Truck Bed Storage Ideas

[carlkeigley]

I've been pondering on an idea to make my pickup (2010 Tacoma) a better setup for an old fat guy so he won't have to crawl up in it.



Looking for some ideas I came across these:
Home | Extendo Bed
www.truck-tool-box.com
www.truckvault.com
StorageSlides.com: The Leading Storage Slide Site on the Net
Travelmate by Black Widow in Australia.

From the pricing, it's obvious I will have to DIY this project like some of the good ol' boys on youtube.

Has anyone done a project like this?

[ryanlikestacos]

Curious to see what sorts of ideas you come up with. I have a '11 double cab Taco like you have. Looks like you have the Sport model too? At least I think I see a hood scoop and the appropriate wheels?

[carlkeigley]

Yep........the Sport model.

[ryanlikestacos]

Still love yours as much as you did when you got it? After almost three years, I certainly do. Have you done any upgrades besides the bed cover?

[Donna D.]

Years ago, I mean years ago.. before all those fancy shmancy slider boxes were even invented, we had a member Charles Watts. He built something he called a Watts Box. Although the original post and pictures disappeared in the big nasty hack, maybe this post will give you some ideas: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ted-25927.html

[ruscal]

Carl,
The pull out drawer units are very handy. I have some home built ones in the back of my Jeep. They are shallow and only hold tools and small repair hardware. They pull out about 30" and I can't access them with the Scamp connected since I can't open the Jeep's rear door. On a deep long bed the drawer system would have to be a very stout and friction free design to handle the extreme loads created by the long drawers. Commercial ones may be the best option in that case. Around here they are generically called "packrats", perhaps named after a commercial product.
Russ

[carlkeigley]

Ryan,
I liked it better a couple months ago. We refinanced it so it's like starting over on the payments.......lol.

My only complaint is the same as most Taco owners. Getting in and out. Some complain that it sits like a car but that's okay with me. The bed cover is about the only thing I've done to it. The PO did something with the cups holder in front of the shifter if he ever had it. The wife bought some kind of wrought iron bottle holder. I told her it would never fit. She took the legs off the holder, took the cups holder base out of the console and it slipped right in. It even works better than if we spent the $30 for the original cups holder that probably would not have been half as stable. I'll have to take a pic of it and post her up.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Years ago, I mean years ago.. before all those fancy shmancy slider boxes were even invented, we had a member Charles Watts. He built something he called a Watts Box. Although the original post and pictures disappeared in the big nasty hack, maybe this post will give you some ideas: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ted-25927.html

Thanks Donna.
That's kinda-sorta what I have in mind, but I need it to slide all the way out.
LOOOOOOOOOOOONG ago, I too could crawl in and out. lol.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by ruscal

Carl,
The pull out drawer units are very handy. I have some home built ones in the back of my Jeep. They are shallow and only hold tools and small repair hardware. They pull out about 30" and I can't access them with the Scamp connected since I can't open the Jeep's rear door. On a deep long bed the drawer system would have to be a very stout and friction free design to handle the extreme loads created by the long drawers. Commercial ones may be the best option in that case. Around here they are generically called "packrats", perhaps named after a commercial product.
Russ

I'll have to add "packrats" to my search.
I have a rough idea what I'm after. And older gentleman on youtube kinda had the same attitude. The heavy not often used stuff in the back which gave ballist (weight offsets) but could be easily attained if needed. I'm thinking more in the line of the trailer's spare tire and changing tools in the back. Then maybe only pull out 2/3 way most of the time. A long drawer for fishing rods, etc. and maybe a (shhhhhhh) "shotgun." And perhaps a canned goods grocery store..........lol

[Donna D.]

Google is your friend: Pull Out Drawer for Pickup Bed

[Ed Harris]

I have a combination of pull outs in my Tundra Long Bed but the handiest by far is when I replaced the side windows in the shell with Windoors.

On mine they were an easy direct replacement for the windows that were standard in the shell.
Worth looking into for sure.
With the Windoors I can reach almost all the way across from one side to the other at least to grab or push or pull things out or across the bed.

The Packrat are pretty pricey if you buy them new or used and they can also be heavy but I do have several of them and even some extras if you were near me that I might sell cheap,they are just taking space in storage right now.

What I have that works the best though are long sliding drawers that just slide on metal rails with no slide mechanism at all.
Mine are 6' long and loaded with stuff they still slide well enough to be useful to me.

Not sure when I can but I will try to get a pic to give you the idea.

Buying full extension slides and making a box will clearly be the thriftiest method and should work well depending on your ability to build things?

Ed

[ColoRockiesFan]

I've been wrestling with this storage issue as well. I found a terrific forum discussion devoted to modification of truck bed storage:

Post up your drawer/storage system - Expedition Portal

This is what I'd like for my truck but I lack to carpentry skills to build it:

Tacoma Camper

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by ColoRockiesFan

I've been wrestling with this storage issue as well. I found a terrific forum discussion devoted to modification of truck bed storage:

Post up your drawer/storage system - Expedition Portal

This is what I'd like for my truck but I lack to carpentry skills to build it:

Tacoma Camper

Sort of what I have and of course.....Windoors like I switched to!
They really do make the bed accessible.

Plano makes some boxes like those but with wheels on one end and a handle on the other. I use them under the bed in my Casita and they are almost perfect for that and I have several more that I use for various work gear. They are very light weight themselves and the best part is that they are about $25.00 each. Home Depot is where I found mine.

[Hambone]

Here is my idea.......made out of aluminum angle and 1x2, sheet plywood, and rollers. Lined roller up straight so it rolls out straight, installed 12 rollers spacing so when one rolls off tailgate another rolls on, resined top of plywood, I dont have a stop installed so in theory it could roll out, but with weight in it it hasnt been a problem

[lpk49]

i know you are talking about something permanent. i'm an old fat girl and was driving fullsize truck and all i did was put a tonneau cover on it and put many totes in it. i left the lids off when i traveled...and if i couldnt reach something i used my cane to snatch it and drag it to the tailgate

it really worked well-i could separate so many things that i didnt have to sort thru all the kitchen stuff to find the towing stuff

i just bought the 2013 taco and already have the back seats down and 3 totes in there. one is a dog bed.

i'm not sure if i should get the tonneau or a cap. yours looks really good. i just dont know if i will need the vertical space occasionally.

totes and a cane or once i used a hoe work for temporary tho!

[Birmingham1]

Originally Posted by lpk49

and if i couldnt reach something i used my cane to snatch it and drag it to the tailgate

I do something similar. I have six plastic boxes, three across in the front and three across in the back. The ones in the back have a rope attached so if I need something out of one them, I relocate the one in front if it and pull the rope. Then use the front tote to push it all back in place. It's easy, cheap, 100% removeable, and works great.

[Byron Kinnaman]

I have the same kind of problem with access to stuff near the front. I'm thinking about trying to replace the side windows on the canopy with those that lift up for easier access. That way I wouldn't be adding weight and expensive mechanisms.

[Terry R.]

We purchased heavy duty storage boxes, from either Lowe's or Home Depot. We store things with like purposes in the each of the different boxes. I taped big pieces of white cardboard on the boxes, with a list of everything in the boxes in bold letters, so we can read it from the rear of the truck

We have kitchen things in one box, emergency tools in one, Dutch oven gear, in one, etc. You get the idea. Less used things go toward the cab, with more used things working toward the rear.

We have this handy, long handled garden tool that has a flat, hook like spade, metal piece on the end. We store that down the edge of the truck bed and pull everything we can't reach towards us with it. Works out great for pushing everything back in place, too.

Cheaper than building a bunch of stuff and still needing to buy the boxes. The boxes we bought also all stack nicely, which is also helpful when loading and unloading. terry r.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Google is your friend: Pull Out Drawer for Pickup Bed

THANKS Donna.
Found this among the links.
Looks viable....................but DIY will probably still be the most cost effective.
BedSlide : A.R.E. Truck Caps and Tonneau Covers

I've sent for info from the dealership.

[carlkeigley]

Thanks everyone.....................lots of ideas to ponder.
I should have known this was a concern to others.
Now I have a better idea how I can solve mine.