Ford F-150 Short Bed Upfit Tour

Magnum Headache Rack With Integrated Lighting

This Ford F-150 short bed, the 5.5-foot bed configuration, has a few upfits worth walking through in detail if you are planning a similar build. The first is a Magnum headache rack with vertical bars and a window cutout, a personal favorite largely because of the integrated lighting alone. The kit includes a wiring harness built for the specific make and model, so on the F-150 you simply unplug the factory trailer harness in the back, install a small T-connector in between, and the rack powers your brake lights, turn signals, and a bright reverse light built right into the rack itself.

Magnum offers this rack in several style variations depending on what you need. There is vertical bars with a window cutout for trucks that have a rear cab window, full vertical bars for maximum glass protection on trucks without that window, a mesh finish for a different visual style, and even an American flag cutout design for something more distinctive. The core function of any headache rack is to protect the cab and rear glass from cargo shifting in the bed during transit, and this one does that while staying lightweight and corrosion-resistant since the rack itself is aluminum rather than steel. It also includes a no-drill mounting bracket that attaches directly into the truck's stake pockets, which keeps the install clean and non-destructive.

Weather Guard Low Profile Toolboxes

Next up is a set of Weather Guard low profile crossover and low side toolboxes. The low profile design sits a few inches lower than the standard profile, which gives you a bit more visibility out the rear window and a sleeker overall look on the truck compared to the bulkier standard profile boxes. The crossover box has a push-button opening with a small tray built into the interior, and it uses Weather Guard's upgraded one-key Ultra-Lok system with a recessed lock button that resists tampering and makes it easy to tell at a glance whether the box is locked or unlocked.

These boxes ship uncoded from the factory, which means the first time you use a key in the lock, the cylinder keys itself to that specific key. That lets you use the exact same key across both the low side and crossover boxes without swapping out lock cylinders or buying additional hardware to make the keys match. Weather Guard is one of the most established names in truck toolboxes, backed by a lifetime warranty, and available in steel or aluminum across several finishes including bright aluminum, textured matte black, gunmetal gray, and a white finish for the steel option.

Legend BedBoss Structural Floor

Underneath everything is the Legend BedBoss, one of the newer products in the lineup and a genuinely different approach to a truck bed floor than what most people are used to. Rather than simply being a composite mat sitting on top of the factory bed, the BedBoss has an integrated steel frame built into it that ties directly into the truck's existing factory D-ring locations, both at the rear of the bed and up front near the cab, allowing for a fully no-drill installation. The material itself is roughly an inch thick composite with that steel rail system built directly into it, giving you seven tie-down points running the length of the bed on both sides for a total of fourteen secure anchor points.

One of the best features of the BedBoss is the ability to mount low side boxes, transfer tanks, or other accessories directly into the floor using nutserts built into the structure, rather than drilling new holes through the actual truck bed floor to mount that equipment. A typical install like this would normally require at least four new holes drilled into the bed to secure boxes or tanks, and the BedBoss eliminates that entirely, which preserves the resale value of the truck while still giving you a rigid, top-of-the-line floor to build on.

Weather Guard's cargo rings mounted on the toolboxes in this build are lighter-duty tie-down points, useful for general cargo but not rated for heavier loads like a motorcycle or a loaded pallet. The heavy-duty tie-down points built directly into the BedBoss structure are what you would use for that kind of heavier, load-bearing application.

• Magnum headache rack with integrated plug-and-play lighting harness
• Weather Guard low profile crossover and low side boxes with one-key Ultra-Lok locks
• Legend BedBoss structural floor with integrated steel frame and no-drill install
• Seven tie-down points running the length of the bed on both sides
• Mount accessories directly into the BedBoss instead of drilling the truck bed floor

Ford F-150 Short Bed Upfit Frequently Asked Questions

Can I mix and match these products, or do they need to be purchased together?

These products are independent and can be purchased separately. The Magnum headache rack, Weather Guard toolboxes, and Legend BedBoss floor each install on their own and do not require the others to function, though they do complement each other well in a single build.

Does the Magnum headache rack lighting system work on trucks other than the F-150?

Yes, but the wiring harness included with the rack is built for your specific make and model, so the plug-and-play connection points will differ slightly depending on your truck's factory trailer harness configuration.

Will the BedBoss work with toolboxes from a brand other than Weather Guard?

The nutsert mounting system built into the BedBoss is designed to be compatible with a wide range of toolbox mounting patterns, not just Weather Guard products, but you should confirm bolt pattern compatibility with your specific toolbox before ordering.

Is the low profile toolbox harder to access than the standard profile?

No. The low profile design only changes the height of the lid, not the functionality or ease of access. It still opens the same way and holds the same amount of usable storage relative to its footprint.

Looking to build out a similar setup on your own F-150? Find headache racks, toolboxes, and truck bed floors at upfitsupply.com.