Call me crazy, but I found something odd in my bed I never noticed before!

[N68330]

OK, upfront, I'm an old maid with my RL, I perform all maintenance that I can on it regularly as well as cleaning and detailing. Therefore, I have always felt I knew every panel, fastener, and blemish on the truck inside and out. However, I have just come upon something in the bed tonight that has just left me totally at a loss for words. First of all, I can't believe I never noticed this before as much as I clean, and wash the truck and the bed, but tonight after coming home from a fireworks show, I was checking the truck inside and out, cleaning it up and just being my fastidious, old maid self when lo and behold I spotted a gray looking object protruding from the right side bed panel sticking out from a hole in the panel. The left side bed panel has no such fastener or object like this at all. I also noticed the hole in the bed panel in which this fastener like object is protruding from looks factory cut out and is approximately 1/2" in diameter -- but as seen in the photos the fastener is a little off center from the hole in which it is inserted. I'm just totally bewildered first of all, if this has always been there why did I never notice it before now? Secondly, what in the world is it there for? Was there ever a rubber cover or something as such originally covering it? Well anyway, I've attached a couple of photos (object in question is circled) to show exactly what I am referring to. I feel totally weird right now, almost paranoid someone did this to my RL without my ever noticing until now -- for what reason, I'm so shocked, I don't know what to say. ..and if this has always been there, then I may seriously need either glasses, or other medical help, say, for dementia!

Thanks for some level headed, sane folks out there who may be able to either A) confirm I'm crazy and it has always been there, or B) I've just returned from the "Zone" as in the Twilight Zone and this is some manifestation of an encounter of some inexplicable nature!

[MikeT]

That is the alternate mounting point for the spare tire. If you are hauling a load in the bed and are worried about a flat and the need to empty the bed to get to the spare, you mount the spare there.

[BruceRTL]

John, I don't see the photos that you talk about????? Maybe you hit the submit button before you had the photos attached. Gee - it's not like I've never done that before. Anyway, you may want to resubmit them. I'm trying to figure out where you're talking about. I to am pretty particular about my truck. I know how you feel. Resend the photos and we'll see what we can do.

By the way, I'm interested in your name (N68330) I saw it the other day and figured it was the tail number of an airplane. I looked it up and nope that wasn't it. I'm curious about the history of that name.

[N68330]

Thank you for the very quick replies Mike and Bruce. I guess I am certifiable, Mike, after you mentioned the spare tire optional mount scenario it then dawned on me this was discussed some 3 years ago by others when the truck first came out. Boy, I feel so very stupid! It just goes to show how something that is so obvious in one respect can become so quickly lost in meaning to someone when it has never been required to be consciously thought of over a period of time. How the mind quickly forgets, and then later tries to feebly deal with something that was once understood and then later rediscovered to only be thrown completely into some form of chaos!

Yes, Bruce, you're correct -- N68330 was the tail number for a 1979 Cessna 152 II that I once owned when living in So. Cal. ( Redlands ) when I was really into flying. And your right, it can't be found in any US registry for it no longer exists, at least not as far as the FAA is concerned! I'll tell you a little story. It was the first plane I owned and one of the very 1st general aviation small planes I flew when I was starting on my adventures in aviation. I wound up selling it to a a left seat type who flew 747's across the Pacific for American Airlines. From my understanding ( for I had relocated to South Carolina by this time) , it was then sold to my mechanic ( at Redlands Airport) who had maintained this very plane when I owned it. Sometime later it was then sold to some overseas party who had it overhauled, redocumented, recertified for Germany, and shipped there! That's about all I know of its somewhat unique little life for a fond little aircraft. So in a little tribute to my special times in Southern California, and with my 1st little airplane I decided to use its then tail number as my moniker.

[arteegee]

Originally Posted by N68330

I feel totally weird right now, almost paranoid someone did this to my RL without my ever noticing until now -- for what reason, I'm so shocked, I don't know what to say.

The manual is your friend.

[topdown]

Call me crazy, but I found something odd in my bed I never noticed before!

Ah, college days - I remember them well.