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I’m going this weekend to pick up a M38A1 tub and it’s about a 6 hour drive. Instead of pulling a trailer I was thinking of putting a few 2x4’s across my full size truck rails and strapping the tub down and bringing it home that way. Does anyone see any reason this would not work?

I'd stand it on its side and slide into the bed and tie it off....but, yes it will work on top of the bed rails.

Your idea of two 2x4's with a tub sitting on top of the bed sides and strapped down becomes very much not a good one if even one straps comes loose at 50 MPH and even one 2x4 hits a couple of cars behind you. In addition the tub will be exposed more to the head wind. The safest way in a pickup bed is on it's side strapped diagonally to secure it downward and restricting any horizontal movement.

The only way to make your 2x4 idea safe is to attach the 2x4's to your bed side stake pockets so they cannot loosen in any way and then diagonally strap the tub on them.

i was able to fit an m38 tub inside my dads 2002 f250 4 door 8 foot bed we just built some basic supports out of spare 2x6 to clear the wheel humps then strapped it down