It was time to add some functionality and storage to the bed of our 2013 F-150.
First let me start off by mentioning the 10 year old BakFlip folding bed cover. This thing is holding up great. We did have to replace the seal that goes along the tailgate but the great part about BakFlip is their warranty and customer service. Most parts are serviceable and replaceable. This rear seal was easy to replace after BakFlip shipped it to us.
This truck never had a plastic bed liner or spray in liner in it. As you can imagine things would slide all over the bed and with the bed cover closed it made it difficult to retrieve things left near the tail gate because they wont stay near the tailgate. This is where we started with a rubber Bed Mat from Rough Country. For $100-$110 you really cant beat this bed mat. Especially when we ship it for free. Now here's an unexpected bonus, this mat had no harsh fresh rubber smell, it seems like they add some kind of vanilla scent to the compound that makes me crave cookies each time I walk up to the truck even after a few weeks after install.
You can view our selection of Rough Country bed mats here:
Rough County Bed Mats
Now I wanted to be able to store things in the bed because my underseat storage box was getting too full. Yes we sell underseat storage boxes but this isnt about that. I wanted something easy to access and easily removable. The easy choice was the UnderCover SwingCase. These cases bolt to the back of the bed and can swing to the tailgate for easy access then swung back in to storage position. If you need more room in the bed you just remove the hinge lock and they can be lifted off of the hinge and you are back to having all the usable space in your bed. They make the cases for either passenger side or driver side and are sold separately. On this truck the box was installed with 6 self tapping screws. 4 screws for the hinge plate and 2 screws near the latch. a socket on a 3/8 drive electric impact made quick work of the self tapping screws, no drill needed.
After you have your bracket screwed on you just slide the SwingCase on to the hinge plate and don't forget to put on the hinge lock. Once you are done you just give the case a push and it swings around and latches into storage position. To bring the case back to the tailgate just pull the yellow handle to release the latch and swing the case to you for easy access.
Now you can rinse and repeat if you are installing one on both sides. We started with one case, then I acquired more gear and decided 2 cases will be better.
Now that you have all this newfound storage space what are you going to put in them? Here's a view of the space you have to work with.
First thing I stuck in there was my Bulldog Winch model 41000 portable air compressor. I've had this thing for a few years and used it over and over for truck tires, inflatable lake toys, air mattresses. With 150 psi capability and 5.65cfm you wont need much more than that, and really dont want much less than that. Unless you like sitting on the side of the road longer while airing tires back up after a day on the trails.
This is the compressor I have, it fits perfectly in the Swingcase. I havent tried other models to confirm how they fit.
Bulldog Winch 41000 Portable Air Compressor
Lets not forget the compressors counterpart, the Rough Country Tire Deflator. Also in this case is my handy folding shovel and some ratchet tie down straps under the removable tray.
Now lets move on to the passenger side. Here are some new things I have not gotten to play with yet. But if I need them I will be glad I have them, or somebody else will be glad I came by and was prepared.
First off is the BullDog Winch #20231 7/8"x30ft 22k pound Kinetic Recovery Rope. This rope seems to be the best dollar for dollar deal out there for a high quality heavy duty Kinetic recovery rope. If a 22k pound rope isnt enough I probably shouldnt be tugging on it with my F150. It also comes with a nice mesh bag to keep the rope packed up tight.
Next we have your standard tow strap for your regular old tow jobs that arent stuck in a hole. Here we have the Rugged Ridge 15104.01 3"x30ft recovery Strap
We also have a pair of soft shackles to make it easier to connect either of the recovery ropes to trucks with tow hoops instead of tow hooks. Nobody likes having to make a knot with their tow strap to connect to a tow hoop.
See our Selection of Soft shackles here
Next we are looking at ways to mount some traction boards to the front of the bed. But that will be in another post so check back later.