So my work occasionally takes me close to the coast or lakes when I have an afternoon or a few hours to kill and I try to go fishing when this happens. I have 3 rods, longest is an 11ft surf rod, a medium 7ft rod, and a light 6ft rod. Downside of having all these in the truck is they are either rattling and in the way in the cab or rolling around in the bed and I have to worry about them getting stolen.
I wanted to put a tube in the bed but since it's my work truck I didn't want to drill holes. In the new Fords there are 4 cleats that are able to be removed that line up perfectly with the beams inside the bed. Here is a photo of one cleat and the other removed.
I took a 4" pvc pipe and bolted it directly to the cleats and capped one end. The truck has an electric tailgate lock so there's no way to take the poles out unless the tailgate is opened. This keeps the rods out of the cab but still protected from the elements and thieves. Best part is that if I need to remove the tube all I have to do is turn the keys on the cleats and the entire thing pops out in 10 seconds. Holds all 3 rods but I would have to jump up to a 6" pipe if I wanted to fit more.
I wanted to put a tube in the bed but since it's my work truck I didn't want to drill holes. In the new Fords there are 4 cleats that are able to be removed that line up perfectly with the beams inside the bed. Here is a photo of one cleat and the other removed.
I took a 4" pvc pipe and bolted it directly to the cleats and capped one end. The truck has an electric tailgate lock so there's no way to take the poles out unless the tailgate is opened. This keeps the rods out of the cab but still protected from the elements and thieves. Best part is that if I need to remove the tube all I have to do is turn the keys on the cleats and the entire thing pops out in 10 seconds. Holds all 3 rods but I would have to jump up to a 6" pipe if I wanted to fit more.
