Got a few things done over the weekend
.
The heavy duty D-ring tiedowns went in underneath the bed, with four 3/8" Grade 8 bolts each. They take a 2.5" hole saw and a finishing cut with a sawzall to allow the ring to fully pivot upward and back. All four lie in the two wide channels in the bed...measured from the rear lip of the bed, the close edge of the rear tiedowns is at 8.5" and the forwards at 43.5"...it's enough to lock down a 39" spare, if I had one.
When the spare tire is loaded face down, the cavity in the rim can be filled with stuff. On top of that, the X-Jack, then a tarp, and ratchet straps. A pair of camp chairs are lashed to the straps with a tautline hitch, so they're quick & easy to get in and out. There's a better way, but they're tied down.
Hilift jack is mounted on the right bedside with a 4XRAC. It's more stable than Quick Fists, but the provided mounting hardware isn't really very helpful...better to source your own 1/4" fasteners, since the included fasteners are rather long and only include nylock nuts. Kind of awkward in tight spaces. The label side is facing in to the bed, and the foot is facing the cab (and the jerrycans), so if it did come loose nobody gets hurt.
The Nupla shovel is mounted with QFs to the left bedside, over the wheel well.
There are three jerrycans strapped down on either side of the front of the bed, using another pair of lighter duty D-ring tiedowns. Because of their layout and location, they had to be mounted on top of the bed. The cans are protected from the bolt head by a couple thick sheets of neoprene...actually fender covers for working in an engine bay, handy to have around in any case. There is a better way, I just have to DIY, and they will sit in the channel like the spare tire tiedowns. The cans are strapped in tight--strap, crank, burp, repeat. I'll burp them again at altitude, to minimize trapped air and pressure buildup. The better way is an auxiliary fuel cell.
In between the six jerrycans, behind the sliding rear window, there's currently a 5gal blue water jug. They're durable enough, and I have crates for them. The crates can be strapped to the same tiedowns holding the jerrycans. There's another blue jug at the end of the bed, on the left. Better solution is a pair of 5gal Scepter H2O jugs, strapped in the center between the fuel cans.
The space between the jerrycans and the spare tire is full of cooler. Right now, it's a 58 quart Coleman...we discovered we can pack 11 days of food and some drinks (frozen, ice in the cracks, etc) in that cooler, and a few frozen drinks in a smaller cooler. I think the 82 quart cooler is similar dimensions except length, and there is plenty of room to either side...I see an 82qt fitting there in the future, and no need for a second cooler with everything precooked, frozen and sealed in individual containers.
Right now the CO2 tank is sitting at the right rear bed corner. I think there is a better way, but for now this will suffice.
With the rear seat and carpet removed, the two storage wells are easily accessed. A small toolbox is lashed in the right well, it sticks up a bit, eventually I'd like to make it a sliding tool drawer, with everything packed using QFs, foam, small drawers, etc. The right well contains the 1/2" drive stuff...breaker bar, torque wrench, ratchet...and they'll all be attached to the inside front of that well using mini QFs.
In the cab, the space under the seats is perfect for a couple tarps, maybe some rope, pair of flip flops...it's a couple inches high and almost a foot square.
In the back seat area, two large blue tupperware bins get lashed in place. One contains non-perishable goods and cookware, the other is clothing.
The tent rides on the floor behind one of the seats, the duffel containing various stuff (fire extinguisher, duct tape, flares, gloves, paper towel, etc) goes behind the other. A couple drybags of clothing can rest wherever--probably behind the seats again--and the sleeping pads and bags can also sit in the back seat somewhere.
Should be plenty of room in the bed, maybe even back of the cab, for a couple packs.
Last items are a couple tarp stakes...a pair of lightweight wooden dowels to lash wherever in the bed for a high ceiling, and a pair of metal stakes to be buried in the ground at the other end as shelter from the weather.
End result is proper loading, great visibility out the rear, truck doesn't wallow or ride low in back, and we're ready for 11 days of whatever and only need to resupply with water somewhere in the middle. I think the truck could easily still carry another 15gal H2O, if it were held in Scepter cans...they have a better shape than the round jugs we're using now, two can go in the front, another pair can sit to either side of the cooler, and one more in the rear left corner where a blue jug is sitting now. All this except the last would be riding forward of the rear axle.
