I'm looking to get a toolbox for my new truck and the weatherguard box's have caught my eye. Specifially the model 127 aluminum saddle box. They look to be well made boxes. Are they worth the extra money over say a husky box from homedepot or a crafstman box in terms of construction and how long they'll last? I haven't gotten a chance to look at any of these boxes up close yet. Just pics on the internet and trucks driving bye.

They are the beast available. I have used them for years and never an
issue. They are pricey but you get what you pay for. I have a black
aluminum cross box, was around $650. It is the large size

Well over the years I've learned that it's cheaper to buy the expensive stuff in the long run because it generally lasts so much longer than the cheap stuff. The guys around here have the box I'm looking for for around $500. it's not the big one though, it's 20" wide.

Good to hear that they are some of the best out there though. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley1.gif

You can't go wrong with Weatehrguard toolboxes. They are top quality toolbox manufacturer. I have two of side mounted toolboxes and love them. Open and close very easily, thus very secure with red weather lock. Alot of people have them too.


Only problem is when it is very cold (usually 10F and below) for a long period of time, the gas shocks does not function fully so it makes horrible sounds when opening but there's nothing you can do about them. All other toolboxes shocks do the same things too. Edited by: wxmn6

Just a suggestion. If you are going to use your toolboxes a bunch like I use mine for tools and supplies. I work road construction so I'm in mine all the time. I had a cross box but then went to side boxes. I love the side boxes much better for the fact you don't lose as much bed space and you don't have to get up in the back of the truck to get to the bottom of you cross box. Just a suggestion to keep in mind when getting some.

Yep, that's why I got the side toolboxes. Easier to get into plus it doesn't take up much bed space. Still can slide in full sheets of plywood.

I've had the mid-size cross box and really liked them. Although...I had two problems.... some tools/gear were just to big to fit. Try fitting your recharging Boshe or DeWalt tools in one of those..... big problem or a small suitcase. The other problem I had was removing to tools. I seemed to have developed the best way to scratch the hell out of my truck. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley7.gif Ohyeah, my 4-wheeler would not fit in the back. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley19.gif So I went back to the crossbox. I have had the 111 and the 117 and both are GREAT! The 117 is about the best box, overall. The 111 can be a PIA but it is BIG and ROOMY and weighs a 105lbs....... empty.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley3.gif One thing that I really like about the boxes is that they are just a little shallow...sort'a. You can always find your stuff in the bottom. It's not soo deep that you loose your tools. And, you can still stack about 8+ sheets of 1" plywood in under the toolbox.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif After that, you're just over the tailgate a smige. LOL


WeatherGuard is one of, if not, the best toolbox out.


If it's cold or not.......try not to force the box open, just help it open. Forcing the box to open will kill the shocks. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif





Burner-----------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

Thanks for the input guys this pretty much sealed the deal for me with the weatherguard. Now just gotta wait till monday since the only dealers around here that I've been able to find aren't open on the weekend. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley6.gif

BTW......... I have never been able to slam any of my WeatherGuard boxes shut. They have all had two locks and all needed to be "press shut" not slammed.

HAha, so you slam it down and it opens back up? Sounds like the box is mocking you...slam my lid and see what you get! http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif hahaha

But really thanks for the info, I'd probably have done that and gone "huh...stupid POS that everyone said is supposed to be the best"

The weatherGuard has a great seal. The problem arises when the air relief holes are blocked. The box tends to seal pretty tight, slamming it increases the air pressure within it...making it not want to shut. The locks are very roebust and need some pressure to lock. You'll see a lot of boxes that are only 1/2 way shut, only one lock is latched, from people trying to "slam" the box closed.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley9.gif





Burner------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

Ahh, it all makes sense now. Sounds like a minor inconvenience for someone who lives in the pacific northwest. Can you get it shut from just pushing down on one side of the truck? Also does it require pushing both lock latches in to open or will one latch actuate both sides?Edited by: WAskier

The locks are ambidextrous, you can open the box from either side. You can also lock one side of the box and leave the other open. Doing that will let you in from the un-locked side. 10" off the corner and some pressue will or should lock both locks on any of the toolboxes. The "big" box will take more effort, due to the torsion effect from such a large lid. It sure is nice using your elbow on the push-lock button to open the box. I've had to do the many times with dirty hands.


Warning...... never, never, ever use acid cleaner to wash the box. These boxes are coated and will clean up with just soap and water. The box will shine for many years if you wash it with the same stuff you wash your truck with.





Burner--------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

Awesome, thanks for all the help Burner! I can't wait till tommorow when I can go buy one http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

From what I saw at my dealer, I went with a Payload toolbox - I believe it is manufactured by Delta. It was far more rugged in construction, with the box made from a single piece of heavier gauge aluminum - no folds or welds to break in the bottom. Much more rugged stiffeners in both lid and bottom. Oh, and REAL handles / latches. I'll take a stainless paddle handle over that dinky red push button any day.


Either way, their seems to be nothing but good feedback for the weatherguard. I just thought the construction / features of the Payload were FAR Superior...


Ty

Those deltas are nice looking too but I'm gonna have a tonneau cover of some sort on it so I like the idea of being able to open it from the side. And the latch mechanism might get blocked by the tonneau too.

Weatherguard all the way!


I have the big/deep box with the 1 pc lid. 3 years old and still popping open as new. Money well spent!


black boxes look good and dont show the dents like my silver though. Just an Idea

I have the big cross box and 2 side boxes (WeatherGuard) in black.Never even considered another brand,used them before and will buy them again.

Hmm, too late on the black box idea. I picked up my very own model 127 box yesterday and it's awesome http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I had one little problem mounting the box though with it pushed all the way towards the cab the J hooks on the forward (towards the cab) holes didn't have anything to go into so I turned them forward and put them into the lip on the front of the box. This puts them at a really crappy angle. Anyone have any suggestions for this? Will it hurt the box at all? Maybe I can find some J hooks somewhere with a longer reach.

...... what I always do. I drill "another" hole in that section of the box just above the stake pocket. The J hook is long enough to hook into the meaty part of the bed (that round part on the side of the pocket) without any dammage to the lip. I also get some natural tree rubber and place it under the length of the side, about 2" x the length and recessed about 1/2 inch. I've found out that the boxes are toughfer than the truck! The box will dimple the truck if just the factory stuff is used. I also get three pieces of rubber to cover the inside of the box to keep stuff from sliding around. Natural Rubber is really fexible and generaly has a tan color, it's easy to see the bottom at night. Also, if you have a mini wheel or something, grind off the first J hook just above the zerk nut. I found out the hard way that that J hook can open fingers pretty well....... it really "peels" the fingernails off.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley19.gif


Oh yeah, don't pace the box against the back of the bed. Leave about 1/8 to 1/4 inch between the box and bed. All kinds of stuff will pack in that little crack and leaving some space allows you to pressure wash it out. Well, that and the fact that the lid can hit the glass if you're on a bad angle.... the rubber will help out on that as well.


Can you tell I really like the boxes? http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/hihi.gif





Burner---------------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

Yeah I was thinking about drilling a hole in the box so I could use the stake hole pocket. Maybe I'll do that, I just didn't have enough time yesterday.

I've got over the rail line-x on my truck, you think tha'ts enough or should I go with the larger pads? I guess better safe than sorry huh? Where do you find these strip of rubber at?

As far as the box being right at the end of the bed goes I was hoping to put a tonneau cover on this truck and making it as waterproof as possible. I was thinking of running a line of RTV silicone between it and the truck and antoher between the box and the tonneau. This isn't a work truck if you didn't notice. so we'll see how that goes. It might not work at all but I'll never know unless I try huh?

Find a rubber and gasket house around where ya are. They'll have what ya need. The gasket between the tonneau/box and the bed & box.... I wouldn't use anything but some kind of rubber foam. The gasket house shold have something or know where to point you. Heck, I've seen some semi heavy black foam in packing crates. It's really nice stuff... I just don't know about the UV quality? Besides, using the foam will allow you to remove the box if, for some reason, it gets dammaged or you decide to get a bigger box or another truck.

Burner you must have owned a lot of these boxes you have all the answers I'm looking for. Thanks for your insight on this! http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

My weathergaurd came with some galvanized peices of metal to stick between the J hook and the bottom of the bed rai to keep from dimpling it. Also cam with some rubber strips to place between the bed and the box. With a bedliner i dont think you will have a problem rubbing through.


I left the rubber off mine BTW. But I have a rubbery bedliner and a 1/4"X3" peice of steel sandwitched between the box and bed for my headach rack. No squeaksEdited by: ratlover

Yep, I've had a few. The rubber in the bottom does several things. The rubber helps keep it quiet, slows down or prevents dents while keeping things in place and can aid in the "sometimes" goofed oil or acid spill in the box. The natural rubber should absorb and neutralize any acid you spill...only bad part is that it will disolve. Every aluminum toolbox I have ever seen becomes black on the bottom. It doesn't seem to matter what you haul in it...... unless it's clothes, it always gets black and everything in it as well.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley5.gif The rubber will stop the black and help keep everything clean, which is a tremendous help at night. The only downside is that you loose some ability to drag heavy stuff from one side to the other and you loose about 1/4 inch accross the bottom.


...... Oh yeah, the "glued" runners on the inside slider box.......they can come off. Right out of the box, I take mine off and move them just a hair and rivit them down. Maybe I'm just hard on stuff.......but like I've said before............... I like things done right the 1st time.





Burner------------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

My plastic runners made it 2 days, you musta got a bad batchhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/hihi.gif


Maybe it depends on what color box you buy? Mine is turning silver from the anodizing getting worn off the bottm from stuff sliding around and scratching it. Outside looks good still though


And if you keep your fuel additive in the little side comparments that are right over the bed rail when they do leak they wont get everything else nasty and it drips out the bottom holes that the J hooks go into.

Yeah, I gotta admit....... I slacked on this last one for a week. Actually, I forgot until that gawd awful sound ..... grrrrrrerrreererr *zipp*... augh man, the try just gouged the heck out of the box! Got lazy..and paid. Oh well, 10 minute fix and "poof".....no problems since. The only problem I have is me OR SOMEONE ELSE for getting to lock the tray. Sharp cornners can be heard....kind'a sounds like a thump/twang. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/hihi.gif





Burner--------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif