Are you looking for a professional truck box? If so, look no further. I have to say I found the almost perfect saddle box, the Weather Guard Saddle Box. Take a look around and you will see a lot of companies offer these boxes, but I personally think no one makes them like Weather Guard. Look on the back of trucks and chances are you will see a Weather Guard. Look on company trucks and you will see the same thing. The reason being is because they are proven. They are proven tough and proven to protect your valuables. No, I didn’t get paid to say any of that, that is just my personal opinion. Well not just mine, but a lot of other people or they wouldn’t have bought them. Yes, they tend to be a little more expensive then some of the other manufacturers out there, but it’s worth every penny.
You spend a lot of money on your tools and want to protect them from weather, thieves and just plain banging around in the back of your bed. So why am I such a big fan of Weather Guard? Well I have owned some other manufacturers models in the past. While they did the job, they never came close to this Weather Guard saddle box. On some of them the lid wouldn’t seal right, the lock would get stuck after a while, they would have flex in the lid and would dent and more. With the Weather Guard, I don’t have to worry about any of that stuff. All I have to worry about is making sure I lock the box when not in use. I know my tools are protected inside the box. So why do I put Weather Guard up on such a high horse? Okay, before I get started I just want to let you know my box is on the bigger side with a dimension of H: 18 1/2” W: 27 1/2” L: 71 1/2”, extra wide. So if you have a 5′ bed, I would buy one of the smaller ones. Mine is Aluminum color, they also offer white and black. So let’s see what makes these boxes so great.
Let’s start on the outside of the box. First you can see the box has extremely nice welds, which I can’t say for some of the other boxes I have owned. Installing the box is a snap. No drilling into your bed rail. There are J-Hooks that are provided that lock this box into place.
Not unique to this box, but something to note. After I installed the box is when I noticed how much room is still left between the bottom of the box and the bed floor. Still more than enough room for drywall, plywood or other materials. This is huge because I don’t lose hauling capacity with this box. I also noticed when I was lifting the box into the truck, this box had a lot less flex to it than my other boxes. The reason for this is because the boxes are built with Aluminum and Steel Cross supports. As you can see I was standing on the lid and I am 200 lbs. The lid wasn’t buckling or moving. Another item to note on the outside is the tie downs on the box. Now it’s not recommended you use them as true tie downs for loads.
Okay, those are some great features, but probably the most visible feature are the locks. These locks are awesome. I am use to having the locks always stick out where someone could beat them with a hammer or something else. With the Weather Guard locks, they are flush when in the locked position. When you unlock them, they pop out, you press the button and the lid opens. To me this is a great idea, peace of mind, a true automotive lock system.
So let’s move to the inside where this box truly stands out. First, when you open the box, you will notice how easy it opens. That is because a piston on each side of the box assists with the opening. Another huge item to note is the lid opens for a true 90° which means you can lift items straight up out of the box and same thing for putting items in the box. No more trying to tilt boxes or other items to get them inside. One thing I have to bring up is closing the box. I can close the box from one side and it actually will shut the whole lid for locking. I had one box where I shut one side then I would always have to walk around and push down on the other side to seed the latch for locking. Okay back to the pistons. Both pistons have a nice aluminum box around them to protect them from tools shifting or hitting them. While it is a good idea to put a non-slip mat in the bottom of the box, you will still get tools or objects moving around so I am happy to see the pistons are protected. On the top of the lid you will see a full weather seal that ensures a nice tight seal when the lid is closed.
One of the coolest ideas is the integrated 48″ level holder. No matter how much stuff you have in the box, you can always access your level, plus it stays protected. I don’t know how many vials I have had to replace over the years because something in the box landed on a vial. Weather Guard also implemented a storage system for a plastic box, almost looks like a tackle box with dividers. I am still trying to find a good use for this, but I like the organization. Next on the line up is the tray. I am so used to plastic trays. The Weather Guard tray is metal which I like much better. I have never broken a plastic tray, but I just like the metal tray much better as it will let me change and move the dividers in the tray. Plus, you can lock the tray to either side of the box so it doesn’t slide around. Towards the bottom of the box on the side, there is a rubber access hole for 12V access where you can run a cord.
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Overall this is one tough box that I know will last me many years to come. The set up and design of this box are head and shoulders above the rest. If you’re looking for a real truck box that will allow you to protect your tools from thieves, weather and gives you a chance to organize your stuff, the Weather Guard truck box is the top contender.
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