My $50 in bed tool box

I wanted to carry tools in the bed and still be secure. Here's what I did...

Cut a 2x12x12 foot:
63 inches
50 inches
2x10.5 inches
Cut the remainder in half to have 2x5.5. It will require the cut be along the board.

2 Hinges
2-8 inch "J" bolts
1-5 inch eye screw
a rope handle and a lock
several wood screws

Insert the 63 inch board in the slots in the bed sides. Place the 10.5 inch boards such that the 59 inch top will rest on them and secure them to the first piece. Drill holes in the 10.5 pieces to allow the "J" bolts to align with the bed tie downs. Add the 5.5 inch pieces to counter the pull of the "J" bolts and secure. Tighten the "J" bolts and then add the top. On one side, use a drill to cut a 2 inch slot in the top centered on the end board. Mark where the eye screw goes, drill a hole and screw the eye screw in such that is is exposed for a lock.

Of course, any determined person can get in but it is secure to casual thieves.

Also serves as a good bench.

 

Nice I like it.

 

And it'll fit under a cap, too... Nice.

Just a thought... use security hinges so that the pins can't be driven out, and some kind of security head screws so that it's less likely someone will have the right bit to remove the hinges. Or just drill out the heads so a bit won't have anything to turn.

 

Nice job.

Welcome from NY.

 

Nice. I would have used tamper proof keyed screws for the hinges so someone doesn't come along with an impact driver to unscrew them.

 

Looks good. Just a heads up.. looks like you used pressure treated wood. As it dries it might leave behind moisture on whatever is inside.

I built a similar one like this and after a week opened it up and all my ties were wet and the metal stuff had surface rust.

It looks great! And I am not being critical. Might just be worth leaving it opened up in the sun for a week or so to dry out more.

 

I could make it bullet proof but I really just wanted to keep prying eyes away.

Next week I'll take it apart and paint it to match the spray in bed liner.

I may add corner braces to the inside so no one can remove the wood screws holding it together.

Then it would be over $50.

 

Actually, if that's what you're doing, then just do this: Put a little bondo, paint, solder, or other filler into the screw heads before hitting it with the bedliner. Once the bedliner-type paint is applied (any textured paint would do it), the texture will hide the head of the fastener completely.

 

The hinges can screw to the top edge of the front and be concealed.

 

Here’s mine. Made it from fire resistant 3/4 plywood. Painted with spray on bed liner then clear coated. The TRD logo was painted on and clear coated. Vinyl is heavy duty rated to -30 degrees. Most of the material I had already so it didn’t cost much to complete. It gets used a lot.

 

is that bolted down? or is it just a storage unit movable throughout the bed area?

 

It isn’t movable and does not move at all. Even when I had to stop quickly, it stays in place. The bottom also was spayed with bed liner and the Toyota rubber mat keeps it from moving even a fraction of an inch.

 

Looks good!