Arborist Helmet Storage

[oceans]

Yeah...I wouldn't want to have to find new places for everything I have in my extended cab.

Seat covers: I had to look at those for a second to see they were camo after you posted that. I thought they were covered in plastic!

That’s what I thought too!

 

[oceans]

Having an extended cab is perfect for me, and although I keep cramming more and more climbing gear behind the driver and passenger seats, the bins I keep there provide a great place for all my life-support gear with the helmet right on top for easy access behind the drivers seat.

And I do have a gun-rack, just because it's a good place to store my camera tripod and hang my ear-muffs. The camo seat-covers may look a little redneck, but they came with the truck and I haven't felt like wasting the money on replacing them. But also, I may have a little redneck in me

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This post is actually helpful, ironically that a modified window gun rack might be the perfect solution. I also like what @Merle Nelson said about the helmet location. It’s the area I was thinking of for my F650 reg cab. This might be easier than I thought and plenty solid.

 

[oceans]

Interesting idea about drying. My boots go on a Peet boot dryer at the end of every day and it has taken odor down to zero.

Don't forget charge port accessibility.

Maybe you could run a 12v cord under the seat and up the back wall? Some are long enough, and I believe there are also “extension” type cords that could get you there. Another option might be a power inverter as a go-between from the dash to the back wall, as 110v charging cord options might be more plentiful?

I switched out all my helmet comms to Cardo Packtalk Bold units and the receivers come off the helmet bracket for easy charging without the helmet along for the ride.

 

[ATH]

If you're doing a "permanent" power inverter, I'd get a slightly larger one and wire it straight to the battery. If, for example you want to charge a couple of batteries (edit....power tool batteries) you won't be able to do that from the cigarette lighter port.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

IKEA has metal baskets galore

@Merle Nelson

Without knowing your space, milk crates may be a good base layer

 

[Phil]

Not sure how helpful this would be in a cramped truck cab, but I like the helmet kangaroo pouch on the Klein's Welder bag. I was gifted this bag and while the bag itself is useless for arborists, the front welder's shield pouch fit my fully loaded Kask super plasma pretty much perfectly. Helmet went in with the top towards the outside and sena towards the bottom. It had muffs, full face screen and SENA system on it so the face screen poked up from the top of the pouch a bit. I toyed around with trying to mount the pouch on my Notch gear bag but never followed through. I think with some creative arts and crafts fastening in a truck bin or cab, one could pretty easily mount this. Could even get it to mount to the ceiling with the 1/2" aluminum canvas wagon cover idea from @evo . Maybe use some rivets to attach the one side of the webbing buckles. Another option is some crisscrossed octopus bungee cords or something like this: https://a.co/d/bPW2dxq

 

[Steve Connally]

I have a custom made storage box between the seats in the crane. The wood is Paduke(sp). Has a back slot for books and manuals. Center fits the helmet. Front shelf for stuff. Top sliding shelf for other stuff on top of the helmet compartment and also has a set up for a multi charger for the helmet and additional brains. Some of it is rough edge. It fits owners manuals, z133, tcc, riggers bible, asme standards, company safety manual and a roll of TP. I'll try to remember to get a pic tuesday.

 

[ATH]

 

[oceans]

Not sure how helpful this would be in a cramped truck cab, but I like the helmet kangaroo pouch on the Klein's Welder bag. I was gifted this bag and while the bag itself is useless for arborists, the front welder's shield pouch fit my fully loaded Kask super plasma pretty much perfectly. Helmet went in with the top towards the outside and sena towards the bottom. It had muffs, full face screen and SENA system on it so the face screen poked up from the top of the pouch a bit. I toyed around with trying to mount the pouch on my Notch gear bag but never followed through. I think with some creative arts and crafts fastening in a truck bin or cab, one could pretty easily mount this. Could even get it to mount to the ceiling with the 1/2" aluminum canvas wagon cover idea from @evo . Maybe use some rivets to attach the one side of the webbing buckles. Another option is some crisscrossed octopus bungee cords or something like this: https://a.co/d/bPW2dxq

If that bag was insulated it could be my lunch box/mobile office/helmet jammy jam and sit on the pass seat!

 

[oceans]

I have a custom made storage box between the seats in the crane. The wood is Paduke(sp). Has a back slot for books and manuals. Center fits the helmet. Front shelf for stuff. Top sliding shelf for other stuff on top of the helmet compartment and also has a set up for a multi charger for the helmet and additional brains. Some of it is rough edge. It fits owners manuals, z133, tcc, riggers bible, asme standards, company safety manual and a roll of TP. I'll try to remember to get a pic tuesday.

I definitely want to see that!

 

[oceans]

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I like how simple those solutions are, but I really want a passenger to be able to join without having to relocate anything. Something on the back wall between the seats, or I delete the Ford factory center console and build something like Steve Vader’s Death Star.

 

[oceans]

Measure the headliner, cut a 1/2 aluminum a little big and wedge it in the plastic trim so it forms a firm arch over the headliner like a covered wagon. You can connect hooks or whatever to this.
Or just screw it to the internal trim plastics if you don’t care about the holes

I’ve read this a few times now but my monkey brain can’t quite envision the concept.

 

[Phil]

I’ve read this a few times now but my monkey brain can’t quite envision the concept.

Imagine the top of the covered wagon cut at the red line and instead of wood, the bows are the 1/2" aluminum. The ends of the bows would either screw into the trim on the "ceiling" of the truck cab where the trim meets the fabric, or they could just tuck into the trim. With the right length, the aluminum would bow and apply upward pressure to the fabric. Attach things to the alumium bows/ribs. This was a country fix in old cars where the liner glue failed and you didn't want to spend money on the correct fix.

 

[Treetopflyer]

 

[oceans]

View attachment 95166

Aaron, is that a block of wood secured to the dash?

 

[ATH]

I like how simple those solutions are, but I really want a passenger to be able to join without having to relocate anything. Something on the back wall between the seats, or I delete the Ford factory center console and build something like Steve Vader’s Death Star.

Could you put the white bracket between the seats - like I have the blue helmet on in last 2 pics?

 

[ghostice]

Just a heads up all - we tried to keep anything like HH's on hangers on the back of seats (or metal lunch pails on the floor). Anything high up, especially in a van without a headache rack or cage can become a lethal projectile in case of an MVA with front inpact. I've seen accident reports from the field where stuff inside truck cabs goes through the windshield from the inside in an MVA. Have a think for a 'what if' maybe too. Cheers.

 

[evo]

Imagine the top of the covered wagon cut at the red line and instead of wood, the bows are the 1/2" aluminum. The ends of the bows would either screw into the trim on the "ceiling" of the truck cab where the trim meets the fabric, or they could just tuck into the trim. With the right length, the aluminum would bow and apply upward pressure to the fabric. Attach things to the alumium bows/ribs. This was a country fix in old cars where the liner glue failed and you didn't want to spend money on the correct fix.

@oceans
This articulates it’s nicely, much betta than my monkey brain can articulate.

 

[Phil]

Just a heads up all - we tried to keep anything like HH's on hangers on the back of seats (or metal lunch pails on the floor). Anything high up, especially in a van without a headache rack or cage can become a lethal projectile in case of an MVA with front inpact. I've seen accident reports from the field where stuff inside truck cabs goes through the windshield from the inside in an MVA. Have a think for a 'what if' maybe too. Cheers.

I guess the best thing to do is just wear the helmet while driving. Solves the storage problem, saves time when arriving to the jobsite and increases driver safety by a large margin.

 

[evo]

I guess the best thing to do is just wear the helmet while driving. Solves the storage problem, saves time when arriving to the jobsite and increases driver safety by a large margin.

There is a crew that I occasionally see doing this.