I am thinking about getting some RKI sideboxes for my Sierra and am deciding between the aluminum ones and the steel ones. The steel ones are pretty weighty.


I am probably going to build some steel rails out of angle iron welded together in a "C" shape that will cover the top of the bedrails and the front of the bed. It will most likely be bolted through the stake pockets. The side boxes will be attached to the rails and bolted to the bed floor.


My question is this: Do you think that the steel rails will negate any problems I might have with the bedsides cracking under the weight of the heavy toolboxes??


I have talked to people who have had the heavy steel RKI boxes and know of two personally that have had damage due to the heavy boxes.


Just wondering what everyones thoughts/experiences were...

I built a headach rack and built in peices of 1/4"x 3" wide flatstock and sandwitched my rack between my box and my bed. 3"x1" square tubing makes up the rest of the rack and it runs along the top of the back bedrail. havent had a problem with it being supported on 3 sides of the bed. I have quite a bit of crap in my box. Its a aluminum weather gaurd saddle box. IMO you should tie it into or have the back bed rail help support it too. Then mount your supports and drill your holes and then go get a spray in done and remount everything. Have the stuff sitting on the bedliner stuff. Go over the rails too. JMO and the way i bassicly did it.

so the flat stock runs along the entire length of the top of the bedsides?


How did you attach it?


do you have a ladder rack on it? or just a front headache rack?





when you say "back bed rail" do you mean at the front of the bed (near the cab)?

Yes front of the bed near the cab.....I was very unclear in the first posthttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley9.gif The flat stock is just sandwitched between the bed and the tool box and held down by the box and some bolts with big washers. Leme see if I can dig up a pic.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/ratlover/2004-10-12_150002_MVC-007F.JPG

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/ratlover/2004-10-12_150056_MVC-008F.JPG

So do you have flat bar running the entire length of the bedsides or just under the box?


Nice looking headache rack, btw. I just started building one for my 1984.

duckhuntr


Just make sure if you bolt anything onto bed rails it is either bolted in the stake pocket using a rubber wedge type mount or make sure you drill thru the inner and outer panels of your bedrails. You can feel them in behind the outer panel as they don't run the whole length of the inner bed rail like they used to. Trust me I know.......the hard way!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley18.gif

The 3"x1/4" just runs under the tool box. Its attached to the 3"x1" square tubing that sits on the front of the box. IMO just make sure its supported by the front of the bed too and you will be fine.