Mounting Off Road Essentials Safely

Any seasoned (or cautious) off-roader carries at least the minimum list of parts and tools to extract or fix potential problems that one might run into while far away from any help or rescue. The problem is that many of the tools and spare parts are very heavy, and it's very dangerous to not have them all secured down-especially when off-roading and bouncing around. If you take a bad bounce, or worse yet roll over, you definitely do not want a Pull-Pal or an extra axleshaft flying at your head.

At the very minimum, we like to carry a number of tools, spare parts, a Hi-Lift jack, and a Pull-Pal in case of any situation when traveling off-road. It was a no-brainer to safely secure the spare parts and extra tools with a few heavy-duty steel Tuffy security boxes, but the Pull-Pal and Hi-Lift were a little big and needed something else to secure them in the truck. Luckily for us Fourtreks has been busy at work making some nice billet aluminum mounts to secure a Pull-Pal or a Hi-Lift to standard DOM or chromoly tubing.

We took the time to install every bit of strapping, locking, or closing device we could on a big-block K5 Blazer that we treat a little rough. After some thorough year-long testing, we can safely say that the Tuffy security boxes and Fourtreks mounts hold all our gear in place through the worst off-road conditions.

How Much Will You Use a Pull Pal?
Every off-roader wants a Pull Pal, but we think there are some guys questioning how much they'll really use one if they pony up the money for it. We had this same question too, right before an off-roading trip through Central America. Right before the trip we decided it was best to get one to keep in the truck. If we got it too stuck and had to leave the truck, we knew we'd be losing it and writing off the loss on taxes.

We were only on the second day of our excursion when we came around a corner and absolutely buried the truck-up to its bumper. And we were on local roads, not some off-road trail!

A good 12,000-pound winch and a Pull Pal are two things you're really not as appreciative of as you should be until they mean the difference between saving or losing your truck.

We took our very first try with a Pull Pal (no practice here) and were able to save our truck. It was almost unbelievable to see the shovel end of the Pull Pal dig in and provide enough of an anchor for the winch to pull our 1-ton Super Duty from the sticky mud. The sudden plunge into the road bog had bent the steering stabilizers so severely that we had to remove them to be able to steer the truck, but our truck was saved thanks to the Pull Pal and a big winch.

We started by clearing out the rear of our K5, and placing everything so it would fit. In the back, we had to fit a 39-inch spare tire, a battery box, and two Tuffy security boxes. Most Tuffy boxes are made with the same 16-gauge steel plate construction, though a few are made from aluminum. They come powdercoated (we always opt for black) with the lock, key, and four bolts in the bottom to secure the security boxes in your vehicle.
We started by clearing out the rear of our K5, and placing everything so it would fit. In
Except for some specific specialty applications, most Tuffy boxes bolt to the sheetmetal of your vehicle using a single Grade 8 bolt at each corner.
Except for some specific specialty applications, most Tuffy boxes bolt to the sheetmetal o
All Tuffy boxes come with a push-button lock system and two keys. If you don't think you can hold onto a spare key, remember to write down your lock and key combo code so you can call Tuffy to get a new key when you lose your two.
All Tuffy boxes come with a push-button lock system and two keys. If you don't think you c

Tuffy's patented Pry-Guard II latch system keeps would-be thieves from nabbing your expensive parts and tools when the box is locked up. This latch system also allows the Tuffy boxes to be securely closed without needing to lock them up.
Tuffy's patented Pry-Guard II latch system keeps would-be thieves from nabbing your expens
We placed a 34-inch long lockbox in between a wheelwell and the spare tire. Depending on what size vehicle you have, you may or may not be able to use a box this long. Tuffy has a variety of other size storage boxes and will even make custom boxes according to your wishes......
We placed a 34-inch long lockbox in between a wheelwell and the spare tire. Depending on w
.....We found a 16-inch long compact lockbox on Tuffy's website (www.tuffyproducts.com) that fit in between our subwoofer (don't laugh-tunes are important on long drives) and our battery box......
.....We found a 16-inch long compact lockbox on Tuffy's website (www.tuffyproducts.com) th

....These are great for not only keeping stuff packed away when off-road, but also for security measures when you're not near your vehicle. Above the box, you can see how we mounted our Hi-Lift jack on the Fourtreks mounts.
....These are great for not only keeping stuff packed away when off-road, but also for sec
In between the two front bucket seats, we also mounted a Tuffy deluxe stereo security console. These come in sizes for Jeeps and fullsize trucks. We opted for the 12.5-inch wide fullsize truck console, and it has served us well......
In between the two front bucket seats, we also mounted a Tuffy deluxe stereo security cons
.....We've had these boxes in the truck for about a year and they been beaten, kicked, had thing dropped on them, and stepped on countless times.....
.....We've had these boxes in the truck for about a year and they been beaten, kicked, had

.....We've managed to chip the powdercoat on the corners and scuff the faces of the boxes a little bit, but no dents have ever appeared and the hinges are still as tight as they were the day we installed the boxes.
.....We've managed to chip the powdercoat on the corners and scuff the faces of the boxes
Fourtreks' billet aluminum accessory mounts are all based off of their clamping rings that fit 1- to 2.375-inch tubing They clamp together using high-quality allen bolts and feature 5/16-inch holes to bolt on various accessory adapters. Fourtreks will even sell these clamp rings separately if you think up something you want to use them for. The new Pull-Pal adapters are shown on this particular pair of clamp rings.
Fourtreks' billet aluminum accessory mounts are all based off of their clamping rings that
The Hi-Lift jack mounts have a large aluminum wingnuts that thread onto a stud. Since these studs simply go through the holes on the jack's body, you can use the mounts for any size Hi-Lift jack you'd like. We simply strapped the handle to the jack to keep it from rattling around while the jack was mounted. We put the Hi-Lift mounts on the passenger side of the vehicle, and the Pull-Pal mounts on the driver side.
The Hi-Lift jack mounts have a large aluminum wingnuts that thread onto a stud. Since thes

The Fourtreks Pull-Pal mounts use wingnuts and some simple plates to tie the main structure of the Pull Pal to your rollcage or bumper......
The Fourtreks Pull-Pal mounts use wingnuts and some simple plates to tie the main structur
.....This keeps the heavy Pull-Pal from becoming a missile in your vehicle. You'll still have to find a place to put the shovel head of the Pull-Pal, though......
.....This keeps the heavy Pull-Pal from becoming a missile in your vehicle. You'll still h
....We managed to stuff ours into our larger Tuffy lockbox. Fourtreks also includes a strap to keep the Pull-Pal from folding out while mounted.
....We managed to stuff ours into our larger Tuffy lockbox. Fourtreks also includes a str

If you've never used a Pull-Pal before, don't feel left out. A lot of people have still not tried out these ingenious self-extraction devices. The Pull-Pal is a winch anchor that you attach your winch line to, while setting the shovel end into the ground......
If you've never used a Pull-Pal before, don't feel left out. A lot of people have still no
.....As the winch pulls on the Pull-Pal, the shovel head digs down into the ground and gives an almost unbelievable anchor point that you will only fully appreciate once you use one to save your truck.
.....As the winch pulls on the Pull-Pal, the shovel head digs down into the ground and giv

Sources
Pull-Pal P.O. BOX 639 Carbondale CO 81623 970-963-4507 http://www.pullpal.com/	Fourtreks 3625 Anita Dr. Bell CA 90201 818-517-6145 http://fourtreks.com/index.html
Tuffy 25733 Road H Cortez CO 81321 970-564-1762 www.tuffyproducts.com	Hi-Lift Jack Company 46 W. Spring Street Bloomfield IN 47424 812-384-4441 http://www.hi-lift.com/index.htm l