Tailgate locks are relatively easy to find and install, and are now offered as options on many trucks.
Phone and CATV installers have had similar drawer systems with double rear door utility caps over the bed. The rear doors lock the drawers in place.
I'd worry without any sort of lock.
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Standard on new Tundra's. ;~)
And on 1999 F-150s
The absence of a lock was standard on my 02 Tacoma.
Well, there are locks, and there are locks. Most 'pretty' flush-mount built-in factory locks are pretty flimsy, and often soon succumb to weather grunge, rust, metal fatigue from the constant vibration, and the prybars of the local vultures. Parts of this town (and other towns I have lived in) are pretty nasty, and over the years I have seen many a service body or cap where the pretty factory locks have been augmented by heavy duty hasps and hardened padlocks with weather boots. This is on private trucks and corporate/government fleet vehicles. I drive a desk for a living now, but if I ever needed that sort of storage on a vehicle, I'd gravitate toward the models with factory hasps integrated into the design, vs. pretty flush-mount lock cylinders that were not strong enough to deter anything more than crimes of opportunity. If the contents of the truck are worth as much as the truck, I can live with stone-age looks.
aem sends...
on 10/2/2007 1:19 PM Doug Miller said the following:
Some Nissan Frontier pickups after 1998 came with locking tailgates. I remember looking at one in the showroom and I asked the salesguy why it had a locking tailgate if you can reach in and take anything out of the bed. He said it wasn't to safeguard anything in the bed, it was to prevent the theft of the tailgate.
The locking tailgate helps if you have a hard cover, some of which are still flexible enough to be bent upward by a couple of muscular thieves.
The answers are yes, no, definitely, and maybe.
It all depends on what you use your truck for. Anything that helps organize you, keeps your tools dry and safe from theft, or just improves your efficiency is a good thing. I have owned many "work trucks", and each was totally different on what was functional and efficient on it. I do really like to see a guy show up who's organized and has his stuff all together. I had a guy show up to install a satellite dish, and he didn't even have a drill! If they look organized, they probably are, and do good work. When they look totally disorganized, they probably are.
Steve
The BEST purchase I ever made was one of these, a 3 drawer unit, that fits my dodge caravan. Actually over 12 years ago I bought 2 stacked but only use one these days, the other is stored in my shed, if anyone around pittsburgh wants to buy one:) I repair office machines for a living, the 6 inch deep drawers with rollers move easily. The only hassle is moving unit between vans. Filled with parts and tools its more than one or 2 people can lift:( I remove the drawers and take out the frame. The dividers arent used much my stuff slides around self limiting its location.
Makes finding stuff so much easier than any other thing I ever tried
I do own a pickup and once built a wooden version of the Jobbox for the bed.
Moisture will be a problem. DAMHIKT.
Security/theft issues aside, which others have already raised, you don't want to leave good gack in those drawers for any length of time because it will rust unless you live in someplace like Arizona.
Honestly, from the look of those photos, I'd expect to see a good inch or two of water in those drawers after a good rainstorm, or after 3 inches of snow melts.
J.
DerbyDad03 wrote:
Lots of contractors work inside.
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...and in the rain. :-(
Wed, Oct 3, 2007, 7:27pm (EDT+4) snipped-for-privacy@verizon.net (Nova) doth wisely sayeth: ..and in the rain. :-(
Which is why I'm a philosopher now. All inside work, and no heavy lifting. LOL
JOAT "I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth." "Really? Why not?" "I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."
Wed, Oct 3, 2007, 12:29am YouCanCallMe snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net (J.) doth sayeth: Honestly, from the look of those photos, I'd expect to see a good inch or two of water in those drawers after a good rainstorm, or after 3 inches of snow melts.
I don't see any problem. All you'd have to do would be to ensure the cover/top was waterproof, so no water will go thru. Then the water will drain along the edges, and drain out at the back of the pickup bed. If you're worried about water soaking in from below, the beds I've seen have "ridges" to let the water flow back;' but if that's not enough, make sure the bottom of the drawers are an inch or so off the truck bed.
The older pickups had a chain, with a hook, to hold the tailgate. You could use a padlock on those, no problem. The '80 Luv my sons are supposed to be working on for me has kinda lunchbox latches on it, and if I recall right, a hole on each made to take a paclock - I know I've seen pickups with those type latches anyway. If I worried about security, with this type of tool carrier, I'd definitely put hasps on each side, with a couple of good padlocks - and to Hell with looks - anyway, with the padlocks off, the hasps would be barely noticeable.
JOAT "I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth." "Really? Why not?" "I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."
And in the rain, INSIDE, in future FedEx sorting centers.
Windsor Locks, 1998...
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Is that really true? Maybe it was there for people who buy popup campers and all the other accessories which might be easier to steal if the tailgate is opened. Wouldn't a lot of people have more respect for a factory lock than one they installed themselves, and maybe it really would be better if it's inside a welded tailgate and can't be removed, instead no harder to remove than it was to install.
>
But even if you don't work in the rain, when it rains you have to go home. Or you could always leave early enough so that you are home before it rains.
Coming as an option from FORD in the '08 F-150s
my drawer unit is one of best purchases, saves tons of time finding stuff.
one drawer is all tools, different types roughly in different areas. frequently used stuff where drawer doesnt need opened all the way.
a different drawer is all long stuff, rollers mandrells and the like.
2 rd drawer is electrical and mechanical parts mostly in bags for easy access.I fix machines for a living, this purchase has helped a lot.
although my Garmin c330 navigator is GREAT, for finding customers!
There is an after market tailgate lock made for most pickups. I think "pop n' lock" or similar. Not only does it provide protection for drawer type setups, it's also applicable for pickups with caps and helps prevent theft of the tailgate itself which does happen.
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