At the job site, the Tuffy...
At the job site, the Tuffy Full Pull Load Deck quickly pays for itself by offering the convenience of being able to access all those tools that are usually buried in the front of the truck bed. It also doubles as a handy worktable when free of a load. Fully pulled out as shown here, the Deck will support 500 pounds. At 75-percent pullout, it will support 1,500 pounds.
By now, most everyone in the Jeeping world knows about Tuffy Security's heavy-duty storage boxes and consoles that fit so well into the confines of a Jeep tub. What you might not know is that in the last couple of years the company has branched out into the pickup-truck market. First offering side and front storage boxes that fit cleanly along the bedrails of popular fullsize trucks, the boys from Cortez, Colorado have now come up with another winner. Just released are Full Pull Utility Drawers and Full Pull Load Decks that fit, in conjunction with the company's storage boxes, into the beds of working pickups.
Currently the Drawers and Decks are offered for both short- and longbed fullsize trucks, but units for compact trucks are in the works. Drawers are available in 4x2-foot, 6x2-foot, and 8x2-foot sizes. All are 16 1/4 inches high. The Load Decks are also available in short and long versions and consist of one large, flat platform on rollers. Like the Drawers, the Decks can be pulled out their full length over the tailgate of the truck, providing access to all those hard-to-reach tools that always seem to wind up in the front of the bed. Both Drawers and Trays can also be locked into position every 12 inches if full access is not required. At full pull, both the long and the short Deck can support 500 pounds. Pulled out 75 percent of their travel, both Decks can uphold a whopping 1,500 pounds. The Utility Drawers boast similar strength and numbers.
1. This is how the Load Deck...
1. This is how the Load Deck arrives at your doorstep after a trip via Fed Ex. Since you provide the 4x8x3/4 sheet of plywood that forms the deck, the rest of the unit can be knocked down and easily shipped.
Tuffy's innovative three-stage slides are the secret behind the strength. Featuring stainless-steel roller bearings and fully welded 12-gauge steel construction, they are designed with commercial-grade quality to provide a product that should stand up to years of the day-in, day-out abuse a work truck is subject to. Other features offered include an optional divider kit for the Drawers and diamond-plate or carpet kits for the Decks. Of course, both Drawers and Decks come with Tuffy's Pry Guard II Locking System for, as its ads say, "serious theft protection."
We installed an 8-foot Load Deck in a longbed Dodge several months ago and have been putting it to the test ever since. This truck belongs to a custom cabinet shop and is used daily by five different craftsmen. It carries more than 1,000 pounds of tools and saws used on various job sights for the installation of cabinets in custom homes. Many times there is rough, unfinished grade around these homes requiring four-wheel drive, and weird surfaces so that the deck has to be pulled out on uneven angles. After months of hard use, the Tuffy Deck has proved invaluable and has shown no signs of quitting on the job. The cabinet guys say they've become spoiled and would not be without it.
 2. This is the "before" scenario....  2. This is the "before" scenario. For years, these guys have had to crawl up into the truck, over saws and tools, then lift heavy equipment over and out to another worker. |  3. The "after" photo. All...  3. The "after" photo. All the cabinet shop's tools fit neatly on the Tuffy Deck and it easily rolls out to provide access to anything at any time. |  4. Here the Tuffy three-stage...  4. Here the Tuffy three-stage slides have been assembled and installed in the Dodge's bed. Only four holes need to be drilled into the truck's bed to permanently mount the slides. |
 5. Installing the Load Deck...  5. Installing the Load Deck at a cabinet shop meant there was plenty of nice finish-grade plywood around to form the main deck. The plywood must be provided separately so as to allow for shipping. Here the (upside-down) assembled aluminum frame is fitted to a standard 4x8 sheet of plywood. Note the holes in the framework provided as tie-down points. |  6. Two guys can easily handle...  6. Two guys can easily handle installing or removing the main deck, but one person could do the job if necessary. With the Deck removed, the slides remain in the truck, allowing for easy cleaning of the bed or even access to a fifth-wheel hitch. |  7. Finally we installed the...  7. Finally we installed the optional aluminum diamond-plate for a durable metal finish that should outlast the Dodge, despite heavy tools being dragged over it every day. |