Pickup Truck tool box recommendations

Delta is ok, but so is Adrian Steel. For a cross bed box one that opens all the way across is much much better. A lot easier to work out of.

The aluminum diamond plate boxes look good, and don't seem to looka s bad when they get dinged and scratched, but the painted steel boxes are much tougher. I also think the white paint tends not to get as hot inside as the aluminum boxes.

HOWEVER, If you have the cash the easiest thing to work out of is a work cap with side doors and tool boxes inside each side door. Put all your tools on one side, and all your smaller parts on the other side, and then put your wire and big tools in the back. Buy one with a ladder rack and you are smoking good to go. The only thing better is a van rigged out with racks and bins.

Thanks, I wasn't sure. It would seem that large objects would fit better in the cross bed. I'm also looking at Husky (Home Depot) brand. It's largely going to come down to price.

I didn't even think about the heat. That could be a BIG deal.

I thought about that, but then my poor truck would be 100% committed to work! Arghhh! I'm looking into those half ladder racks that are removable for extension ladder capabilities. I'm just doing service now so I'll not need to carry too much in the way of cable and parts.

Thanks for the advice.

Better visability is a big plus driving in this mess here.

How did you get them elevated? I don't want it to look like hell.

Mine is full size Chevy. I don't want a capper on it because then it would look too much like a work truck! My employer made me an offer I can't refuse driving my own truck, I figure it pays me an extra $6 an hour or so plus they buy the gas. Normally I wouldn't drive my own truck but I'm just doing quickie service calls and not having to carry much of anything. I'm going looking this weekend for the toolbox, I mainly wanted to know if the cross bed door was better than the two side gull wing doors.

Thanks.

It makes driving in this traffic jam easier (safer, better

Helps on the insurance as well. Are you carrying commercial insurance on your vehicle? If so, is your employer helping with that? Even though it is your vehicle, he has exposure when you are on the clock.

Had to raise it about three inches. Two pieces of 1 1/2" bar stock stacked on either side. Longer bolts and whalla. Really, without looking for it, looks normal.

Mine are the cross bed lids. With the smaller trucks, the handles on either side of the box, which will release both latches, are easily reachable from the side of the vehicle. This makes it convienent. The tech does not have to get into the back of the truck everytime they need to get into the box. The boxes we use has sliding trays for small incidentals which when released will slide from one side of the box to the other allowing access to the main compartment. With a full size truck and the side panels being higher than on the Toyotas, I think access will be your main concern. If you have to get into the truck to get to the entire box, the gull wings are really of no use. I do believe that the full cover is better for weatherproofing than the gull wing style after a period of time. There are the types with a double lid that operate independently. They still open into the full compartment.

Anyone else driving a Chevy van with the Express Access package? It's a dream to work out of. Here's mine:

Don't let Mark see all those Moose boxes in there. You won't here the end of it.

compartment.

Nope.

Yeah, I really should look into that. I don't want to ask MY insurance company or I'll get whammied!

Sweet, thanks for the tip.

Thanks for the thoughtful response, I'll email ya a pic of me rig when I get it installed!

You don't have NASCAR numbers and stuff on it do ya? I know how you Texas boys are! :o]

Well.....as far as anyone is concerned then, you are never ever at work. In fact....you don't even have a job.....you don't even know what the word means. Otherwise dollar signs and lawyers are popping up like on BoBo's website in the plantiffs eyes and your insurance company will quickly forget who you are. Drive safe man!

There is always that anominous phone call with a hypothetical question. Let your employer know that you are comfortable with the benefit but possible exposure to you personally and the company should be investigated.There is always that other maniac driver that can cause you a problem. Let him know you wouldn't want the company to have any undue exposure because of an oversight. Is this extra money coming to you through payroll with taxes being deducted? It is income and you don't want to get surprised at the end of the year with a 1099 and a tax debt. If so, you will pay double social security, federal and I believe Texas has State tax doesn't it? Don't let that be a surprise. See if they will role it into your regular pay with deductions.

Graham:

Here's a suggestion:

OoooooOOooo! Buddy, you're askin' for it!! :-)

LOL!! Sometimes I can't tell if I'm comin' or goin'.

Funny stuff on that site. I like the redneck cat carrier.

He already knows, I have shamed him several times about them

I don't know where you guys are buying insurance but the last couple of times I tried buying insurance at an insurance office they always take a picture of the vehicle for the files. If the truck had any sign or ladder or toolbox or any radios inside they wouldn't offer you anything except commercial insurance.

They said they would check for these things if you had any accident and didn't have a commercial policy. At Geico they looked out the window and saw my truck and said no thanks - we don't write insurance for contractors. I said I'm not a contractor and she says only contractors buy pickups with a long bed and your truck has a long bed so we wouldn't be interested.

At another place where I had bought insurance for years the gal came out and looked in the bed of my truck and saw a ladder and said they could only quote a commercial policy.

The standard policy is some $1200. a year but a commercial policy is around $250. a month for the least coverage. The girl says we will not pay your claim if we think you are using the truck for commercial purposes period unless you have a commercial policy.

So I went online and got esurance and am now in my third or fourth year with them and they never questioned anything although they do make it clear they don't cover commercial vehicles if they find out you have one.

I just got rid of my high dollar silverado and bought the small toyota so I could knock down the high costs of service calls and now I wonder what the hell took me so long. Every time you buy a tank of gas you save almost $50. and it drives like a sportscar with the crossbox on it. However putting a top on the back along with a ladder rack has turned out to be a big problem

what the problem?

I run a couple compacts myself for service work. They are great.

contractors.

Problem is putting cover on back to secure bed prevents the installation of standard ladder racks which mount inside the bed - I use the temp ladder racks because I don't carry large ladders around unless I will be needing them; it kills any chance of getting good gas mileage, so I keep a 6ft ladder down in the bed along with wire and whatever but around here you MUST have the bed covered or everything will vanish the first time the truck is out of your sight.

However I have now found one place that will make a custom cover for your bed that works with existing cross tool boxes and will allow me to install a weekender ladder rack.... best of both worlds.

If you buy a decent shell like a commercial Gem-Top, you simply order the roof reinforced to accomodate ladder racks. Then, bolt on your Adrian or Masterack ladder rack, and you're done. The problem is when you try to put ladders on some cheap piece of shit fiberglass shell.

- badenov