Extruded Aluminum and Plywood Bed box

I was thinking about this the other day to create secure storage. I thought about plywood vs pvc with extra supports. I've also though about how best to completely dustproof the box as I go into the desert a lot and don't want too much dust on my gear that i'm storing in there.

 

Do you mean PVC panels? I suppose that would work pretty well. I thought about it myself, but I didn't really want to deal with PVC dust all over the floor and around the garage. Keeping the sawdust and aluminum shavings to a minimum with two shop vacs was a painstaking process. If you do go that route, I'd think you could find some sort of seal or trim from McMaster-Carr that could keep the dust out for the most part. Nothing will be 100% though. I saw a documentary once about space, and one of the main characters went on to mention how much they hate sand. It's coarse rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere.

 

Okume is a great choice. Made this paddle board for my wife. 30lbs.total weight. 3 and 4 mm Okume covered with one layer of fiberglass and epoxy. Quite waterproof. 14 ft long

 

Wow that looks great, nice job

 

Thanks. I was thinking t-slots for bed racks or roof racks and bed drawers. OP did a fantastic job!

 

Doh my SCIENCE that is beautiful. If I had the coin I would throw innumerable dollars at you for a 16-foot canoe. That thing is a work of art. I wouldn't even want to take it out of the house!

 

LOL. Check out CLC Boats! Huge rabbit hole for floaty things.

 

wow, if the plan for the 17-foot canoe is that easy to follow, $1700 for that is really not that bad.

 

I'm in the midst of making my own system with aluminum extrusions. Having a lot of fun. Yours makes me want to go back to the drawing board. It's so clean! The flush look is very nice.

What kind of latches did you use for the access panels and drawers? If I could get those in keyed versions I'd be ecstatic. As it is now, I'm planning to drill holes for boring cabinet locks. Are you using any locks or security?

What kind of rubber mat did you use for the exterior?

 

Thanks! I found them on Amazon. They don’t lock but here are some that do:

$40 2pcs Compression Latch Lock Horsebox Locker Replacement for SOUTHCO C5-11-35 (2)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D262WMG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_TH1RHF4GDT69DS652EMS?_encoding=UTF8

Same for the battalion latches for the drawers. Mine don’t lock but here are some that do:

$64 Battalion 1XPB8 Paddle Latch, Black, H 3 5/8 In

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001H4T6XK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_X5GSDR859X7Z1EEDDT3Y?_encoding=UTF8

Finally, I used some rubber floor mat material, also off of Amazon:

$45 Rubber-Cal - 03_167_W_RC_10 "Ramp-Cleat" Non-Slip Outdoor Rubber Mats - 1/8 in x 3 ft x 10 ft Floor Mat Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AS3YEU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_VVGWNXWKS80T5F9T0BXJ?_encoding=UTF8

I like the way it looks clean, but I’ve found it traps every bit of dirt and debris. I have to vacuum once a week or two. No big deal, but it gets dirty fast the way I use my truck.

 

Mine wasn’t that expensive but I didn’t use that material. I went with 1/2” finished plywood and OSB on top. I can tell you my set up is much lighter than the Deckd system. Plus they sit 3/4” hire than they wheel Wells.

I just got back from a 3 day trip through south central UT and it’s the best thing for camp organization I had put on my truck. I highly recommend them if you are currently running something like Tubs.

You can read about my build here
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tacoma-aluminum-extrusion-wood-bed-drawer-system.711315/

Also I found Orange Aluminum to have a better price on the extrusions.


-M

 

Well phase one is done, everything fit just like I hoped.


I ordered everything cut to length from Tnutz, kinda wished I'd used those cube connectors for the corners as it took a bit of planning to get all the captive nuts in the tracks ahead of assembly.

Overall pretty happy, next stop is to find some drawer sliders and start working on a top.

 

@RocTaco How long of a slider do you need? What kind of weight rating are you looking for? Those Amazon ones are working out well so far. I put 640 miles on them with 150-200 miles off road and they worked out great for me.

-M

 

Need something in the 30-36" range, nothing super heavy going in them probably 100-150lbs max in each drawer. I'll definitely check those ones on Amazon out, thanks!

 

Yeah. PVC panels. I know it's a product used in vans and some trailers to keep potential wood rot out of the equation. I was thinking PVC with some seal or trim or even some flexible silicone to keep things sealed up.

LOL. It wasn't just the men. the women and the children. He hated a lot of things and people.

 

I made mine out of mostly pvc foam board. If you don't like a mess that is DEFINITELY not the stuff to use. It cuts easy, but makes a big mess

 

I used starboard as the top level on mine, but no sealant anywhere besides going batshit crazy sealing my canopy as best as possible. My former wood one had mold/mildew and deformed, thats precisely why I went with pvc. It's also quite strong and very lightweight compared to wood. I am a bit jealous of the extruded aluminum, I didn't even consider that

 

is Starboard the material that is used in Airstreams? That was a material I had not read about until after I finished my box a month or so back. It sounds like the perfect material for this application, so long as you have the means to keep the mess less messy.

 

I don't know about airstreams, but it wouldn't be good for your application as it's super heavy, easily 3x that of wood. It's messy too, but not as bad as the Sintra board

 

I’m not 100% certain but it’s similar to the stuff Mountain Hatch uses. Starboard is like cutting board material.
-M