Tool Boxes and Flatbed Mounting Thoughts

[deminimis]

I know several have gone this route (perhaps more in the Fuso forums). Just looking for some thoughts. My FB is 8' wide. My camper is 8'1" wide. When it comes to mounting upper tool boxes, it presents a possible issue. Center section on my camper is 4'. The measurement for off the shelf Pro-Tech (24' deep) boxes includes the non-flush mounted doors (that's a good thing for this exercise). In order for 24" deep top boxes to fit the camper (flush with the camper side walls and leave a bit of wiggle room for loading and unloading the camper), the tool box doors will extend past the edge of the flatbed (the approx thickness of the doors). So, the door boxes would overhang the flatbed, more or less. Off the shelf boxes are desirable (speed and costs). I know 1/2" buffer along the middle section of the camper is not much, but capt manages it, so I think I'll manage it as well. The issue, really more than anything, is the dork factor. Trying to picture if it would look completely stupid to have the overhang or not. Again, we're probably only talking about 1/2", but that's a guess as I do not know, exactly, the thickness of the Protech doors (swing doors). I could mount upper and lower boxes with the same exposure, so there's at least that little bit of symmetry. My guess is I'm over thinking this and it would not make a lick of difference, aesthetically speaking (and that's all I'm concerned about with this post). Thoughts?

 

[deminimis]

Most pics I find show above and below boxes flush or slightly set back from the edge of a flat bed. However, I did find a couple pics where is appears the doors extend past the flatbed sides. Not too hideous at all.

This one gives me an idea:

 

[Capt Eddie]

All of the pictures of my truck will show you that it looks like. All of my boxes stick out past the bed. I extended my swing out brackets to allow loading without a problem. One of my boxes even stick out a hair more to allow me to put my spare tire inside of it. It is 34 inches from the frame to the door of that box. The tire is 32.5. I still have 1/2 inch clearance inside of my 24 inch boxes. I have tapered guides that center the camper on loading. I have had the 18" box and now the 24" box. It is a world of difference. Please use the 24" you will not be sorry. No one will ever notice the boxes sticking out.

 

[deminimis]

Excellent. Thanks Capt.

 

[PGGRS]

Side boxes mounted to camper

This was my camper for many years, since sold to a member in Georgia. He's putting it on a Fuso. My boxes were cut up & mounted to 2 1/2 4x8 plywood sheets screwed into the bottom of the Bigfoot. Huge amount of storage. Drop the whole thing on a flatbed. I did frame out the bottom with 2x4's a box to fit in the hitch recess in the flatbed. Keeps it centered.