In between the frame tool box

I have made a few. Its pretty easy. 2x2 inch angle iron one in front, one in back. Lay a piece of 1/8 flat steel on them weld a front and back to it, heavy duty hinges, on a heavy 3/16 piece of flat for the top. I put 500 pounds of chains and binders in mine and could walked on them all the time. No problem.

 

I had a freightliner that had a battery box in the frame above driveshaft. That might work.

 

You will never have enough storage stuff. Trust me

 

I never have enough storage. If I already had side boxes I'd still install a box on top of the frame. I've seen guys with the standard pickup truck tool boxes installed behind the cabs and sleepers. I've been lurking on Craigslist for a good deal on a sturdy chrome diamond plate box. I've been looking for a deep one I can fit a small generator in. I'd just use large U bolts to mount it to each frame rail.

 

They sell pre fabbed ones. You could always use one as a template if you could make your own cheaper. I guess the biggest factor is whats your time worth and how handy you are. I got a D+ for the toolbox I made in shop class in high school, so I usually just buy my tool boxes.



http://www.bigrigworld.com/between-the-frame-tool-box.html

I've seen them cheaper on other sights.

 

I built my own, or at least had some stuff made and assembled my own. We have a fab shop we use thats will build whatever you want. I had the brake me a price of 1/8 steel that lays on each frame rail then drops down and across then I went ahead and had them weld ends on to complete the "box". Then I took 1" X 2" box steel and made a lid, I ordered weld on bullet hinges online to attach the lid. Then is used the same steel to make a frame on each end of the box that's mounted permanent to the truck frame. Then I had them brake me 3 pieces of diamond plate, 1 to cover the box kid and 2 to cover the other pieces. When I was done my frame is covered from the headache rack to the fifth wheel. It looks real clean and I can walk on it no problem. I looked at the prefab ones and they're nice but I have less in my whole set up than they wanted for one box and my whole deck plate match's, most people don't realize there is a box there. The best part about a box like mine you can maximize available space, when I measured I dropped my suspension and measured to the drive shaft and from cross member to cross member my ended up being bigger than anything commercially available and I think it looks better. I'll snap a picture if you want, but you can't make fun of me for not having my aluminum polished it's been a long winter. I ended up pulling my battery box off the frame rail and put my battery's in there, I run a day cab and frame rail is at a premium, so a saddle box was handier. I keep the batteries and stuff I don't use as often in the frame box.

 

Never. Enough tools to be a backyard mechanic, enough hammers and saws to be a carpenter, enough tarps to cover the space shuttle, enough clevises and straps and hooks to be a rigger, enough lawn chairs and awnings and grills to throw a picnic. Just one bed. Bed is sacred.