Toolbox practical on a 5.5' bed?
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Gainesville, FL
This is what I ended up getting on my Supercrew. It is the 69" wide low profile slimline box. It is the first bike I've had that I could push all the way forward against the bulk-head without the lid hitting the back of the cab when open. This gives me just about 4-1/2 feet of space behind the box which is just a couple inches shy of what you'd have with the 6-1/2 foot bed with a full-size box.
I like this box because it is almost not there when viewing the truck from the side because it is so small. I have the deep well version which does limit space between the box and the floor of the bed, but it allows plenty of storage for what I use the box. I think the shallow well box would have been adequate, but they just looks strange to me. The powder-coat black box would have blended into the bed even more, particularly with my spray in liner, but I have not had a good experience with UWS powder coat durability.
USW also makes a slim-line box with a regular lid, but the bed sides on the Ford are so tall, I felt this would look weird.
I like this box because it is almost not there when viewing the truck from the side because it is so small. I have the deep well version which does limit space between the box and the floor of the bed, but it allows plenty of storage for what I use the box. I think the shallow well box would have been adequate, but they just looks strange to me. The powder-coat black box would have blended into the bed even more, particularly with my spray in liner, but I have not had a good experience with UWS powder coat durability.
USW also makes a slim-line box with a regular lid, but the bed sides on the Ford are so tall, I felt this would look weird.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: TX
I tried replying to the message you sent me and when I tried posting a link to a photo of the tookbox I took, it wouldn't let me. Anyway, hope you see it here:
The distance from the box to the floor of the bed is 6.5" in my truck, so you'd probably have closer to 7 inches if you don't have a spray in liner or bed mat like me. I'd still get the deep box if I had to do it over again because the shallow box just doesn't seem to have enough room for me. If all you carry are a few tools, ropes/bungees, and maybe some jumper cables, the shallow box may be big enough. I like having the extra room to throw stuff in there when I want to keep it out of the weather, but not in the cab of the truck.
Hope that helps.
The distance from the box to the floor of the bed is 6.5" in my truck, so you'd probably have closer to 7 inches if you don't have a spray in liner or bed mat like me. I'd still get the deep box if I had to do it over again because the shallow box just doesn't seem to have enough room for me. If all you carry are a few tools, ropes/bungees, and maybe some jumper cables, the shallow box may be big enough. I like having the extra room to throw stuff in there when I want to keep it out of the weather, but not in the cab of the truck.
Hope that helps.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 442
Likes: 2
From: Calvert Co., MD
I have a full size deep well tool box. It definitely eats into cargo space. Some longer materials will slide under it and the bed extender really helps. Tool box is great for hauling kids sports crap and the necesities of tailgating and gives a nice lockable storage area. It's all about what you mostly use your truck for.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
I have a full size deep well tool box. It definitely eats into cargo space. Some longer materials will slide under it and the bed extender really helps. Tool box is great for hauling kids sports crap and the necesities of tailgating and gives a nice lockable storage area. It's all about what you mostly use your truck for.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,011
Likes: 0
From: southeastern, Virginia
I kept a small tool box in my old 01 screw with the 5.5 ft box. The box had thought room for all my tie downs, tools, jumper cables, some flares, hitches, and some other crap, but I also had a tonneau cover. Now with my 2010 I have the same setup and I like it, small enough to pull out when I need the whole bed, it even fits in my back seat with the seats up. You just loose so much space with the bed tool boxes. It works great for some people, just not me.
Last edited by ruffn-it; Jan 4, 2011 at 11:21 PM.