Tanks in pickup truck bed?

[Imla]

 

[Brett Hatch]

This is my solution. It's cheap, easy, works great for tanks, and for any other cargo: DIY-ish pickup bed rails for securing tanks

If you aren't strapping them down, you are asking for disaster in the event that you are in a bad accident. Which if I'm completely honest, I sometimes do on low-speed trips around town.

Whenever you lay them down in the bed, whether by themselves, or with noodles, or in a frame, or whatever -- lay them with the butt facing the cab and the valve facing the tailgate. This will help protect the valve, since you are much more likely to slam on your brakes than you are to be rear-ended, and you would rather have an impact on the bottom of the tank than on the valve.

 

[keyshunter]

This is my solution. It's cheap, easy, works great for tanks, and for any other cargo: DIY-ish pickup bed rails for securing tanks

If you aren't strapping them down, you are asking for disaster in the event that you are in a bad accident. Which if I'm completely honest, I sometimes do on low-speed trips around town.

Whenever you lay them down in the bed, whether by themselves, or with noodles, or in a frame, or whatever -- lay them with the butt facing the cab and the valve facing the tailgate. This will help protect the valve, since you are much more likely to slam on your brakes than you are to be rear-ended, and you would rather have an impact on the bottom of the tank than on the valve.

I agree Brett. Butts toward the cab. Having said that, I spent about 16 years hauling about 20 tanks at a time piled and unsecured in the bed of a pickup. Never had a problem, but that was then. With the large numbers of inconsiderate and often just plain dangerous drivers we have in the Keys today, I would strap those suckers down. Since I have retired, my current solution is: fill at home, load tanks on boat, go diving.

 

[rhwestfall]

Safety over convenience. I put them lying down with the butt of the tanks against the cab bedwall. I anchor the tanks by using the bed hooks, and wrapping a continuous run of cargo straps around the neck of each tank and then to the other hook. The same for the next layer. Stages/Pony are clipped to the straps. Singles might sit on noodles, doubles are just on the bed as they won't roll. Usually chock them with weight pouches.

Can't stand them as they won't be under the cover. I don't like caps....

 

[Steelyeyes]

If the truck rental agencies only provided racks so nice!

Bas at VIP Diving loves my rack. He adopted some of its features and made some prototypes. Not sure how they worked out.

 

[scubadada]

IMG_0946

• Steelyeyes
• May 2, 2021

My tank rack

Here's mine but I live on Bonaire and dive pretty frequently. My wife has problematic wrists so we designed the flap to allow a smooth slide for the tanks and to protect the area between the bed protector and the tailgate cover. My next truck will have the sprayed on liner that covers all of that.

Is there a strap or two over the top of the cylinders?

 

[Steelyeyes]

Is there a strap or two over the top of the cylinders?

Not usually. I’m going to buy a new truck soon and I’ll either modify this rack or make a new one and I’ll probably make it a bit more secure. With hundreds of rental trucks for divers on the island I’ve never heard of a single tank incident but being careful never hurts.

 

[formernuke]

I'll be making something in the near future so plans are appreciated. Can't do standing due to truck cover.

 

[Jimchris]

I have a sheet of scrap plywood covered with scrap treadmill belt, and strips of 2x2 lumber spaced for cylinders to lie flat and not roll (works great for singles and doubles). The anchor points in my truck bed are low enough that I can use a ratchet strap for added security.

 

[happy-diver]

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This is @#$%@#^#^&* insane man!

Magnificent!