Toolbox choices

[Chuckweasel]

Need a cross bed toolbox for 2001 Ranger. Any suggestions on aluminum vs plastic? Also, gull vs single hinge?

 

[jonsranger]

i wouldn't get a plastic one, they fade and bow after a while, aluminum stays strong, but make sure you get one with a good strong lid, as for gull wing vs single lid, thats mainly your preference but i like the single lid, you can put bigger bulkier items in your tool box with a single lid. I got a Huskey from Lowes I think, and I love it, and you won't need one of the boxes with the bottom corners by the wheel well cut in, the full box will fit.

 

[MAKG]

Aluminum FATIGUES. It's not obviously better than a heavy plastic.

But I suggest getting whatever you can find at a garage sale. You can buy 20 of those for what you would pay for a good new one.

 

[ozzy85]

Mine's aluminum with a single lid. I have had these on the past couplke of trucks and love them. Especially since none of my trucks have been a supercab.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Aluminum FATIGUES. It's not obviously better than a heavy plastic.

It might fatigue, but for a toolbox that goes from one side of the bed to the other it is obviously better. Most plastic toolboxes I see with any kind of age to them are faded and have sagged 2-3 lower in the center than the ends. If I was getting one I wouldn't get a plastic one.

I had an aluminum one in my Ranger up until last year, it was old when I got the truck and for the most part still worked ok. The only problem I had with it was the latches were shot and the lid open going down the road. I could have put a hasp and a padlock on it it but I found it in my way more often than not so I just took it out.

I do have a Rubbermaid plastic chest one on my F-150, it is cheap (under $50 at Wal-Mart) and is pretty good sized. Since it doesn't hang from the bed rails there is no sagging, and it is a dark grey plastic with a high glass fill so fading isn't too big of a deal. The big thing I like about it is I just undo my padlock that secures it to my bed tie down loop and it is out of the truck if I need the room, rather than undoing a bunch of bolts and wrestling a heavy 2'x5' object around like the one I had in my Ranger.

 

[gbadgley]

There are some Good plastic boxes out there. they are not the cheap blowmolded plastic. the one I had was a grey molded with a honeycomb pattern much like fiberglass. it was every bit as strong as a steel box, you could stand on the top and jump on it with no movement or flexing. I can't remember who made it, but if you see one you will know it. Greg

 

[Shoeboy]

I like my aluminum box. Its strong as hell. When I rolled my truck I had the box bolted to the bed, but with the amount for force and the amount of objects I hit, and all the large heavy objects in the box, it held up quite well, it did pop open because of the amount of force against the lid, and the amount of force of my truck hitting the ground upside down. That box survived after I unbolted it from the bed the next day and its sitting in the back of my Dakota looking like it was when it was brand new.