I often travel with large numbers of guns.

How do I do it safely, legally, and with the security of my guns in mind.

Let me show you my invention.

It’s a Lund, steel, underbody truck tool box.  The kind that is supposed to hang under a semi trailer or a flat bed.

It’s mounted near the tailgate.

It has a key lock just for the box.

This is it with the tailgate down and the box open.

I drilled two holes, one on each side to attach it to the bed tie-down points with 3/8-inch stainless J-bolts.

I used a sandwich of nuts, rubber washers, and fender washers to seal the hole where I drilled through to make it waterproof.  I’ve never had a leak.

Here a mounting point in the bed.

Those are tucked up under the bed rails which makes it difficult to get at with a bolt cutter.

Here is the gap between the door and the tailgate.

This provides double security.  With the tailgate locked, the door can’t be opened.  The tailgate locks when the truck locks, and if a window is broken to unlock the truck from the inside, the alarm will go off.

With guns locked in cases in the box, they are locked outside of the passenger compartment, so covers safe passage requirements.

It’s 48 inches wide, 18 inches deep, and 18 inches high.  It will hold my largest Pelican pistol and rifle boxes.

The door can’t be pried open with the tailgate closed.

I recognize that the J-bolt are a weak point.  I did consider drilling through the box into the bed, but I decided against that.  I really didn’t want to drill into a $50K truck. Any place you drill through becomes a location where rust can start.

Additionally, if I did want to remove this box and go back to stock, I can without a problem.  No permanent holes to worry about.

My other crossover tool box is also held down withJ-hookss for the same reason.

If I did improve the design, I would probably order specialty lifting eye bolts, which are hardened steel and even more difficult to cut through.  I bought these off the shelf at Fastensal.

When not hauling guns, it makes a convenient place to put groceries and other shopping, acting like a trunk, so stuff isn’t sloshing around the bed.  I still have several feet of space between the two boxes for large items.  I also have a second, long bed pickup, so…

Every time I post about gun security, I’d get (or used to before the membership change) countless comments from readers fantasizing about how they would Ocean’s Eleven my guns away with a bolt cutter, angle grinder, fork truck, etc.

Please don’t.

This truck was broken into once already by people looking for guns. They never touched the toolboxes in the bed.  They were defeated by a $30 Liberty pistol box attached to the seat frame by a cable.

They weren’t carrying bolt cutters or angle grinders and they weren’t taking the time to start fucking around with tools.

Besides, the box itself is heavy, and I have tow chain and trailer equipment in there to make it heavier. Without the tailgate down, lifting the whole box out was not something I was able to do.

Would I leave guns in it for a week parked some place rough?  No, absolutely not.

Is it much more effective than some gun cases in the cab or a trunk where a broken window gives easy access in a matter of seconds?  Absolutely.