Options for Toolbox on the Roof?

[UnderFire]

Alright, I've been passively looking for a nice big toolbox that would fit into my cargo basket for quite some time now, adn I haven't really been able to find very much, I have the Yakima Megawarrior, and I'd like to get something that fits the entire width (or as close as I can get at least), that's around 4ft long, and I'd be happy with 12-18" in width, and since I don't want it to sit much higher than the top of the basket, I'll say 8" tall.

Anybody know of any place to look or any options I may have? I don't really care if it's metal or plastic or what color it is, I'd just want it to be waterproof or be able to waterproof it myself, and have some way of locking it, either built in, or able to mount up a padlock system.

 

[thzpcs]

You might want to take a look at Thule or something similar. I honestly can't say I've ever seen a roof mounted toolbox like you're describing, so you might have to improvise.

 

[UnderFire]

You might want to take a look at Thule or something similar. I honestly can't say I've ever seen a roof mounted toolbox like you're describing, so you might have to improvise.

That's what I'm trying to do pretty much, no company I've looked at made anything close to what I'm trying to get, I've tried various outdoor stores as well, looking at hunting and fishing cases, as well as the truck accessories stores, so I'm hoping someone knows about something I don't on here.

 

[UnderFire]

I do recall seeing one th gen guy having some fairly large but flat plastic cases mounted to a full length roof rack of some kind, can't even begin to remember who though.

 

[Ducmonsta]

Gobi Racks - Hummer, Jeep, Toyota Racks

Here you go. It's not the full width but at least you can separate your gear up top if you go with two of them. Personally, I'd buy one and see if you even need another. I'd rather have the cargo space for other storage.

 

[KidVermicious]

What are you doing with the rack itself? Seems like you don't need it if you're going to fill it with a tool box anyway, why not just get a low profile cargo pod from Yakima or Thule or whoever?

 

[UnderFire]

What are you doing with the rack itself? Seems like you don't need it if you're going to fill it with a tool box anyway, why not just get a low profile cargo pod from Yakima or Thule or whoever?

I don't use it on an extremely regular basis, it's just nice to have when I need it, I was planning on using the front 1/4-1/3rd of the rack for the toolbox, that way if I needed to haul something big up there I could prop one end of the thing on top of the box and strap it down still, since you can't really put anything super heavy on the roof it wouldn't really restrict what I could put up there much anyways, most of the time it's a handful of smaller things with my cargo net over them.

The toolbox will be filled up with things that are currently in my cargo bay taking up that space, like a box of ratchet straps, bungee cords, my cargo net, a bottle jack, misc tools, etc. So I'm not necessarily giving up space, just moving things around to make it more suitable for what I need.

 

[KidVermicious]

I don't use it on an extremely regular basis, it's just nice to have when I need it, I was planning on using the front 1/4-1/3rd of the rack for the toolbox, that way if I needed to haul something big up there I could prop one end of the thing on top of the box and strap it down still, since you can't really put anything super heavy on the roof it wouldn't really restrict what I could put up there much anyways, most of the time it's a handful of smaller things with my cargo net over them.

The toolbox will be filled up with things that are currently in my cargo bay taking up that space, like a box of ratchet straps, bungee cords, my cargo net, a bottle jack, misc tools, etc. So I'm not necessarily giving up space, just moving things around to make it more suitable for what I need.

Copy. What about a small Action Packer or two? They're padlockable, and you could bolt them to the rack from the inside to keep them secure?

 

[UnderFire]

Copy. What about a small Action Packer or two? They're padlockable, and you could bolt them to the rack from the inside to keep them secure?

That might be an option, they're a little taller than I wanted to be ~12" for the smallest one, but I could make that work if there's no other option.

I was planning on running U-bolts around the rack and drilling holes in the bottom of the box for whatever I end up with to keep it on the rack unless it's open.

 

[UnderFire]

Gobi Racks - Hummer, Jeep, Toyota Racks

Here you go. It's not the full width but at least you can separate your gear up top if you go with two of them. Personally, I'd buy one and see if you even need another. I'd rather have the cargo space for other storage.

That's a lot of money for that tiny box lol, Looks like an electrical box with a lock cylinder, I never thought to look at that, but I may check and see what kind of those they have at the local metal yard.

 

[Martinjmpr]

How about a .50 cal ammo can with a padlock? Easy to find and cheap.

If you want to get really fancy, weld a hasp or something onto the can to allow you to lock it securely to the rack. As long as the O ring seal is in good shape (easy to check) it will be waterproof and if it gets rusty or beat up, toss it out and get another.

 

[UnderFire]

How about a .50 cal ammo can with a padlock? Easy to find and cheap.

If you want to get really fancy, weld a hasp or something onto the can to allow you to lock it securely to the rack. As long as the O ring seal is in good shape (easy to check) it will be waterproof and if it gets rusty or beat up, toss it out and get another.

I was hoping for something bigger, a lot of my gear is already in some 5.56 ammo cans, I was looking for something those would fit inside hopfeully.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I was hoping for something bigger, a lot of my gear is already in some 5.56 ammo cans, I was looking for something those would fit inside hopfeully.

20mm ammo can?

30mm ammo can? You'd have to mount them sideways but their big, rugged and cheap.

Just curious, though, you really want to carry something as heavy as tools on the roof? Not only is weight a factor but what about exposure to moisture? Consider that even if they are in a watertight container if they're outside they're going to be subject to condensation (unless you somehow evacuate the air from inside them?) so they will still be likely to rust.

True story: I had a 1984 Mazda B2000 pickup when I was stationed at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, WA, which of course has notoriously damp, rainy weather (this was from 1989 - 91.) My truck had an aluminum topper on it that was "waterproof" in the sense that it would prevent rain water from getting inside the back of the truck.

Only problem is, it wasn't lined so during the winter the moist air would get inside the back of the truck, then when it got cold that moisture would condense on everything, but mostly on the interior of the aluminum cap, and drip down on everything inside the back of the truck.

I ruined a good number of tools and even a pair of binoculars before I discovered this. I see you are located in Dayton, OR near Portland, so I don't have to tell you about the damp weather, thought this might be of concern to you.

 

[UnderFire]

20mm ammo can?

30mm ammo can? You'd have to mount them sideways but their big, rugged and cheap.

Just curious, though, you really want to carry something as heavy as tools on the roof? Consider that even if they are in a watertight container if they're outside they're going to be subject to condensation (unless you somehow evacuate the air from inside them?) so they will still be likely to rust.

(True story: I had a 1984 Mazda B2000 pickup when I was stationed at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, WA, which of course has notoriously damp, rainy weather. My truck had an aluminum topper on it that was "waterproof" in the sense that it would prevent rain water from getting inside the back of the truck. Only problem is, it wasn't lined so during the winter the moist air would get inside the back of the truck, then when it got cold that moisture would condense on everything, but mostly on the interior of the aluminum cap, and drip down on everything inside the back of the truck. I ruined a good number of tools and even a pair of binoculars before I discovered this.)

I think I may have found what I need,

Lund Truck Tool Box New 288272 | eBay

I'm not planning on keeping a whole tool kit on the roof, just the little misc things you may need in case of an emergency, like a wrench or two and some screwdrivers, I'm working on mounting all kinds of stuff to the rollbar inside if it needs to be in the car at all times and can't be exposed to extreme temps or condensation.

 

[4Rager]

I think I may have found what I need,

Lund Truck Tool Box New 288272 | eBay

I'm not planning on keeping a whole tool kit on the roof, just the little misc things you may need in case of an emergency, like a wrench or two and some screwdrivers, I'm working on mounting all kinds of stuff to the rollbar inside if it needs to be in the car at all times and can't be exposed to extreme temps or condensation.

After seeing this thread, I randomly came upon a Jeep with a tool box mounted to the roof rack. It seems very similar to what you linked above, except that it was stainless steel finish diamond plate instead of black. I wasn't able to see the brand, but I Just wanted to mention that I saw what you're after, so they're definitely out there. Looks like you found one though.