Quick hardware question: tool box to cargo carrier

[jat4]

Planning to attach a diamond plate truck box to a cargo carrier to ride in the front hitch on our upcoming trip to MT. Curious to hear what people would use to attach the box to the carrier--simple bolts, u-bolts, etc.? too many options at the hardware store. :E

Trying to maintain watertightness if possible and trying not to have much of anything protrude into the box so packing it stays easy.





thanks in advance.

[Grit_dog]

^Flip the box over, set the rack on it upside down, center it up and drill. Then there’s no holes to line up or layout to do.

[jat4]

Thanks so far for the replies. I don't mind drilling the box but difficult sometimes to get all the holes lined up correctly. Hadn't really thought about cabling or chaining the box--I actually like that idea, it would make it easier to remove the box and still have the carrier available for other purposes. Bolting the box to the carrier essentially would make it one unit that would have to be removed at the hitch. So maybe it's off to the hardware store to see what's available.

And re Kayteg's point about engine cooling, there's about 20" between the back of the box and the grill. The truck is a Ram 3500 with snowplowing/towing 'heavy duty' engine cooling, so I suspect it should probably be okay.

Hitch pin-wise, I've got some anti-rattle hitch locks which should keep everything nice and tight.

[TxGearhead]

I can't see if the lid has a lock. If it does, I would just run a chain or cable through the side handles. A short length of chain that is just barely long enough, with a padlock, would secure it. Plus you would need a lock on the hitch pin. I use hitch pins with holes in them and drill them out just enough for a good combination lock to fit.

[zcookiemonstar]

If you don't want to drill holes in the box you can get a fab shop to bend a couple pieces of steel plate to hook the handles and then bolt down to the cargo carrier.

[ticki2]

Grit dog wrote:
4 bolts thru the box and the support frame, not the mesh. Put a rubber washer under the bolt head if you’re wanting to keep it afloat.
Or little u bolts if you don’t want to drill the frame on the rack.

The rubber washer will also isolate the steel bolt from the aluminum box . It tends to corrode . You also need a locking pin on the mount or the whole shebang could walk .

[srschang]

As a side note, when I used to use a carrier on the front hitch, I couldn't see the carrier over the hood. After a close call slightly hitting a building in tight quarters, I attached a couple dowels vertically from the front corners of the carrier so I could tell where it was.

[Grit_dog]

4 bolts thru the box and the support frame, not the mesh. Put a rubber washer under the bolt head if you’re wanting to keep it afloat.
Or little u bolts if you don’t want to drill the frame on the rack.

[Kayteg1]

First make sure your truck has enough engine cooling as this will lower radiator efficiency.
Easy way to drill 4 holes in the bottom and put bolts with nuts & counter-nuts inside. This way nobody can unbolt it from the outside.
I also like to use metric or even torx head bolts to give potential thief more headaches.
I carry 130 lb generator on my front hitch and fabricated dual-sided rubber mounts to lower vibration.