I don’t normally write articles, but for this product, I wanted to share my thoughts. Roughly seven years ago I was looking for a truck bed storage system for my 2011 F150. I did not want the typical toolbox setup as it was a personal vehicle and I wasn’t a fan of the “Work Truck” look. I did a ton of research and came across a brand new company called DECKED. They had this new revolutionary bed storage solution that was made from High-Density Polyurethane. Compared to other wood drawer units that looked homemade, the DECKED really stood out as thought-out and well-engineered product. So I got one and have been impressed with this system ever since. In-fact I am on my fifth pickup truck since then and my third DECKED system as I had to change systems because of different truck models.
So let’s talk about my experience with three of these products within the past seven years. Has it failed? No. Has it leaked? No. Have I abused it? Yes! The HD Polyurethane construction can take whatever factory weight your truck can handle. The deck is steel reinforced and I have loaded everything from ATV’s to bags of rocks on it. It takes abuse and keeps on going. I also had zero fade with this product, meaning it still looked as black as the day I got it. Since the deck is steel reinforced you can add Core TRAX accessories. These are basically rails that have holes where you can attach rings and create tie-down points. This is the exact same thing you will see in an aircraft cargo bin. Fortunately for me with the exception of the 2011 F150, Ford has box link tie-downs which stay in place with the DECKED installed. I am able to use those to tie down all my cargo. The install is pretty straight forward and goes by fast with two people. The number one tip I can give you here is to watch the videos and NEVER use a power tool on it. Don’t ask me how I know.
The system has six storage locations: four ammo cans and the two main drawers. Let’s talk about the ammo cans first. They are in all four corners and have a gallon or so of space. These ammo cans are not weatherproof however they do a great job of keeping the water out. I find them good for chains and ball hitches, the ammo cans do not lock. If you flip the lids over it reveals two molded cup holders. The two main drawers are in the center of the unit and hold 200 lbs. each. The drawers roll smoothly empty or loaded; they ride on roller blade-like wheels with quality bearings. The drawers pull out about a foot past the tailgate and have a preset stop. You cannot go past this stop, it leaves about a foot or so covered by the deck toward the rear of the drawer. So at the very back of the drawers I tend to put my heavy items that I don’t use a lot. You can still access them, you just have to reach through rather than just seeing the open drawer. DECKED has really amped up the accessory department. Now they have all kinds of dividers, toolboxes and even a backpack called the D-Bag that fits snug into the drawers. The toolboxes are actually pretty awesome. They have gaskets which makes them weather-sealed and have a ruler /conversions on the top. They also have dividers and a drawer organizer called the Drawganizer which is awesome!
I cannot say enough about the smooth operation of this system and the quality feel it has. The drawers are individually lockable with locks you can purchase separately. For my needs, the F250 has a lockable tailgate and that is enough to lock them. I usually just have some basic tools and straps in mine so high security is not needed. The two drawers are completely weather tight, meaning the car wash and Mother Nature are not going to get anything wet. If your truck ends up in a lake, I would say everything in your truck including everything in the bed will be soaked. On the very back of the unit is a hand ruler bar with some conversions for when you are working off your tailgate. But for some of you, the handiest thing is the bottle opener at the back. At the end of the day, you can crack a cold one open. Even better you can fill both the drawers with ICE, add your favorite beverage and you have 2 HUGE coolers! You will be remembered at parties for years. The drawers have an optional drain for the cooler option.
So the big question is the DECKED system right for you? There are downsides with any bed storage system or cover, but the DECKED just has one downside which isn’t that bad actually. It takes up the bottom of your bed, that’s it. You still have full use of your bed only the floor is a bit higher. So anything that would fit before still will, it will just be higher. You can still fit an ATV up there, load bags of rocks, tools, etc…. I wouldn’t recommend dumping bulk materials like dirt, sand, and rocks. I mean you can, but there are gaps where the material can get into. Since the DECKED covers the wheel wells you also have a wider flat deck to work with, keep that in mind.
One crazy side effect that I noticed on my 2020 F250 is that my ride was way better with the weight – unbelievably better. My truck bounced like mad on the highway and now the DECKED has tamed it. I give the DECKED an awesome thumbs up! It has made my truck organized, useful, and smoothed out the ride. For me, it is the perfect solution. As far as quality and durability the system is A+, it is made in the USA, and DECKED customer service is second to none.
looks solid