Couple quick questions

[Rick W]

lol it's one thing to be sitting in the seat and another to move it forward then try to get it back to the same spot visually, it's usually close, but there is basically one place where the tilt of the wheel, the position of the seat, and the recline angle are all just right (for me). The settings are fine enough that hitting that spot visually without sitting down is just about impossible.



I don't hear noises because I don't leave things loose, but I want it easy to do not a big production. Yes I'm against drilling into things if I don't have to, but I'm open to any ideas (thanks for your suggestions about that). Let's say for instance all you want to carry is a couple aluminum lawn chairs. You have to have tie-downs low down, up high doesn't help at all.

I do carry a lot of stuff but if you add it all up it really doesn't amount to a hill of beans. I didn't mean to infer my -primary- concern is weight, I'm just saying why carry stuff you definitely don't need, for instance a 12V charger probably won't help me off road but jumper cables might (or might help somebody else). Shovel etc might let me fill in a pit and proceed, or dig for hidden treasure (metal detector). I carry stuff behind the seats in boxes that just exactly fit the size of that space and come level to the back of it so you don't even notice stuff is there and I have a lot of stuff there just for instance all my folding knives, fish filet knife, Leatherman, etc - this just doesn't add weight and they're in one place. It's a long list sometime I maybe put on here.

I have the 31x10.5-15 tires now (K02) and that's the oem tire size for that truck (265's but they're the same). It looks right, drives nice, and the K02's are a little more aggressive than a plain a/t tire, not noisy like a mud tire, they're very quiet. Open enough tread to shed mud if it's not horrible. Good in rain. Rated for snow, if we ever got any. So, good all around, I'm happy with the choice, but, pricey.

I do have ways of fitting a variety of rugged plastic boxes in the bed a get it so nothing moves around and nothing is above the top of the bed. But normally I just don't need all that much, so back to the basic problem how do you put just a few things and tie them down - the attach points have to be low like on the bed floor.

What I try to avoid is making a big loading operation for any excursion. In other words let's say I'm going out for an afternoon, stuff should be organized so loading is just a few items and add some fresh food, and go. Camping, if I ever actually did any (it's been probably 50 years since) just add tent and a box with stove, etc. Make things simple.

If the bed is full, tarp or cargo net works, you can put aircraft cable if you are gonna leave stuff in it and lock it.

I think it comes down to what's the best way to mount attach points on the bed floor and I have some good suggestions now for that and maybe more coming.
Nice thing about the trucks is it likely can be fit out to do the things one wants to do.

RonD had a suggestion about put bars across held by the bed bolts then attach points at their ends - this could work. What would be ideal is a flat load surface where there are L-tracks flush to the load surface, you'd lose a bit of height, but not much. Some thinking yet to do on it. Could also just screw in some little tie down points low down on the sides.

If I have to carry stuff from the hardware or etc etc etc I have the Mazda. Because the tool box loses length in the '97 but I wouldn't give it up without a fight.

You are a gentleman, a scholar, and a judge of good liquor. I’m glad you took my silliness with humor, it’s too rare in this world we live in today.

One additional thought, mostly for the folks who live in snow country. Even when I had to drive rust buckets, if I had to drill a hole anywhere, I would take some silicone seal, or for a tiny hold it might be a drip of Rustoleum, and squeeze it onto and into the hole. Then I straightened out a paper clip and bent over the tip. Maybe 1/8 of an inch so I could stick it in the hole and pull back on it and wiggle it around so the silicone got on all the exposed surfaces. It has the added affect of working a little bit like a thread locker when you screw were both your whatever down.

And while I’m not trying to speak for others, I think most of the guys want to know what you thought about number seven. What your experiences were with that kind of “accessory.“

 

[James Morse]

I liked #7, but only works on the Mazda, because the Ranger has buckets so kind of hard to be in the middle. I like the buckets and I think they are less common.

Reminds me of when I got the Mazda, the rear window seal was coming off, I went to Safelite and asked them if they had that material and the guy was like it only needs to be glued back on so he did it no charge. Would make you tend to go there again for the stuff they do.

 

[Rick W]

I liked #7, but only works on the Mazda, because the Ranger has buckets so kind of hard to be in the middle. I like the buckets and I think they are less common.

Reminds me of when I got the Mazda, the rear window seal was coming off, I went to Safelite and asked them if they had that material and the guy was like it only needs to be glued back on so he did it no charge. Would make you tend to go there again for the stuff they do.

I use Safelite for all my “valuable” vehicles or sensitive collector cars. But our Pull-A-Part has a glass shop, new glass, not from salvage cars, and they’re literally half the price. So on my Rustoleum-level project vehicles, you can’t beat them. They put a windshield in the 87 Ranger for $165.00! I was astounded.

 

[James Morse]

Got 4 clamp-type suction cups at H.F. for $10. They can't go everywhere because the surface has to be pretty much perfectly flat.
This is obviously for light duty which is the issue right now. For the purpose, let's say the suction gave out and it came loose, not really a problem because I'd only use them for really light stuff which if it came loose doesn't really cause a problem except the stuff would be loose again but no harm done. You can attach them low down on the fenders/sidewalls of the bed.
A bunch of velcro straps sounds like a good idea.

What would be ideal is have a couple attach points in the middle side-to-side, towards the back.

Anyway if they end up useless it's not a big spend and no work to it.

Can also put lawn chairs straight up and tie against the tail gate but if I can I like stuff not higher than the bed sides so not my preference. Probably I'm the only person to spend so much thought on something seemingly trivial.

Also if you cinch stuff tight against the tailgate (using existing attach points) it exerts pressure on the latches, probably inconsequential, but generally not good policy. On the other hand when you do that the stuff is loose when you open the gate.

What might work for me would be to sink a couple mollys midway across the bed with threaded holes, make a tiny hole through the mat then you could (in theory) put D-rings on threaded bolts in there but take them out if they were in the way of anything and just use them when I need them. Because even if the suction cups work, it's quite a ways from ideal to have rope/straps/whatever going all the way across the bed just for a couple little things.