I am looking for recommendations for a toolbox to mount in the back of my DC. I currently have one that just sits on the floor of the bed. With the height of the Tacoma, I can't reach into it and reach the bottom, so I want one that mounts to the rails. I don't want a big one; just a place to keep a few odds and ends in (jumper cables, bungee cords, rope, etc.).
I have a standard Toyota bedliner. I hate to drill through the bedliner on the rails to bolt a toolbox in place, but I assume that is the only way to mount one. Suggestions requested.
UWS is the best, I have a gull wing on my 85 4x2 truck and just ordered a black single lid for my 2003 Tacoma Extra Cab 4WD. See
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My 2003 is black so I'm getting a black toolbox for it. There's no way to mount it without drilling or cutting a hole in something.
Standard method is to place toolbox on the bedliner, hold in place, drill 4 pilot holes and slap in some self tapping screws. This is also the worst method. If you ever remove your tool box you wont get the 4 holes realigned just right and the self tapping screws will go in sideways, making their hold larger.
Other method is to put toolbox on bedliner, drill pilot holes, then I would remove the tool box and make larger holes for a bolt, use stainless steel if you can, then do the same for the bed rail after removing the bedliner. While the bedliner is off you can use a hole saw to cut out a wide circle around the hole you made initially.
Now, there's some no drill methods:
1) use J hooks, remove the bedliner, use a hole saw to cut holes in the side of the bedliner, replace bedliner, and now you have access to the lip of the bed rail.
2) try something like this from DeflectaShield, should be available via Autozone:
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The hooks are now made out of aluminum, not plastic Alas, on my 2003 Tacoma, they wont work because just under the top of the bed rail is another set of sheetmetal with slots in it. The slots are too small for the mounting kit hooks to go thru.
My solution, when the toolbox comes in:
1) junk the bedliner, it's a piece of shit. When you remove it, take note of all the damange it's already done to your paint.
2) make an appointment with your local Line-X dealer and get a Line-X spray in bedliner.
3) now you have your choice of all the mounting methods above, plus... visit your local Home Depot or Lowes, forget which, and they have a no drill tool box mounting kit in the tool box section, it clamps to the side of the bedrail then you mount your toolbox to the clamp by using a bolt horizontally bolted into the clamps.
Ended up using this method yesterday, the UWS toolbox came with J hooks. The pro's: works, cheap, comes with toolbox. Con: I don't like the pressure it applies to the bottom lip of the bedrail. Caution: don't overtighten these hooks! I used a socket with no wrench and turned the socket with my fingers. The box is snug. All is well.
Double checked, this product will not work with my tacoma and toolbox. The reinforcement rib under the bed rail makes the hook catch too low so the top part of the hook doesn't ever reach the bottom of the toolbox. Avoid this.
This is the Grip Rite system per
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available at Northern Tools as well. This did NOT work on my tacoma. Sure you could clamp it to the side of the bedrail snug and secure but it ends up at an angle. I'll return mine today for a refund.
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