The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Cooler in the truck bed

Hi Folks, I bought one of these nice coolers to put in the back so when I pickup Food goods, they wont be rolling around the cab. My Question to you folks, I have seen some folks with a cooler or trunk in the bed, how do you mount it, and is it easily removed? I have a 1954 3104 half ton. See picts below.

What model 3100?
Probably a 3104/pickup?

I'd use a few stainless-steel bolts - through bed-board metal retainer-strip bolt-holes?

When I take a cooler on a short fishing excursion, I just tie it off to the side.

I guess one way or another you'll need something permanently mounted to hold it in place. Hooks/loops that would accept a tie down of some nature, or a bracket it would slip into. You sure as heck wouldn't want it sliding around in that sweet looking bed.

I shopped for a couple years for a reasonably priced old Coke cooler. Never found one at my price point ($100 or so) that was as nice as I pictured in my mental images. Good ones were in the $300 range. One issue I considered was how to make it somewhat theft resistant (as opposed to the near impossible theft proof). If you come up with a good non-destructive solution, please share.

Good Luck,

RonR

Been thinking about a cooler or an old trunk for the back of my 49. Just not sure yet. Would be nice to see some pics of what other have done.

My 46 had a Coleman chest that fit inside a reconditioned steamer trunk. Leather straps and marine spar varnish. bolted to the floor with two 3/8th's stainless bolts. Trunk had a lock from the early 1890's but hay it looked fine for any truck up to 1st 55. Don't try to get one off Ebay it will be way expensive. Have found 3 on Pintrest. Just don't let them keep contacting you after you get your item. Have not paid more than $80.00 for a round top. Usually $ 30.00 to 40.00. Just found a new one on wayfare (dome top), for $74.00. Check it out, will need several coats of spar varnish, also set it on 4, 1/2" oak strips well varnished. Doc.

I have an antique metal cooler and likewise have considered how to secure items in the bed. I think possibly substituting a couple of eyebolts for the plank bolts along with bungees/straps might work. However, you will need to have something under the metal cooler to prevent scratching the finished bed wood. You will also have have unsightly bolts or fasteners in the bed floor᠁and Murphy’s Law awaits every opportunity for something to come loose. My solution has been to always carry the metal cooler inside, in the passenger side floor secured with a long bungee attached to the seat frame. For car shows, the only items I carry in the bed are my canopy and folding chairs, (bundled together) and these are inside soft padded bags. That’s a beautiful truck you have, - you don’t want to take a chance with that paint & bed finish!

My ‘57 3200 is a daily driver with sheet steel and a rubber pad in bed. You guys with show trucks and keeping it original won’t like this, but it works for me. When I start tearing box off to sand down and repaint the entire truck, I might move these tie downs a little further from the corners. It limits what I tie down straight across the bed. I’ve done corner to corner diagonally ok, but it pulls the straps funny.

That's clever!
don

I'd make or have made a matching wooden frame the same width of the bed with rubber on the bottom and sides that the cooler would just fit inside of. Better yet, have the sides of the frame adjustable so they would push against the sides of the box. No drilling required.

John

Here's what I have in my '56 3100, they're black D rings so they match the floor. I have 3 down each side and 2 across the front for a total of 8. Keeps all my stuff where it belongs with the 1" ratchet straps...

For security you could add a bicycle chain lock that's covered in plastic through the D ring and around the cooler handle...would be enough to keep the honest person honest.

Mike B

Mine is a cut-down 1939 Westinghouse Jr. Ice, it has non-slip feet and a single bolt going through the bed to prevent theft and facilitate removal if needed. The bolt has a large rubber grommet on the inside so it does not leak water from melting ice (these coolers have an internal drain in the corner).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/48374593956/in/album-72157631866985745/

For years I had a Pearl Beer metalclad cooler I'd set in the back. Like the one below. Had sandwich tray and everything. Never considered bolting it down, though. That's probably why somebody ran off with it. Today I have a Yeti cooler knock-off made by Lifetime Products. It will keep ice for several days and weighs slightly more than a cylinder head.

I plan on putting stainless E-track down both sides of the floor of the bed. It should be polished for aerodynamic purposes.

That is a sweet looking engineering job with the hold-downs. I might have to "steal" your design.

Rob

My stovebolter cooler from Kansas City reunion

That's a great idea!

I love that cooler.

Rob

Rob where is Peyton and the (esky ) Australian slang for cooler is one of my prized possessions won it in a charity auction at reunion and was pinstriped at the reunion by a vendor gets lots of compliments

I'm just east of Colorado Springs, close enough to the city but still in the country. Bigger lots and lower sales taxes.

I spent 3 1/2 years in the land Down Under so I know plenty of Aussie slang, and I've almsot been thrown out of a bar by asking for a Foster's.

A rubber matt will typically keep most coolers from sliding around. Very simple and not permanent.

I have had an idea rolling around in my head about converting an old milk can into a cooler and maybe even a a place to store a few specialty-to-Stovebolt tools in the top of it.
I was thinking about cutting the bottom off of the milk can, and fabricating a cylindrical cooler made of stainless steel which just fits inside of the milk can.
I'd make it so that you could lift the can up, give it a half turn to expose a hole in the side of the cooler to reach in for a cold beverage.
I could make the tool compartment under the can lid.

I need to get one of those camera phones instead of my old flip because I miss out on some neat things. A customer brought his much modified 54 3100 by the shop that had a cooler with no tie downs sitting in a high dollar bed. When I remarked it could cause some scratches he told me to try to move it---it was rock solid. He had custom shaped a redwood base to the exact dimensions of the cooler bottom, installed Rivnuts in a bed cross member and bolted the cooler base with button head bolts through the factory bed rail holes. The cooler bottom and base had Velcro strips. He said the first go around he completely covered the bottom and base with with Velcro and nearly had to use a chain hoist to pull the cooler loose. With the cooler and base out the stainless button head bolts match the stainless carriage bolts in the bed rails. A quick (hard) tug would dislodge the cooler for cleaning. Thought it was a clever approach.

Evan, the flip phone reminds me of one of my female friends who has resisted an android phone for all the years that I have known her, 12 years until I bought her one 6 months ago. From time to time she comes to me wanting to learn new things on it. She goes camping with her 2 Husky dogs and her mother wanted pictures of her trips. Also, she is trying to get pictures of her dogs but of course, they won't stay still long enough. And all that to say, Evan, make the change. I use Tracfone and I have used LG phones for years and I have a LG4 with all the bells and whistle that $800 phone has for $150.00 from Amazon/ Tracfone.

You have to hold a cookie above the camera.