Thanks Frydawg2,

I saw your post months ago and it looked like a good idea. I got out my drill and a bought a lock that's very difficult to get on/off, very tight, so no one could get a saw on it.

These cages are $200-300 and anything that is not locked down is easy prey to a thief. I've had my car stolen, the license plate and frame and spare tire from underneath stolen. Others have had tailgates and these cages stolen. Lock it or loose it!

 

Do you guys have the extender in the correct way?

When I got my tuck I popped it right out with the tail gate up. Then I reversed the extender where it can only be removed when the tail gate is down and extender open.

After I reversed the extender I can see no way on how this could be stolen with the gate up and locked.

 

You can still do it, just takes a little longer. It doesn't matter which way you install it. The only difference is you push it down or lift it up.

 

Yeah, they come out real easy for the professional crooks, with the tailgate closed and locked. Got mine stolen right off the dealer lot after the dealer had done the final vehicle check and was waiting for me to come pick it up. Fortunately I noticed before driving off and he gave me a new one.

Today mine is locked under a hard tonneau cover.

Based on my experience I would go with one of the locking schemes demonstrated on this website (and keep your tailgate locked too -- I've heard of a lot of them getting stolen too).

 

Question about the bed exstenders? Do they make one that will fit my 2001 Custom cab? Mine is not the super crew. Mine has the half doors and because of this the bed is longer than the super crews. One ford dealer told me they do not make one to fit.
Sounds odd. Thought they were on the market before the supercrews came out. Anyone know?
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Try http://www.jcwhitney.com/productnoit...equestid=49431 . . .

 

I discovered one more piece of hard luck today and much to my disappointment. A Steel Horse bed extender will not work on a Supercrew if you have a Pace Edwards Roll-Top cover because the tracks of it extend into the bed narrowing the area where the extender flips up into.

Fortunately, truckperformance is willing to take it back without a restocking fee. By the way, they are having a sale on quite a few things with 10% off and it lasts through next Tuesday, so check it out while you can.

 

the latches work whether you insert the extendor into the bed or rest it on the tailgate.

I have a tonneau on mine and I keep it clipped in so I can release the latches, raise it up, pull it out and turn it around.

 

I just picked up a Steel Horse extender and I don't think it can be removed easily if the tailgate is up. From reading the rest of this thread, I'm sure the factory extender installs differently from the aftermarket one I bought. Anyone out there with a Steel Horse extender that knows of a way to remove the unit with the tail gate up?

 

Just bringin' this back up to the top for a buddy of mine. Congrats on the new 'screw, Jim!

 

My bed extender cannot be stolen from my truck bed. ....cause it is stashed away in my shop building. I took it out not long after buying my truck. Not only did it prove to be absolutely useless....it is a hinderance to putting stuff in the bed.

 

Wow... this one was brought out of the depths of the archives huh?

Anyway... I totally disagree with you on that one Rebel. I use mine frequently and am very thankful to have it. I don't use it so much for extension on the bed but more to keep the small items from shifting around.

RP

 

Just shows you that despite the fact we all own f-150's, we each have different views of what is a useful option.

I agree with RebelYell, I have yet to find a use for the bed extender. It gets in the way of any long item that will fit in the bed with the tailgate up, and anything that is too long gets toted in the trailer. Smaller items that I don't want rolling around get a bungee or a piece of 2x4 slotted around them.

To each his own!

 

If an item is small enough for the bed extender to hold it in place (I assume you mean inside the bed with the tailgate up), then said item goes in the back seat or back floor board. Anything that fits in the small space between the extender and the closed tailgate will fit in the back seat.
I'll just keep it in the shop building. It ain't costing me anything there and when I am ready to get a new ride it will probably look good to a potential buyer and help to sell the truck!

See y'all!

 

Heads up guys ... EVERY one of the extenders can be taken out. I traded in my Sport Trac for my Screw (Happy 40th birthday to me) in Sept . The extender on that could be stolen with the exception that I bought the factor tonneau (locks) when I ordered the Trac.

Surprised the hell out of the dealer when I showed him that even locked the extenders come out. Doesn't matter if you put them in with the opening facing down OR up.

Of course.... haven't heard anything about having them stolen.

But hey ..... couldn't we just pick up a replacement from the dealer ... after hours of course.

Kidding !