Truck tool box

[cmssorrell]

What is the best option for a truck bed tool box, a low profile box that fits against the cab or one made that fits between the fifth wheel hitch and tailgate. I going to retire this June and will be full timing.

Thanks
Mark

[Ron]

Morning: What works well for us is the low pro against the front of the cab. If you ever want to haul something long, the back box could get in your way. Also with the low pro, I would not go to deep if possible and keep it off the deck of the bed on the truck so you still can haul something not to tall and still have 8' to work with. Here are a few pics of the one I have in my F350, Just my 2 cents worthAttachment 2399



Attachment 2401

[CWtheMan]

Our fivers pin weight hovers around 2700#. That allows us to carry two flush mounted boxes in our truck bed. Our DRW truck is never over weight.

In the picture our truck is in the foreground. Our long time friends and traveling companions blue truck is parked next to ours. They got their box at Camping World. We got our two at a truck options store.

http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=20679

CW

[michael]

I like the tailgate one that cwtheman uses, but only if i needed to access it regularly,
If it was a once a month thing i would prefer the setup twords the cab,
At my non retirement age i like to keep the back open for campfire wood, coolers, extra lawn chairs, and the grandkids pedal bikes.

[laidback]

I use the low profile near the cab. Still can use the the tail to haul stuff.

[therink]

Originally Posted by laidback

I use the low profile near the cab. Still can use the the tail to haul stuff.

X2. Gotta leave room for fire wood and be able to reach it easily.

[cmssorrell]

Great idea's I never thought of. I'd still like to have some haul space (firewood). Look's like the low profile tool box next to the cab may be my best bet. Thanks for the pic's and your suggestions.

Mark

[Ruffus]

Well Mark, there's all sorts of options out there, it just depends on what you want and how much money you want to spend. Personally I'm a CB, and being retired I watch my money closely.Here's what I did:
Bought a retractable bed cover that locks in any position. I put my two Honda U2000i generators in front of the fifth wheel hitch and cable lock them to the bed mounts. They stay out of sight and out of the weather.
For my tool box I went out and found a used aluminum tool box that fit the width of my truck bed, $60.00 used. I took a skil saw with a tungston blade and cut the bottom of the box off leaving about two inches attached to the bottom. I then cut about eigth inches out of the middle of the top of the box. I then cut the four corners of the bottom piece and tapped them in so the top of the box would slide down over the bottom, a few pop rivets and some silicon and I have a box that is about 12 inches tall and holds my hydralic jack, vehilce stands, jumper cables and tool bags. I have a Ford super duty with a locking tail gate so I mount the tool box at the end of the bed against the tailgate and once the tail gate is closed and locked no one can open the tool box. It also makes it easier to retreave the heavy tools like my air operated hydralic jack when it's needed. Very inexspensive option and it looks nice.

[MNawman]

Mark, I ordered a custom built fuel tank with a tool box from Boyd Welding in Florida. I wanted a 75 gallon aux diesel fuel tank and a tool box that sat below the bed rails so I could put a Retrax bed cover on. You can order any size or shape from them and it was comparable in price to factory built units. Look them up on the web. It was a perfect fit for me and good quality.

[Mike Fender]

I have an 03 F350 with long bed and have the 16K Husky Hitch mounted on rails. This left me with enough room for a 12 inch wide tool box purchased from Lowes and allows me to keep a 5500 watt Generator between the hitch and tool box. Inside the tool box I store fuel for the generator, oil, funnels, rags, grease gun, tools, 12T Jack, misc. repair items, and 10 ga. ext. cord.

[antiqfreq]

Ours looks the same as Ron's.

We put two Honda EU2000i gens in it, paralleled together. Insulated it and put a fan in the bottom of the box between the gens to keep heat out when we use it. We put two small exhaust pipes in also.

Jo

[mazboy123]

I have a short box with a good size, above the lip, tool box. It is okay but I have never had any luck with the two latches working at the same time. they are always out of sequence it seems.

but i am daydreaming about a new weatherguard, just love the lots of them and the one i want has lock latches on each side. www.weatherguard.com/
The biggest problem is I really don't want to spend $700+ for a box

if you are not sure of what you want just look for a used one on cragislist.

[Javi]

UWS TBS-69-SL-LP-BLK Black Single Lid Slim Line Aluminum Low Profile Toolbox with Beveled Insulated Lid is what I use... Low enough not to bother a 5'er and still big enough for most of my tools..

Because we plan on a 5'er in the next couple of years I made sure I got a box that would work...

[Jim Dow]

We just purchased a 2011 F250 (6.5 bed) and a "new to us" Keystone Montana High Country. I have a 45 gal diesel tank, toolbox, 5W hitch, and a low-profile 250lb-100lb hoist mounted in the bed with room for my Honda 6.5kW generator, firewood, and a few other items. All of the add-ons are low-profile and do not exceed the height of the bed rails - except the electric fuelpump which sits on top of the tank against the truck cab.

We are anxious to try it all out during Spring Break.

[Jim Dow]

We just outfitted our 2010 F250 bed to carry a 45 gal deisel tank, small tool box, 5W hitch, and a 250lb-1000lb hoist. We still have room to carry our Honda 6.5kW generator, firewood, and a few other items. All these items are low-profile so as not to exceed the height of the bed rails - except the electric fuel pump which is mounted on top of the fuel tank up against the bed behind the cab. See attached pic.

We hope to try it all out during Spring Break.

Jim

[JRTJH]

Jim Dow,

Where do you store the generator during travel? It looks like it would have to sit behind the hitch. During turns, does the pin box come close to the generator?

[cmssorrell]

Originally Posted by Jim Dow

We just outfitted our 2010 F250 bed to carry a 45 gal deisel tank, small tool box, 5W hitch, and a 250lb-1000lb hoist. We still have room to carry our Honda 6.5kW generator, firewood, and a few other items. All these items are low-profile so as not to exceed the height of the bed rails - except the electric fuel pump which is mounted on top of the fuel tank up against the bed behind the cab. See attached pic.

We hope to try it all out during Spring Break.

Jim

Jim
Nice setup, I have the same hitch.

[Sackett]

Dad uses a 91 gallon diesel tank with about a 8inch tool storage on the top of it-- about like this -- http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...0682_200370682

He uses a gravity flow system into his truck tank

[Bob Landry]

The lo-profile box leaves you the option of a retractable bed cover which can be real handy when you are not towing the fiver. On a work truck, it really doesn't make a big difference, but for something that you want to look nice, I have a problem with the tool boxes that det on the rails of the bed. At that point you are locked in and if you want to get something out of the weather, you have to throw it in the cab. JMHO

[Jim Dow]

I installed a low-profile combination tool box/fuel tank in my truck bed, up front next to the cab.

The fuel tank gives me an extra 45 gal of diesel. The electric fuel pump has a quick-disconnect hose and a key switch for security. The tank also has a drain valve.

Also, I installed a 250lb - 1000lb low-profile lift in the passenger-side rear corner of the bed.