> I built a book case out of MDF, it takes paint nicely but doesn't have very much structural strength on its own.
>
> The other option is to use less than 3/4" plywood. I inherited a 4WD van at a previous job where they had built a huge box out of all 3/4" plywood. They did a really nice job with dado joints and so on but that thing was way too heavy even for a 1 ton van. It didn't help that they had a 300lb floor toolbox in there too. We took it apart and built a new box out of mostly plastic pipe and the van handled way better after that. Loading the rear down can adversely affect the vehicle's handling.
>
> The box in my current F250 was built by my Supervisor (he promoted) but he used 1/4 and 1/2 plywood intelligently so the structure is good but the box is much less heavy.
Dave, if you notice I also avoided using heavy plywood, just a frame with thin sheathing and plastic tubes. It is still way too heavy in my opinion. I am trying to dream up an even minimalistic version that would still organize the necessary equipment.
The setup in my personal F150 has one small box built out of 1/4" plywood (with MDF scraps for the corners) and 4 low-head PVC irrigation pipes glued together at the spring line.
If I wanted to improve it, I would build a lightweight box either to go on top of the pipes or underneath with drawers but I have no need at the moment.
Does any one use a Bed Slide in their truck? We have started using Ford F150 Super Crews for our occasional survey vehicles, and the truck that we use to haul our Dam Alignment Equipment in. We used to have Suburbans, but our safety officer about put us out of business, until we could replace them. Some of the ideas from this thread will be used in our custom box.
Steve,
Check out the link above that Mark posted. I have it bookmarked. I might completely redo my box down the road, and I will have something similar to the link that Mark posted incorporated in there somehow.
For now, I will be looking a these ideas, and modifying the one I have. Not sure why the safety officer was so against the suburbans. They make a cage that you could have installed to protect against flying objects. I am all for safety, but there has to be some common sense thrown in as well.
Please post pics of what you come up with for your box. Thanks!
Dave,
Thanks for posting. I saved your pictures from both your personal truck, and the van rebuild that you did awhile back.
Your cooking box below is pretty slick.
Jimmy
Don't forget your travel grill kit:
Dave,
I like it but I have one that fits into the receiver on mine. I don't have a picture handy but you can Google "Freedom Grill" and get a good look. I did a LOT of grilling while working at the Gulf this year. It beat the heck out of the "free" lunches they served (worth what we paid).
Andy
In addition to Weatherguard boxes, I use a welded aluminum box that I had made by a local fab shop. After these photos were taken, I glued garage door weatherstrip around the edges that seals against the tailgate, making it practically waterproof.
Pricey -- about $2,500 -- but I like it a lot.
Don't forget your travel grill kit:
That looks pretty cool.
The Cal-Fire truck (F250) has a receiver hitch on the back but it probably wouldn't be politic to drive around with a cooking grill on the back of the truck 🙂
I keep mine inside the shell. I leave it at the barracks during the day and usually light it as soon as we get back in the afternoon.
I was impressed with Mark's setup. We have used utility bed trucks for years, but the purchasing Gods bought them with Real LOW profile beds and our equipment would not fit. To haul or Dam Alignment equipment in a suburban, we had to fold fowl the back seat. That would require a screen behind the drivers seat. Who would want to ride in the back seat than when we us it in other configurations. Also, we lease our trucks, and the damage bills would be out of sight if we installed a screen. Our solution is an F150 Super Crew with the 6.5' bed and a shell with dors on all sides. With that and the Bed Slide,we should have something we can work out and keep the safety guy offf my back.
We did order a 3/4 ton crew cab for the survey crew. We will outfit it with a shell and bed slide. The other trucks are outfitted for what I call Office Boy surveying. That is stuff that does not require a lot of digging and brush cutting, like a GPS network, or running a level line down a road. I did one near Branson, MO a few years ago where all I had to do was reset 12 grade stakes for a parking lot every morning. The contractor was real cute and would knock out the stakes every time I left the site. The inspector was sharp enough that he would have them work on the area where he sas the stake with a 15' fill marked on it.
> The contractor was real cute and would knock out the stakes every time I left the site. The inspector was sharp enough that he would have them work on the area where he sas the stake with a 15' fill marked on it.
I hope you charged him extra for the restake -- and took your sweet time doing it. After a couple of those, they'll learn...
That, or when they request you to restake it, tell them you're already booked and you'll see them in two weeks. If they get pissy about it, tell the foreman he better have a talk with his operator because he just cost them two weeks. There's no excuse for that kind of BS and there's no reason why you should have to eat it.
I have a stake/restake form that the contractor has to fill out and sign before any work is performed. No signed form, no stake or restake.
Jim,
Do you get any water inside the truck bed at the joint between where the side boxes meet the aluminum survey box? Did the prefab shop roll the edges or are those sharp edges?
I liked Dave's Weber cookout drawer. I remember doing a staking job on a 160 acre soccer complex back in the 80's and when it got close to eating time, I would set up the grill and cook some burgers and brats while spinning the gun. It worked great.
Thanks
Bob
Hi Dave,
I built that box in 2005 when I got the truck which is a F-150 Super Crew with the short box and cap. All of the box's joints are routered screwed and glued. I haven't had any issues with it at all. I did like the Bed Slide that Mark posted and might do something along those lines the next time.
Bob
> Do you get any water inside the truck bed at the joint between where the side boxes meet the aluminum survey box? Did the prefab shop roll the edges or are those sharp edges?
The aluminum box isn't attached to either the truck bed or the Weatherguard boxes, so water is free to enter and exit the bed as it normally would. The box fits snugly enough in the bed that it doesn't move around, though, so the weatherstripping that seals the open end against the tailgate is effective.
The exposed edges aren't rolled. It's 16-gauge material, so I don't think folding it over would have worked. I had to go check just now to see what the edges are like, because I've never had a problem with cuts or scrapes. The edges appear to be sheared, and there is a palpable burr on the trailing edge of the cut. A few passes with a flat file would take care of it, but in the 3 years I've been using the box I only became aware of the burr today, so I probably won't bother messing with it.
Freedom Grill
> Dave,
>
> I like it but I have one that fits into the receiver on mine. I don't have a picture handy but you can Google "Freedom Grill" and get a good look. I did a LOT of grilling while working at the Gulf this year. It beat the heck out of the "free" lunches they served (worth what we paid).
>
> Andy
The freedom grill, apparantly they are going for the "patriotic" demographic with their advertisement. It does look like original equipment, nothing appears to have been customized, simply slide it into the rear receiver and you are cooking with gas.
