In-Cab Lock Box for Xtra Cab Tacoma

[holeinthehand]

I am planning a trip to Mexico and want a secure place inside the cab of my Tacoma to store my computer and camera. I've heard of some people bolting an aluminum lock box down in the cab behind the seats.

Anyone have experience with this? After numerous google searches I still can't come up with any pics. I'm wondering where I should drill into the frame of the truck so that it would be secure and not ruin the cab frame.

If anyone has done this to their first gen Tacoma I'd love to see pics and maybe a little explanation of how it was accomplished.

Saludos.

 

[DaveInDenver]

A 6-1/2" wide Tuffy console will fit perfectly between the seats of a 1st gen after you remove the stock center console. There will be two small holes on the side of the plastic trim around the stick shifts.

I made a small bracket to span the rear Tuffy holes to match the stock holes and I think I only had to drill one hole towards the front to hold it very secure. If you put the cup holder on the front reaching the shifters isn't hard and it would be very difficult to tell it wasn't stock.

As far as drilling into the frame, this just uses the sheet metal of the cab itself, so it's not exactly Fort Knox. But it would take a lot of work to get a Tuffy box open, definitely more than a casual thief would deal with. This part of the cab is IIRC double thickness of sheet metal because it's where the seat belt buckles are bolted, so it's pretty strong. The next step up IMHO would be to bolt an actual safe to the bed or cab floor, but that's overkill I think.

I suspect if someone saw a safe in a vehicle they'd just steal the whole thing under the assumption that there are guns, drugs or lots of money in it so ironically making the risk worth the potential reward and increasing your vehicle's exposure. With a lock box you just make the guy calculate it's not worth it for maybe an iPod or camera and most likely move on.

 

[holeinthehand]

Thanks for the response. I think I want to drill a lockable aluminum toolbox to the floor of the cab behind the seats for a few reasons. First, it will allow me more space to stow both a laptop and a camera (plus any other valuables I want to secure). Second, I'm on a tight budget, and a toolbox looks cheaper than the custom Tuffy lockbox center console.

I take your point about the added interest having a safe in the cab might arouse, but I also plan on getting the darkest window tint available once I arrive in Mexico, so they wouldn't really be able to see into the cab.

 

[DeskToGlory]

This isn't the best photo, but it's the only one I have at the moment. We just threw a mexican blanket over top of the lockbox so nobody could see what was actually there and also painted it flat black so it blended in a little. In our truck there's a raised flat portion of sheetmetal that the seats rest on. I drilled through this and the box and bolted it together by using the access for the factory jack. I did have to cut the lockbox in a couple spots on the bottom/back to let it sit flush with the bottom and the back of the cab. Even if somebody could unbolt it they'd have to remove the front seats to get it out of the truck... some SERIOUS effort is required to remove it. We had two snatch and grab break-ins in Mexico and nobody ever attempted to get into the lockbox.

 

[holeinthehand]

Thanks Richard, this is exactly what I was looking for. Going to look for a lockbox to purchase tomorrow.

 

[DeskToGlory]

Thanks Richard, this is exactly what I was looking for. Going to look for a lockbox to purchase tomorrow.

I forgot to mention that ours is a little bit too big and prevents the seats from reclining very far. Just be aware of this when you're shopping for lockboxes! :snorkel:

 

[DaveInDenver]

Looks cool and plenty big. That should work.

FWIW, the Tuffy was large enough for a 15" Macbook Pro to fit along with my FM3a (I still run a manual film camera). They run about $225 IIRC for the regular universal box. I've put one in my '91 not long after I got it and it's only been tested once, but it wasn't a serious attempt. Just a meth head with a pair of pliers.

I wish there was a way to fit one in a 2nd gen Tacoma but the center tunnel is too tall. Tuffy are nice people, they have a lot to do with the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde and make their stuff in Cortez, CO.

 

[holeinthehand]

Looks cool and plenty big. That should work.

FWIW, the Tuffy was large enough for a 15" Macbook Pro to fit along with my FM3a (I still run a manual film camera). They run about $225 IIRC for the regular universal box. I've put one in my '91 not long after I got it and it's only been tested once, but it wasn't a serious attempt. Just a meth head with a pair of pliers.

I wish there was a way to fit one in a 2nd gen Tacoma but the center tunnel is too tall. Tuffy are nice people, they have a lot to do with the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde and make their stuff in Cortez, CO.

Thanks for this info. I am now seriously considering this, especially since I couldn't source any aluminum lockboxes locally. I just need to make sure my 15" Laptop and my Sony A6000 will both fit at the same time. Looking at pics of the FM3a, it looks like it and the a6000 are roughly the same size, so it should be ok.

Now I kind of wish I hadn't ripped out my jack covers and carpet in the back of the cab :/

 

[holeinthehand]

A 6-1/2" wide Tuffy console will fit perfectly between the seats of a 1st gen after you remove the stock center console. There will be two small holes on the side of the plastic trim around the stick shifts.

I made a small bracket to span the rear Tuffy holes to match the stock holes and I think I only had to drill one hole towards the front to hold it very secure. If you put the cup holder on the front reaching the shifters isn't hard and it would be very difficult to tell it wasn't stock.

As far as drilling into the frame, this just uses the sheet metal of the cab itself, so it's not exactly Fort Knox. But it would take a lot of work to get a Tuffy box open, definitely more than a casual thief would deal with. This part of the cab is IIRC double thickness of sheet metal because it's where the seat belt buckles are bolted, so it's pretty strong. The next step up IMHO would be to bolt an actual safe to the bed or cab floor, but that's overkill I think.

I suspect if someone saw a safe in a vehicle they'd just steal the whole thing under the assumption that there are guns, drugs or lots of money in it so ironically making the risk worth the potential reward and increasing your vehicle's exposure. With a lock box you just make the guy calculate it's not worth it for maybe an iPod or camera and most likely move on.

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I just placed an order for this. Could you give me a little more info on making the bracket so it fits the stock holes? How exactly did you accomplish this?