Lost tools!

[littlejimmythatcould]

On my truck's first outing (at 3:30 am)earlier this week, my buddy and me were driving up and down a bunch of steep inclines and shallow ravines when my tailgate popped open dumping my tool box and tools everywhere. We searched the best we could and collected what we could find and slammed the tail gate shut and continued driving over stuff when it popped open again spilling my socket set everywhere in the dark. We picked up all that we could and slammed the tail gate shut, this time past the latches kind of hyper extending it into the truck and it still popped open! We decided to call it quits and go home and tally up the tool casualties. I lost 3 craftsman ratcheting box end wrenches and half of my sockets . so I went today and bought new tools and a new tool box for my sockets. Losing the sockets might have been preventable if I wasn't so cheap in the first place (the pic of the old card board box WAS my old tool box. And I dusted/painted all of my tools floresent orange to make them easier to see in the future should it happen again. As for the tail gate.... I removed it and put a turbo net tail gate on. I don't plan on doing any more off roading until I can get my hands on a old truck bed tool box to attach behind my back seat between the seat and the tail gate to put stuff in. And my passenger side door is stuck shut for some reason too. I may not have been driving over big stuff yet, but I am definately hooked on off roading. Thanks everyone for listening to my gripe session.

 

[gauder]

Throw a lock on the new box. Prevent it from popping open when the inevitable happens again.

 

[85mudblazin]

So have you gone back in the daylight and look for the rest?

 

[pauly383]

If your going to have a small toolbox like that , do yourself a favor and ratchet strap it to something .

I like to take my small toolbox and sit it on the floor behind one of the front seats , and ratchet strap it around the whole seat base .

Lock it up too .

I wouldn't even worry about losing the tools , I would worry about them being impromptu projectiles

 

[littlejimmythatcould]

Yeah, the tool box ended up sitting behind the front seats for the rest of the outing and I will probably put them there again next time. I need to rivet a lock tab onto one of my tool boxes. We went out and looked but I wonder if someone found them before us because all I found was a wrench. Like I said, it was my first time out and I don't think I was prepared for that rough of situations. Ravines and dried up river beds don't look that mean until you're staring straight up at the sky hoping you don't fall backwards. by the way, does anyone have a clue why my passenger side door is stuck shut. I painted the truck last week but had no problems until I went out that night. I didn't hit it up against anything. Maybe just all that jarring around tweaked something who knows?
thanks,
Todd

 

[85mudblazin]

I keep mine in a small cloth carry type back. Works great and is ALOT easier to carry then a tool box.

 

[littlejimmythatcould]

Yeah we use those at work but when one gets torn or the handle comes loose, they're really hard to get ahold of because people snatch them up out of the broken tool bin and fix them and use them at home. I would also rather have one of those. So i'm stuck waiting for the next one to brake. And they frown upon "making broken tools".

 

[Chevy305]

Oh well, just an excuse to buy new tools!!

 

[littlejimmythatcould]

I like buying NEW tools that I've never owned not new tools that I have to buy beause of something stupid. Oh well, I guess my first off roading experience was an expensive one. At least I didn't break anything. I'm really proud of how it held up to the abuse. All of my ujoints are ticking time bombs though and are on my "list of thngs to fix" before my next outing. Thanks for all the input everyone. I'm still a newbie to off roadin and appreciate all the pointers.
Todd