make sure you get one with good weatherstripping. I don't have one in my current truck yet, but my last truck had the "plain white" Delta crossover. I tried everything, but could never keep at least some water from getting in after a good rain. Hell on tools if you forget to check it right away after a rain.

My current truck is the "Ford shortbed" which  is 6 3/4', so I'm looking at getting a wheelwell box (like in cassandrasdaddy's link) for it so I don't lose any length. I have the extended cab, so I keep some stuff under the back seat, but I want an outside box to move spare oil, some tools, tie-downs, etc to.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

the box with the drawers has a slide mount that lets you remove it easy when you haul mulch or gravel and it organizes my tools well

[geronimotwo]

ps,  i have not had good luck with the inexpensive powder coat finishes.

[Tallpine]

My truckbox (for my chainsaw mostly) is one-half of an old ten foot seed drill hopper, with the bottom closed off with a board 

I was looking at new crossover boxes to replace it a while back, but you have to buy those to fit your make and year of pickup.  If I ever replace my 1976 GMC with something 1988 or newer, the box wouldn't fit

Years ago, I made a chest type box out of plywood.  It lasted for a while ...

[Paddy]

1. Get a box you can manhandle out of the bed yourself, when it is empty.

That was my thinking exactly and I looked into the 'portable chests' with handles on the ends.  The main problem was the dimensions didn't fit the bed very well.  Either too short, too long, too wide or too high.  I did find a 'portable tailgate chest' that fits near perfect (48 x 10 x 20), long and flat. But they're backorder only without a firm shipping date.
 

I went with a plastic box that spans the bed.  It was built by Rubbermaid.  Not the sexiest box, but is has servedme since the truck was new.  I am sure some diamond-plate boxes are light enough, but I would worry about scratching things up*.

Rubbermaid stuff and I don't get along, and I'd be worried about security, since there couldeasily  be $1000 or more in guns and tools in there.  I wonder about the security of the aluminum boxes, too.  Seems to me a drill and sawzall could cut open the top real quick, which is why the steel chest looked good. But again, I couldn't find one with the right dimensions and they weigh a ton.  I wouldn't be able to get it off the truck without completely emptying it each time.  And it will rust.

2. Attach it in such a way that it can be removed.
I installed bolts from below that would stay in place without the box being installed.  They went through the bottom of the box and were secured inside with washers & wing nuts.

That's the way I was thinking of attaching it but, how do you keep the bolts from falling out when you remove the wing nuts?

Weatherstripping is an issue, but of limited importance around here.  Rain is limited to winter and big storms are few and far between and I'm fortunate enough to have garage space for the truck.

Hadn't heard about problems with the powder coats, but they're more expensive.  The clear bright diamond finish is fine and will probably be cooler in the sun.

[roo_ster]

RileyMc:

I did the following under the side rails, but it can be done just as easily through the bottom of the bed.  Use a corded 3/8" drill and a quality bit to drill the holes.

For each anchor bolt, I installed the following, from top to bottom (installation order was bottom to hop, however).

Blue=Inside truck box
Green=Between box & bed or between box & bottom of side rails
Red= Under bed or under side rails


Wing nut
Lock washer
WIDE washer
Rubber grommet
Box metal (the box you want to anchor)
Rubber grommet
WIDE washer
Hex nut
Lock washer
WIDE washer
Rubber grommet
Truck metal (bed or under side rail)
Rubber grommet, preferably really snug on to the bolt's diameter
WIDE washer
Lock washer
Bolt head


The above is what I used & you can likely get the same effect with some other materials.  It might help if I explain why I used what I did:

Bolt: Everything goes on the bolt.
WIDE washers: help distribute forces & squish the grommets down to make a water-tight seal
Rubber grommet: HOLD THE WORKS IN PLACE and provide seal when compressed
Hex nut: hold works in place on the truck-side pretty much permanently.  Possibly redundant.
Wing nut: Allow removal/disassembly without tools
Lock washer: Do what lock washers do, hold stuff together.  Possibly redundant

Also, I used all stainless steel hardware.

LESSON LEARNED #1:  The grommets I used were tight enough even without compression to hold the works together for a short while.  Certainly long enough to get the empty box outta the bed and then use the wing nuts to hold them in place while I got the full use of my bed.  This is a way of saying I probably didn't need the hex nut or lock washers...but it is hard to argue with 10 years of "stayin' put when I want it to stay put, dammit."

LESSON LEARNED #2:  The number of anchor bolts may be dictated not by the number you desire to keep the box from tipping back & forth, but on the number needed to distribute the weight of the box & contents.  My side rails dimpled a bit over the ten years at the bolt areas.  I used only four anchor bolts.  An improvement may be the use of a nylon (non-corroding & non-porous) spacer spanning the underside of the box to spread out the load along lines, rather than at points.


NO argument here on Rubbermaid quality.  My only defense is that I was an E-4 in the Army who had just blown his wad buying the truck and had little cash to drop on a truck box.  I had NO idea it (or the truck) would be around this long.


So, you can't find ONE LARGE box to suit your needs, dimensionally?  How about TWO SMALLER boxes to fit the space you want to fill?  They would be even easier to move about when empty.  That would be just the excuse to buy that cheesy platstic, folding stock for your SKS.

Good luck on your efforts.

[mike]

Check out Tractor Supply if you have one near you. They usually have several types that should fit your needs. http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Home_10551_10001

[Ex-MA Hole]

I (unfortunately) no longer have a truck, but I'd still like to throw my $.02 in....a budy of mine hase a Toyota that has a plastic black box that fits over the side of the bed, and goes right behind the cab...He can't get the angle right to get some of his long guns in there.

Just an FYI, since that is what you want to use it for...

[Perd Hapley]

Why do you want all this stuff?  I thought you only needed a pen knife and your keen wit.     


1.  Truck tool-boxes don't hold as much as you think they will, and you can probably fit a few things in the cab that won't get in your dog's way.  (Under the seat, behind the seat, on the floorboard, etc.  They also make gun racks that fit on the ceiling of a truck cab, I think, if that is legal where you live.)

2.  The cab is probably more secure than the tool-box, unless you prefer to leave your doors unlocked.

3.  If your cab is always locked, put the more valuable items and the guns in the cab.  If not, put the valuables in the box. 


I find it most convenient to store valuable stuff in the cab, and put the bungee cords and such in an unlocked box.  But then, I also leave the box unlocked, because it is not secured to the bed, and I'd rather have someone open the box and see there are no goodies inside, than to have them steal the whole box, thinking there must be something worth locking up.   YMMV 

[K Frame]

I thought you had a Pious and made fun of people with ecologically inappropriate automobiles...

[Ex-MA Hole]

Dammit Mike, you just cost me $5.00.

I thought Fistful was going to be the first to make a comment like that.

Nope, twas you.

[Paddy]

The Pious belongs to the lady of the house.  It gets 45mpg, but I (almost) never drive it. I drive a Toyota Echo (40mpg) and use the Ranger (18mpg on a good day) only for chores that require a truck.  It's 5 years old and has <35k so you can see it doesn't get daily use.  Oh, and FWIW, my mirth and amusement increase along with the gas prices over the fact that many of you drive humongous bigazz gas guzzlers 

jfruser, thank you for posting that setup.  I like it and wouldn't have thought of including the rubber grommets.  It would probably work really well without the redundancy, and you're right, that box isn't going anywhere. 

btw, it's not that I don't care about the bed getting beat up, it's just that I'm too cheap to spend hundreds $$ on some spray on RhinoLinex .  It seems to me you could buy a whole 'nother bed for what that coating costs.  Besides, I've got a heavy duty mat that keeps stuff from sliding around and does protect the bottom of the bed from doinks.  Now, I do have some creases, scrapes and chipped paint along the rails that I'm not real happy about.  Maybe I'll spring for some cheapo rail caps.

Mike, thanks for the tractorsupply link.  They look to have good prices. 

fistful, if you lock the cab doesn't that lead the thief to think there's something valuable in there worth breaking the window for?

And, I had a brainstorm.  The light bulb above my head flashed on  (actually it's a CFL).  The reason for the portable box is so that it can be removed if it takes up too much room for carrying other stuff.  Well, how about just putting the other stuff on top of the space the box occupies?  IOW, why not build some sides out of 1/2 or even 3/8 plywood?  The bed is 16" deep, so the sides would be the same, going up from the rails.  Bolt, or even nail, the plywood to some stakes.  Then add two vertical strips, like 1 x 1's on the ends of each side to accomodate a piece of plywood that just slides in.  Voila!  The carrying capacity is doubled.

[geronimotwo]

when you're drillin holes it doesn't hurt to put a touch of anti-rust paint on the bare edges and such while assembling.

[Fjolnirsson]

Riley,

I drive an '87 Nissan. Itty bitty truck, 'bout the size of yours. I got a black diamondplate toolbox from Delta. On sale at Kragen's in Concord, it cost me around $150. I've had it for five years or so, and the black is wearing off in a few places, but the winters here in Oregon are more extreme than where you are.

It holds A LOT of stuff. I keep a few things in it, tools, small air compressor, extra coat, books, and random stuff. It's very handy for unexpected rain when I have gone to the grocery and don't have quite enough room in the cab. I've hauled quite a bit in the bed, and have never taken it off.

I certainly would feel more comfortable with things in it, rather than the cab. busting a window is faster,easier and quieter than breaking open this box.
I have had with it, is it is TOO air/watertight. The way winter is here, I get condensation inside if I don't air it on occasion. But then, I get ice inside my cab, too, unless I leave the windows cracked...

[Paddy]

$150 is a killer deal, especially on the black diamondplate. I'm awaiting shipment of a Delta right now, but in the regular diamondplate finish.  That's good news about the waterseal, too. But I wonder if the black color is what's creating/exacerbating the condensation because it would get hotter in the sun than the bright reflective finish, wouldn't it?   Maybe a coupla pouches of dessicant in there will keep the moisture down.  What part of Oregon are you in again? 

My truck isn't all that tiny, though.  It's a 2003 XLT Supercab 4x4 5sp manual 4.0 so it sits up higher than your Nissan. It's got a 4.10 limited slip axle and OEM nerf bars  I could have had a fullsize truck, but it would have cost probably twice as much. 

You see, I was born in 1946, which puts me on the leading edge of GenBoomer.  As you know, we are a selfish bunch who do without nothing. Our parents gave us everything and it still wasn't enough.  Now, I wanted not only a NEW truck, but 4WD manual trans.  Chevies are out for me, (I think they're gay, sorry fistful), and I wouldn't drive a Dodge if you gave it to me.  So the next choice was an F150, which isn't really a truck.  You've got to move up to at least an F250, which in 4wd would cost you $35-$40k even back in 2003.  I couldn't justify $35k for a vehicle.

I knew the Rangers were an older design than the Toyota Tacomas for example.  But, I couldn't find a 'Yote in the configuration I wanted.  I found a Mazda B4, which is a Ford Ranger, but the dealer wouldn't deal.

So, this truck came into my local dealer and I snatched it up.  It's perfect for me, has all the goodies I want and none I don't.  But, it gets terrible mileage, which I knew going in.  The great thing about Rangers is there are a ton of replacement and aftermarket parts for them.  And frankly, I like the fact it was built right here in the USA.  I didn't buy any foreign cars for about a 20 year period, until Detroit finally exhausted my patience.

Here's the box I'm getting.  It will be a perfect fit. http://www.autoanything.com/truck-toolboxes/65A3285A0A0.aspx?kc=0&from_search=1

[Perd Hapley]

fistful, if you lock the cab doesn't that lead the thief to think there's something valuable in there worth breaking the window for?Huh?

Not at all, but I'm afraid you didn't really get the point.  And Fords are super-gay. 


Sounds like a great deal on that Delta, BTW.  I spent a hundred bucks on a crappy, plastic box for my previous truck.     It even leaked. 

If I could do things over, I'd buy a full-size crew cab with a short bed, and not worry about after-market, bolt-on sponsons. 

[mike]

No problem. I was in Tractor Supply yesterday and they must have had 40 different types of boxes. You should be able to find one that fits your needs.

[Paddy]

OK, it finally got here yesterday after a long ride on the slow boat from Jonesboro, AR

Haven't bolted it in per jfrusers's setup yet, it's only in with the big metal screws supplied.  Still need to figure out if I want the bedmat underneath it or not.  It doesn't have a tray, so I'm going to have to make one.  The quality of construction is good, but the alum is softer than I expected.  Also like the way it sits below the rails, so it's a little harder to spot.

[Tallpine]

You could probably slide it all the way to the right and then mount your spare tire standing up on the left side against the bed rail.  (unless you like getting your spare out from under the back end when you have a flat  )

Put enough weight in the box, and you wouldn't much need to bolt it down since it would be too heavy to lift over the wheel wells.

[Paddy]

That's an idea, but there's less than 8 1/2" total, so the spare may not even fit.  Besides, if I get a flat, I'd use a tire plug kit, or just call AAA. 

[Tallpine]

Well, anyway that was one of my plans for pickup bed organization, using a chest type box.

My new plan is a cross-over box mounted aft a foot or so from the cab, so that the spare can stand crossways right behind the driver's seat.