What to do?
05-26-2005 | 10:18 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: Bozeman, MT
What to do?
here is my situation I am going to college in Bozeman, MT and have an 89 yota PU i'm taking with but am unsure whether to sport the tool box which I have currently or get a topper. The only thing is with the topper what should I do with my tools being the tool box won't fit with the topper on? It would be nice to keep the snow out and have a place to lock things up but I am not to fond of a topper used to have one but got rid of it, anyway what do you guys think
05-27-2005 | 08:03 AM
#3
Contributing Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,586
Likes: 1
From: Richland, Washington
when i had my first truck, i took the toolbox out and put the canopy on it. for my tools, i just got 3-4 milk crates and stuck them up against the bed then threw some bungee cords around them and attached them to the tiedowns. worked great for me
05-27-2005 | 08:24 AM
#5
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 300
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From: Pittsburgh
this sounds crazy, but actually works quite well...
get some of those cheap plastic stackable drawers (the ones i got are made by sterilite) from k-mart or whereever...then build a little shell out of 1/4" plywood to go around them
i've got two rows of three drawers stacked up against the back of my cab...sorta like this (the white lines represent the drawers, the brown ones the plywood shell).
__________________
|[____][____][____]|
|[____][____][____]|
you don't need a front or back to the shell, just the sides and top. (although, in the back, i put a little 1x2 piece of wood spanning the bottom and connected to each side to help keep them from splitting...it actually works out well anyway because the back of the bed is a little more recessed on the bottom than the top.
then just use a couple of bungee cords connected to the tie down hook thingies at the back of the bed and run in front of the drawers to keep them closed and hold the whole contraption snug against the back of the bed.
i also pack some other tools (that are in there own cases) along both sides of the contraption which help keep the sides of the shell from spreading.
i know it's hard to believe that plastic and thin plywood would hold up, but i carry at least 200 pounds of tools and spare parts back there all the time (including wheelin') and it actually works great. the plastic drawers support everything well except that they want to start bowing out to the sides...but, you just pack them together tight and the sides of the plywood shell keep the sides of the pastic drawers from bowing and force them to hold their shape.
the best part is that you can easily access any of your tools because they are in drawers...no need to take out the stuff on top to get to the stuff on the bottom. and, it doesn't weigh much (well, not counting the tools and spare parts...)
get some of those cheap plastic stackable drawers (the ones i got are made by sterilite) from k-mart or whereever...then build a little shell out of 1/4" plywood to go around them
i've got two rows of three drawers stacked up against the back of my cab...sorta like this (the white lines represent the drawers, the brown ones the plywood shell).
__________________
|[____][____][____]|
|[____][____][____]|
you don't need a front or back to the shell, just the sides and top. (although, in the back, i put a little 1x2 piece of wood spanning the bottom and connected to each side to help keep them from splitting...it actually works out well anyway because the back of the bed is a little more recessed on the bottom than the top.
then just use a couple of bungee cords connected to the tie down hook thingies at the back of the bed and run in front of the drawers to keep them closed and hold the whole contraption snug against the back of the bed.
i also pack some other tools (that are in there own cases) along both sides of the contraption which help keep the sides of the shell from spreading.
i know it's hard to believe that plastic and thin plywood would hold up, but i carry at least 200 pounds of tools and spare parts back there all the time (including wheelin') and it actually works great. the plastic drawers support everything well except that they want to start bowing out to the sides...but, you just pack them together tight and the sides of the plywood shell keep the sides of the pastic drawers from bowing and force them to hold their shape.
the best part is that you can easily access any of your tools because they are in drawers...no need to take out the stuff on top to get to the stuff on the bottom. and, it doesn't weigh much (well, not counting the tools and spare parts...)
Last edited by LittleRedToyota; 05-27-2005 at 08:27 AM.
05-27-2005 | 09:37 PM
#6
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 635
Likes: 1
From: Warrenton, VA
I also went to school in Bozeman, and I had a cap on my '88 truck. It's definitely nice to have a snow-free bed where you can put stuff; especially since I have a regular cab.
I would sell the tool box you have now, and get one that fits inside the bed rails instead of on the rails. Then get a cap, or at least a good tonneau cover.
The last year I was at MSU we had about 7 ft of snow (in town, way more in the mountains) from November to April. It's definitely nice to have a cover on the back.
I would sell the tool box you have now, and get one that fits inside the bed rails instead of on the rails. Then get a cap, or at least a good tonneau cover.
The last year I was at MSU we had about 7 ft of snow (in town, way more in the mountains) from November to April. It's definitely nice to have a cover on the back.
