Bed Mount, but where?

[CyberRider]

Hi - I got a 94 Toyota 4x4 and I've decided that I want to mount my new 5' Firestik on the bedrail somewhere. For sake of best send/receive where on the bedrail should I mount it?

Oh, and I'm new to this WHOLE cb thing. Bought radio but haven't installed it yet. Never had a cb before at all.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Welcome to WWDX, for best send and receive it would need to be in the center of the roof. If you must do bed rail then the back corner by the tailgate would be the spot. Unfortunately where most people put them is not the best place.
Chris

 

[Tallman]

Firstly, what type of antenna do you have? I am a fan of magmounts.

This on the roof of my S-10 Turbo 4.3 Vortec and it will never blow over.

 

[CyberRider]

Firstly, what type of antenna do you have?

5' fiberglass Firestik II

 

[Handy Andy]

Mounting on the bedrail is .... well .... ok - I guess.

Where? You did ask, and unfortunately - on the Bedrail - no "real good location" can exist.

Can you invest into a headache rack? At least you'd have height...?

 

[CyberRider]

Can you invest into a headache rack? At least you'd have height...?

Bed rail. I have a rollbar/light bar installed. I would consider that also I guess. Here's my truck:

 

[Tallman]

On the light bar between the lights.

 

[CyberRider]

On the light bar between the lights.

OK, I may be willing. But which mount will work for that?

 

[Handy Andy]

Is there a knockout plug on the tube itself - for wiring? Because that's chrome - and if needed - use a bar between the lights to handle the antenna - it's better because you gonna' strike stuff like trees, overhangs, small critters and the occasional bald eagle whipping around in the air. So let it take it out on the bar brace for the antenna not the roll bar with the lights.

So let the lights offer the mount for the antenna bracing - that's the best spot that won't tear a hole in the truck...

 

[Tallman]

OK, I may be willing. But which mount will work for that?

You would have to have a tab welded to the light bar. After seeing the rear window in the cab, I would get a magmount. Antenna would be at the best location and after seeing the gear in the bed you do some serious off roading and a magmount can be taken down and put up in a hurry if you need to talk to others on your trek.

 

[TheRealPorkchop]

Firstly, what type of antenna do you have? I am a fan of magmounts.

This on the roof of my S-10 Turbo 4.3 Vortec and it will never blow over.

No it won’t. I run a tri-mag on my dump truck. It works great until the cups those magnets sit in start rusting. Then it comes off the top, you run it over and this me attached pic is what you get. Pretty strong antenna, the Predator, 29,500 pounds ran it over and it still looks that “good”.

 

[StrangeBrew]

What kind of trails do you usually run?

If you deal with a lot of overhead obstructions it may not be a bad idea to go with the bed mount and accept the loss in efficiency, an antenna in a less than optimal location will probably work better than a broken one. Of course if you're usually in the desert this most likely won't be a problem.

If I was going to put it on the roll bar I would probably agree with Andy and mount a separate bar running between the light mounts, make the bar a little weaker than the light mounts so it gives if you whack something really hard.

 

[Tallman]

Consider this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/FIRESTIK-S...H8AAMXQVERSzh7U:sc:USPSFirstClass!40219!US!-1

You could mount this any place you have access to both sides of the bed rim.

 

[357magnum]

I had a Toyota FJ 40 once as much as I hated to I drilled holes and mounted a 102" whip on the rear drivers side , I rolled that thing twice and the antenna stayed in check . Mine was a 102' stainless . Boy was I ruff on a vehicle !

 

[CyberRider]

Consider this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/FIRESTIK-S...H8AAMXQVERSzh7U:sc:USPSFirstClass!40219!US!-1

After all this back-and-forth I'm thinking of just going with a good stud mount on the bed rail just behind the passenger side. I'll probably deal with the inefficiency of the antenna. That's a stake hole mount and I got no stake holes in my bed.

What kind of trails do you usually run?

Usually hills. And there's plenty of trees.

...use a bar between the lights to handle the antenna...

Nah. Frankly, I don't have the time, know-how, or money for that.

You would have to have a tab welded to the light bar.

I can't weld and I don't want to pay someone else to weld it. So that's out.

After seeing the rear window in the cab, I would get a magmount.

No mounted antenna on top of the cab. In my opinion that looks ridiculous (ie hick, hillbilly, etc).

...and after seeing the gear in the bed you do some serious off roading...

I'd say semi-serious. I mainly climb hills. But in the wet season I could get stuck. And I don't wanna be up-the-hill without a shovel and jack and other emergency items.