BigEagle Toolboxes is the first of its kind Aluminium tool box manufacturer in Australia. A Silverwater based aluminium toolbox & accessories company, we offer the largest range of the best Australian aluminium tool boxes for tradies to choose from.

Since our inception, we have been supplying high quality aluminium truck ute tool box, aluminium toolbox canopy and trailer toolboxes that provide protection for a tradies most valuable assets. BigEagle Toolboxes have successfully manufactured & delivered aluminium toolboxes & accessories fabricated to have the perfect blend of strength & durability.

Our products last years & years without committing your time & money into multiple repairs. Our strong robust aluminium tool boxes are constructed from high quality aluminium checker plate & are fully welded to provide long lasting durability. Our custom-designed truck & ute service toolboxes are designed with strength in mind and fabricated with high-grade aluminium to suit the needs of your business.

Catering to our customers need & demand is what we strongly believe in.

We pride ourselves on our marine grade aluminium toolboxes & professional workmanship that makes us go an extra mile to meet your expectation.

No matter the dimensions, application or concept, our trained service representatives are available to support you throughout the design & manufacturing process.

Not only our customers can order from our store, website or through phone, they can take advantage of our fully stocked parts department, service shop for repairs and installations.

What is a good toolbox install & what are some of it's pitfalls? 

When the under tray box is constructed from thin gauge material, & not fitted with a spreader plate or adequate stiffening at the mount point, another problem is created 

The material around the hole, particularly with a loaded box continually being subject to movement under the tray, will stretch, this stretching loosens the connection & can create a rattle, it is even possible for the connection to become so bad that the box breaks away.

The possibility of leaks for boxes from the mount points, mounted on top of the tray are less than for boxes mounted under the tray. A box mounted on top is not continually pulling away from the tray. The main reason for boxes to leak on top of a tray is a result of the quality of the box. Weather protection in the box design is more relevant to keeping the water out of the box. Problems that create leaks are generally the result of poor design & construction, inferior material or the use of piano hinges & or pop rivets in construction.

Some tray/box connections that we would not recommend, have uses a small number of pop rivets or TEK screws to secure the box to the tray. Pop rivets, themselves are not a bad fastener, however the correct quantity & hole pattern arrangement is critical. It is simpler to give these a wide berth and stick with a bolted connection. Another novel approach we would not recommend is a bead of silicone or construction adhesive applied to the tray, & which the box has been allowed to set overnight on top of. This can actually create a secure fix. However the choice of adhesive is affected by environmental factors which may be specific to your particular use. It also poses major considerations due to maintenance, movement or replacement of a fitted box.

Handy hints for a secure toolbox 

The simplest and the best choice is a bolted connection. The best choice for bolted connection is a zinc plated mild steel bolt & nut. Not stainless steel & not un-plated bolts. (Zinc plated steel have a coating of zinc which better protect the aluminium box & tray than a stainless steel bolt will. 

Stainless steel is a poor choice of material to mix with aluminium as this material encourages the aluminium it touches to give up electrons. i.e corrosion or “rust”) If the box or the tray is made from light gauge aluminium, it usually pays to use a large load-spreader or washer on top or and below.

We recommend 4 x 10mm bolts to secure a box. A 10mm bolt is significantly bigger than what is required. However, without tensioning equipment, this size bolt can be tensioned without breaking the bolt or damaging thread, making it simpler to install with the usual home equipment. The 10mm hole required can also be drilled with the usual equipment available at home.(4 x 6mm high tensile bolts are all that is generally required. It is important to ensure that these are high tensile and not mild steel and that a body washer to provide a surface area similar to the washer used with a 10mm bolt is used.)

Step by step for the secure toolbox way

Having located the box in the place you are happy with, look under the tray & find suitable mount location points that are free of tray floor reinforcing ribs. Extending this line through to the outside of the tray, extend this line back into the box to be installed. The goal is to establish at each end of the box a line where it is safe to match drill through the box floor & tray top. Approximately 50mm from the front & the rear of the box intersect these lines to create 4 mount points.

With the box in position drill a pilot hole with a 4 or 4.5mm hole through one point at a time. For every hole that you drill, insert a 4mm screw or rivet into the hole to ensure that the box does not move as you continue to drill the remaining holes. When all four pilot holes have been drilled, lie the box on its back or remove it completely and progressively open the pilot holes in the box to the final size required. Repeat this procedure with the holes in the tray and now clean/debur all holes and sweep up.

The box holes and the tray holes will align and now the bolt can be fitted. With a washer on both the bolt and nut side, feed the bolt from under the tray and up into the box. Tighten a nyloc nut on the inside of the box. This will create a securely mounted box. For additional weather fastness – applying a sealant around the nut inside the box before final tightening will provide a weather seal. In most cases this is not required.

However if the vehicle tray does not easily drain and is prone to filling with water then this reservoir of water can be transported via capillary action along the screw thread and up into the box.

Here endeth the lesson for a secure toolbox on your ute.