Build Thread - Onug's Silver Bullet
#51
Sold the Decked system. The ergonomics of putting stuff onto the top of it wasn't very good. I didn't think that one through, but age and back pain brings it to the forefront of consideration. Stretching my arms out with heavy stuff was just not fun, even going from the tailgate to the top of the decked. Another big factor was the weight of the system. It weighed 220lbs. The final straw was a road trip over a high mountain pass where I could feel the EB hitting a wall before downshifting. Knowing all the gear in my truck was just over 600lbs (canopy, Decked plus gear) I decided it was time to lighten the load.
I need storage, so decided to go with a truck box. It seems like truck boxes are split between three groups. One is "cheap price, cheap quality", "mid price, cheap quality" and "expensive, good quality". I'd bought a "cheap/cheap" Lowes box years ago and it worked fine, but was never something I thought would last very long. Sold it earlier this year as it didn't fit my short wheelbase. I decided to buy a quality unit this time, following my typical "Buy once, cry once" motto. Amazon delivered a Weatherguard box a few weeks ago, PN 674-52-01. So far I'm very happy. The welds are high quality as is locking mechanism. The steel tray is solid and has adjustable dividers. I used to have to pry open the lid on my Lowes box, so it's fun to just open the lid to watch it spring open with authority. The Powder coat finish is pretty tough. I smacked it with a chunk of cement yesterday and it looks good. There's a dent, but no damage to the finish. The flat-black color blends in well with the bed liner and doesn't attract any attention.
Not sure I want to drill into the bed floor to mount it, so just holding it in place with a strap for now. I haven't scaled the truck yet, but the box weighs about 40lbs. Fully loaded, I gained 1" of rake back without the Decked system.
I need storage, so decided to go with a truck box. It seems like truck boxes are split between three groups. One is "cheap price, cheap quality", "mid price, cheap quality" and "expensive, good quality". I'd bought a "cheap/cheap" Lowes box years ago and it worked fine, but was never something I thought would last very long. Sold it earlier this year as it didn't fit my short wheelbase. I decided to buy a quality unit this time, following my typical "Buy once, cry once" motto. Amazon delivered a Weatherguard box a few weeks ago, PN 674-52-01. So far I'm very happy. The welds are high quality as is locking mechanism. The steel tray is solid and has adjustable dividers. I used to have to pry open the lid on my Lowes box, so it's fun to just open the lid to watch it spring open with authority. The Powder coat finish is pretty tough. I smacked it with a chunk of cement yesterday and it looks good. There's a dent, but no damage to the finish. The flat-black color blends in well with the bed liner and doesn't attract any attention.
Not sure I want to drill into the bed floor to mount it, so just holding it in place with a strap for now. I haven't scaled the truck yet, but the box weighs about 40lbs. Fully loaded, I gained 1" of rake back without the Decked system.
Last edited by onug; 12-31-2016 at 10:28 AM. Reason: Add details
#52
Needed a storage box for quick-grab and misc items, so I decided to repurpose a surplus ammo can (40mm I think) that I had in my garage. These things are built like tanks, so it should hold up well. It fits perfectly inside the wheel well and with a few holes drilled mounts up nicely to a (removed) tie down point.
I stripped a screw trying to install the top bolt (it's stuck in the bed box), so you'll see it's only held in place right now with one bolt. It's actually pretty solid as-is, but will fix that problem when I pull it out this spring. I want to drill some drain holes in the bottom and then sand it all down and paint it black to match the bed...when it's not 40 degrees and raining.
I stripped a screw trying to install the top bolt (it's stuck in the bed box), so you'll see it's only held in place right now with one bolt. It's actually pretty solid as-is, but will fix that problem when I pull it out this spring. I want to drill some drain holes in the bottom and then sand it all down and paint it black to match the bed...when it's not 40 degrees and raining.
#53
Finally got the Husky Wheelwell Liners installed today. These have been sitting in my garage since late December. Needed some good sun to warm the plastic up so it was more malleable. Still took some strong-arming to get into place, especially with these tires.
I tell you what, these should be standard on the truck. They look amazing.
I tell you what, these should be standard on the truck. They look amazing.
#54
I decided to buy a quality unit this time, following my typical "Buy once, cry once" motto. Amazon delivered a Weatherguard box a few weeks ago, PN 674-52-01. So far I'm very happy. The welds are high quality as is locking mechanism. The steel tray is solid and has adjustable dividers. I used to have to pry open the lid on my Lowes box, so it's fun to just open the lid to watch it spring open with authority.
Looks good in the back of your F150.
biz
#56
So far I'm really impressed with the tires. They're significantly heavier than the OEMs, so I've taken a hit on MPGs. My speedo is off by about 3.5% and I've seen somewhere in the 8%-10% drop in the MPG tracker in the truck. I know the truck isn't an accurate system and my informal testing has just been my 17 mile commute to work in the morning. I'm going to do a more formal test once I get a road trip in.
The stiffer sidewall is really amazing. The truck handles everything better now; corners and bumps. I think there's a bit less road traction, as I'm spinning the tires more easily now. But I'm still adjusting tire pressure and it's been very wet the past week. What I'm most happy about is the road noise, or actually, lack of road noise. I expected a lower hum due to the more aggressive A/T design. But the truck is just as quiet as with the OEM rubbers.
The stiffer sidewall is really amazing. The truck handles everything better now; corners and bumps. I think there's a bit less road traction, as I'm spinning the tires more easily now. But I'm still adjusting tire pressure and it's been very wet the past week. What I'm most happy about is the road noise, or actually, lack of road noise. I expected a lower hum due to the more aggressive A/T design. But the truck is just as quiet as with the OEM rubbers.
#57
So far I'm really impressed with the tires. They're significantly heavier than the OEMs, so I've taken a hit on MPGs. My speedo is off by about 3.5% and I've seen somewhere in the 8%-10% drop in the MPG tracker in the truck. I know the truck isn't an accurate system and my informal testing has just been my 17 mile commute to work in the morning. I'm going to do a more formal test once I get a road trip in.
The stiffer sidewall is really amazing. The truck handles everything better now; corners and bumps. I think there's a bit less road traction, as I'm spinning the tires more easily now. But I'm still adjusting tire pressure and it's been very wet the past week. What I'm most happy about is the road noise, or actually, lack of road noise. I expected a lower hum due to the more aggressive A/T design. But the truck is just as quiet as with the OEM rubbers.
The stiffer sidewall is really amazing. The truck handles everything better now; corners and bumps. I think there's a bit less road traction, as I'm spinning the tires more easily now. But I'm still adjusting tire pressure and it's been very wet the past week. What I'm most happy about is the road noise, or actually, lack of road noise. I expected a lower hum due to the more aggressive A/T design. But the truck is just as quiet as with the OEM rubbers.
Thanks for the review. Though with only 6500 miles on my set now, it'll be a while, but I always like to put all terrain tires on my trucks, even if they're 2WD. I'm deciding what to put on the F150. On the F250, I switched from the OEMs to Revos, which I have had really good luck with on my SUVs, but they did not last long on the truck.
I was surprised you're getting less road traction. I'm in wet and mud and sand way more than in snow and ice, so that's definitely a consideration.
#59
Needed a storage box for quick-grab and misc items, so I decided to repurpose a surplus ammo can (40mm I think) that I had in my garage. These things are built like tanks, so it should hold up well. It fits perfectly inside the wheel well and with a few holes drilled mounts up nicely to a (removed) tie down point.
I stripped a screw trying to install the top bolt (it's stuck in the bed box), so you'll see it's only held in place right now with one bolt. It's actually pretty solid as-is, but will fix that problem when I pull it out this spring. I want to drill some drain holes in the bottom and then sand it all down and paint it black to match the bed...when it's not 40 degrees and raining.
I stripped a screw trying to install the top bolt (it's stuck in the bed box), so you'll see it's only held in place right now with one bolt. It's actually pretty solid as-is, but will fix that problem when I pull it out this spring. I want to drill some drain holes in the bottom and then sand it all down and paint it black to match the bed...when it's not 40 degrees and raining.
#60
When refueling the vehicle fuel tank from
a fuel container, use the plastic funnel
included with your vehicle.
• In SuperCab and SuperCrew vehicles,
the funnel is located under the second
row passenger side seat near the spare
tire toolbox.
• On regular cab vehicles, the funnel is
located behind the passenger seat.
When refueling the vehicle fuel tank from
a fuel container, do the following:
1. Locate the plastic funnel.
E142668
2. Insert the plastic funnel into the fuel
tank filler pipe opening.
3. Fill the vehicle with fuel from the
portable fuel container.
4. Clean the plastic funnel and place it
back in your vehicle or properly dispose
of it.
Note: Extra funnels can be purchased from
an authorized dealer if you choose to
dispose of the funnel.
a fuel container, use the plastic funnel
included with your vehicle.
• In SuperCab and SuperCrew vehicles,
the funnel is located under the second
row passenger side seat near the spare
tire toolbox.
• On regular cab vehicles, the funnel is
located behind the passenger seat.
When refueling the vehicle fuel tank from
a fuel container, do the following:
1. Locate the plastic funnel.
E142668
2. Insert the plastic funnel into the fuel
tank filler pipe opening.
3. Fill the vehicle with fuel from the
portable fuel container.
4. Clean the plastic funnel and place it
back in your vehicle or properly dispose
of it.
Note: Extra funnels can be purchased from
an authorized dealer if you choose to
dispose of the funnel.