Tips on added anchor points?

[ShadowsPapa]

I'm sure someone has done this and written about it .......... somewhere.
Great day today - my wife was running several embroidery projects and her machine stopped - again, but this time it was screaming and was HOT HOT HOT. So it's dead. A few hours later, I was spraying for bugs and ants as they like to move in as winter sets in, and I check the furnace filter and such every so often anyway - water heater leaking rusty water all over. It's toast.
We drove into town and there was only one place that had one in stock that will fit that area and it's a cheap-a$$ lame 6 year warranty piece of junk. But it's taller than our existing one, over 100 pounds, and about 60" tall when not in the box.
Get it into the back of the truck and realize - how the hell am I going to tie this thing in so it stays upright??
I'm ready to give up, go get the store folks to take it back out and deliver it to us - and my wife says how about running straps all the way through the truck, through the back doors, and tie it in that way.
OK - I hate that as I could hear the fiberglass roof creak as I set the straps tight to hold the water heater upright.
The anchor points in these trucks is pitifully LOW - like 2" from the floor. A joke for strapping anything taller than 3 feet into the truck.
I needed something at least as high as the top of the box. My Chevy had tie-downs in the stake pockets. These have no stake pockets.
The sides of the box are really thin and flimsy (I pushed on them tonight and they flex and move easily) and I doubt anything bolted to the sides would stand having straps tightened up to hold a 110 pound 60" tall water heater upright.
It just feels like it would take some steel plate behind the bed walls to hold anything substantial.

Ideas? There's no way to haul anything tall and strap it in as it comes factory.

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[gerky18]

I think the best option would be the trail rail system (mopar, aftermarket, or DIY). It would put movable attachment points under the lip of the bed. If you got creative I'm sure taller points could be made to use the rails too.

 

[JTBurns]

I know you said you don't want to do bolt on, but I just installed some anchors at 10 points around the bed, using the threaded holes. I'm confident they'd be able to hold 110lbs in place, though I haven't been able to test it yet, plus you could still use the lower anchor points for more support. Link below to the anchors I used:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H9ZKRH6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Bolted them in with M6 bolts, a washer and a lock washer. Only cost about $30 with buying the hardware, so worth a try at least for me. The Mopar rails will set you back ~$300. There is a DIY bed rail post in the bed mod section and I think it cost about $110 from what I remember.

 

[Cmiata]

I know you said you don't want to do bolt on, but I just installed some anchors at 10 points around the bed, using the threaded holes. I'm confident they'd be able to hold 110lbs in place, though I haven't been able to test it yet, plus you could still use the lower anchor points for more support. Link below to the anchors I used:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H9ZKRH6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Bolted them in with M6 bolts, a washer and a lock washer. Only cost about $30 with buying the hardware, so worth a try at least for me. The Mopar rails will set you back ~$300. There is a DIY bed rail post in the bed mod section and I think it cost about $110 from what I remember.

I was just thinking about doing something like this yesterday. I didn't think I would really have much use for a full trail rail system, but if I do i can just make my own and still utilize these anchors in the future. Thanks for the tip, just ordered what you recommended!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I think the best option would be the trail rail system (mopar, aftermarket, or DIY). It would put movable attachment points under the lip of the bed. If you got creative I'm sure taller points could be made to use the rails too.

I had wondered about that -but MAYBE overkill for me.......... on the other hand, when you have ratchet straps holding things - it's a lot more than 100 pounds of force so maybe....
And I did buy it with the intent of using it like a TRUCK, and I've hauled a whole lot of stuff that needed tying down or in with my Chevy - this is replacing that.
It had anchors down in the box and up on the top in the stake pockets - hidden hooks you could flip up and tie to.

 

[Mr._Bill]

I have the Trail Rail System. I got some of these to use.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07739WXJB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CGXSNC0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WGFKG9Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used two sets to mount one of these to the Trail Rail, got Used-Like New for $45. I keep the tie-down straps in it.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L4AJOZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[j.o.y.ride]

The DIY bed rail system on here with parts from McMaster Carr works awesome

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I know you said you don't want to do bolt on, but I just installed some anchors at 10 points around the bed, using the threaded holes. I'm confident they'd be able to hold 110lbs in place, though I haven't been able to test it yet, plus you could still use the lower anchor points for more support. Link below to the anchors I used:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H9ZKRH6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Bolted them in with M6 bolts, a washer and a lock washer. Only cost about $30 with buying the hardware, so worth a try at least for me. The Mopar rails will set you back ~$300. There is a DIY bed rail post in the bed mod section and I think it cost about $110 from what I remember.

I thought I recalled seeing something like this but didn't find it.
My main concern, and maybe it's a misplaced concern - dunno - is that, ok, the water heater was something like 110 pounds (have to look at the box again but it's far more than I could easily lift)
That's static weight.
You shove it up against the rolled up tonneau cover, run a couple of ratchet straps across to secure it now there are two things to watch for:
The tension of the ratchet straps I'm wondering about pulling that really thin bed wall out and distorting it or just plain ripping an anchor off the wall
and/or
you have to make a maneuver and suddenly that 110 pounds is trying to move like a slide-hammer. You have a lot more force. You can lift 110 pounds but if it was falling, could you CATCH it?
Pull on the anchor is one thing but once that item has movement you have a lot more.

Maybe those are more secure than I am fearing. I like the looks - out of the way when not needed, small, not intrusive in any way, takes nothing away from the truck bed at all....... but how strong are the threaded holes?

Maybe I'll screw a bolt into one and see if I can yank it loose.

 

[JTBurns]

I thought I recalled seeing something like this but didn't find it.
My main concern, and maybe it's a misplaced concern - dunno - is that, ok, the water heater was something like 110 pounds (have to look at the box again but it's far more than I could easily lift)
That's static weight.
You shove it up against the rolled up tonneau cover, run a couple of ratchet straps across to secure it now there are two things to watch for:
The tension of the ratchet straps I'm wondering about pulling that really thin bed wall out and distorting it or just plain ripping an anchor off the wall
and/or
you have to make a maneuver and suddenly that 110 pounds is trying to move like a slide-hammer. You have a lot more force. You can lift 110 pounds but if it was falling, could you CATCH it?
Pull on the anchor is one thing but once that item has movement you have a lot more.

Maybe those are more secure than I am fearing. I like the looks - out of the way when not needed, small, not intrusive in any way, takes nothing away from the truck bed at all....... but how strong are the threaded holes?

Maybe I'll screw a bolt into one and see if I can yank it loose.

The thread for the bolt hole seems to be at least somewhat deep, maybe an inch? I think most likely if there was too much tension and something was going to break, it would either be the anchor or head of the bolt, which might cause a little bit of a headache trying to pull back out, but I'm sure you have a tool to do it. I think that's far more likely than damaging the wall of the bed, but maybe that's wishful thinking. Right now, I've only really had bungees holding some bags in place, but I'll report back once I haul something with decent weight and use a ratchet strap on the anchor.

Of course there are plenty of heavier duty anchors, but I'm not interested in drilling into the bed and making new holes which that might require.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The thread for the bolt hole seems to be at least somewhat deep, maybe an inch? ...............
.................
Of course there are plenty of heavier duty anchors, but I'm not interested in drilling into the bed and making new holes which that might require.

Wow, I didn't realize there was that sort of depth. I was imagining a stamped or pressed hole where the material forced from the hole formed the threaded area. I'm sure you know what I mean - not a drilled hole, but where they form the hole with a press operation that shoves the material back and they thread that. Those cases the best one could hope for would be about 3/16" of threads in a thin bed material.

As far as other/new holes - no way. I don't want to drill into this if I can at all help it. That's an absolute last resort. I agree with you. I'm not interested in making new or more holes. I even cringed and hesitated like crazy when I had to relocate some items in my SX4 engine bay and make holes to support my Mopar air box - ugh, I hated doing that. I used existing holes any chance I got. I almost apologized to the car as I made the small holes to hold the relocated washer fluid tank.

 

[brianinca]

Ugh, neither water heaters nor refrigerators have to be transported vertically. l hate to be that guy.

Refrigerators DO need to be vertical before being plugged in, so the lubricating oil in the refrigerant lines can return to the bottom of the coils. You can wait an hour to plug them in.

 

[JTBurns]

Wow, I didn't realize there was that sort of depth. I was imagining a stamped or pressed hole where the material forced from the hole formed the threaded area. I'm sure you know what I mean - not a drilled hole, but where they form the hole with a press operation that shoves the material back and they thread that. Those cases the best one could hope for would be about 3/16" of threads in a thin bed material.

As far as other/new holes - no way. I don't want to drill into this if I can at all help it. That's an absolute last resort. I agree with you. I'm not interested in making new or more holes. I even cringed and hesitated like crazy when I had to relocate some items in my SX4 engine bay and make holes to support my Mopar air box - ugh, I hated doing that. I used existing holes any chance I got. I almost apologized to the car as I made the small holes to hold the relocated washer fluid tank.

Okay sorry for the misinformation, definitely not an inch, maybe more like 3/8ths, I was way off. But I took this pick of the bolt coming through the back of the bed and you can see they fixed a nut and washer back there, so that's what the bolt is fixed to.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Ugh, neither water heaters nor refrigerators have to be transported vertically. l hate to be that guy.

Refrigerators DO need to be vertical before being plugged in, so the lubricating oil in the refrigerant lines can return to the bottom of the coils. You can wait an hour to plug them in.

When the box is clearly marked do not lay down, do not transport on side and other warnings and your wife is helping and the box says "glass-lined"...... and the staff is standing there watching you tie it in. I could see someone speaking up "you broke it, no warranty". It will be laid down to get it in the house as I'll roll it in on a Harbor Freight $12 dolly.

Yes, refrigerators need to be stood up for an hour or so only because of the possibility of oil causing compressor lock. You may hydro-lock the compressor. Even at that I've seen guys haul them into their dorm and stand them up and plug them in - with no ill-effects. BUT, the risk is there for the fridge, best to let them stand for a bit.

The last water heater I did got laid down as it was easier - and the box said nothing about not laying it down. In fact the staff at the home center carried it horizontally to my truck and slid it in.

I wanted a high end unit but no one had one in stock. Those have no glass, the liner isn't steel, they are life-time guaranteed to never rust (because there's no steel liner) and they have full electronic monitoring for changes in power, pressure, leak detection and more and will send info to your phone. But no one has any GOOD water heaters in stock. All crap cheap stuff so I had to compromise and get this one. This is Iowa, Des Moines, you can't buy good stuff here. In fact, these stores had only 2 electric water heaters in stock at all. GOOD electric water heaters are special order here.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Okay sorry for the misinformation, definitely not an inch, maybe more like 3/8ths, I was way off. But I took this pick of the bolt coming through the back of the bed and you can see they fixed a nut and washer back there, so that's what the bolt is fixed to.

That's more beef than I was expecting. Likely because they figure their expensive trail rail system would bolt there. Makes sense.

 

[mazeppa]

Build something similar to this (headache rack) that has longer legs that could fasten to the 4-tie down points in the floor of the bed. It could be permanent or removable to only install when you know you will need to secure something top-heavy that needs tied down up high. I build a permanent frame similar to this of course with truss bracing, for my utility trailer when I the need to haul items like hot water heater, refrigerator, vertical air compressor, and so on.

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