A Home Brew Tie Down System for the Pickup

[Raz]

My current truck lacks a track system. On my previous truck which had tracks I was able to make a useful tie down system. Rather than purchase an expensive after market product, I decided to make my own using strut channel. Strut channel is used for the securing of mechanical systems in large buildings. You see it attached to factory ceilings holding pipes. McMaster Carr sells it in precut lengths and made from numerous materials including steel, stainless, and fiberglass. They also sell the nuts that fit into the track. While it is not strong enough to keep an ATV in place, it's good enough for my cargo dividers. These provide multiple tie down points, keep stuff from moving around, and let me carry sheet goods above the wheel wells. Pieces of thread rod epoxied into the track nuts completes the system. I used treated wood to raise the tracks so they are level with the top of the bed corrugation and bolted it down using existing holes. Raz

McMaster-Carr

[carlkeigley]

That would be a great foundation for a variety of bed projects.
That gives me a few ideas.

Also another source for flat-bottom boat mods.

[Brian B-P]

Nice solution, clearly described - thanks

Raz, have you considered running channels on the box sides as well?

An alternative, which wouldn't work so well for those dividers but is stronger and quicker for tie-down, is E-track (just Google search for lots of products and descriptions, including McMaster-Carr). E-track provides attachment points at a fixed interval (I think it's 2"), and the fittings lock with a spring-loaded catch, so no tools are required; the strut channel approach allows placement anywhere you want, but requires a wrench (unless you use wing nuts) and is limited by the grip of the nut (maybe not an issue for reasonable applications).

Edit note: Raz doesn't need a wrench because he's using wing nuts. Thanks for the correction!

[Brian B-P]

The factory tie-down systems in some pickup trucks look like "L-track" a.k.a. "logistics track" a.k.a. "airline track" (examples at US Cargo Control; it looks like AnchorTrax is one brand name). I was surprised to find today that this stuff is not as expensive as I thought it would be, from a suitable supplier of hardware or shipping supplies (I don't know about auto dealers or truck accessory shops). The fittings go in and out with the press of a spring-loaded post, so they look just as convenient as the E-track. Like the strut channel, this is a narrow system that could fit in the truck bed corrugations.

[Raz]

I'm using wing nuts. The track nuts have small grippers that grab the channel. Whole thing was less than forty bucks and fits in the bed channel.

Side channels- the old truck had them on the side and the back. Here the holes are there but it would be tough to get to the back to tighten. I added two s.s eyelets in the back (see picture) and one on each side. Four came with the truck. Good enough. Raz

[Raz]

Finished up today with a couple of rubber runners from Home Depot ($27). I had toyed with the idea of using a paint on bed liner but decided a floor mat was good enough. Take care, Raz

[fusedlight]

*sigh* When I saw the title I thought this was going to be about brewing whilst on the road. *sigh*