I kept scratching my brain for a way to keep the sliding tray and still build out the cargo area so I can use it for storage, camping gear, and still give my Lab a nice spot to travel. After reading over this site and others, I found inspiration in a number of places. First was CSL's 4Runner Kitchen, followed by Corey's Chuckbox on Expedition Portal (made by our own Titanpat57), and a few bits and pieces of my own.

You might consider this a mod thread, but it's going to be an incremental one. Titanpat57 and I have chatted a bit about modular construction but being on opposite ends of the country makes collaboration slow. Still, every journey begins with a first step and mine was building a wood mock-up of the steel frame I am going to have made.



In order to allow free travel of the sliding tray, I had to create risers using steel 1/2" tube and all-thread. The mounting points for the stock tie-down loops will anchor it, figuring that if they are good enough to use as tie downs, they are good enough to hold the frame in place.



That's it for now. I have to have custom spacers made (I'm thinking a steel rod with threaded ends) and the frame fabricated. I'm going to use steel to prevent any floor flex when the box is built out. Once that's done, I'll trim out some plywood templates to fit the contours of the plastic and put Titanpat on retainer (j/k).

I'll add more to this thread as I get further along.

Image Links don't work

Fixed.

For some reason this site doesn't like my comcast account

only 2 of the 5 images work for me.

cool build btw, interested to watch it develop. very clever.

Looks good so far....

I only see two images, not five. I'll look at it again in IE.

Here is the basic idea. The gray boxes are drawers or slots, with each large section being a module so that they can be removed individually instead of one heavy piece. It's rough... very rough.

Nice work!!!! Lookin forward to the progress

Great idea for the Hi-Lift placement!!! How does it 'ride' there, any rattles or is it pretty tight? What did you use to pull it tight around the 'baby clips' on the rear seats? It looks like it just clears the sides, right?

Thanks!

The base wedges in between the front of the wheel and the back of the seat as you see it now, secured with 75lb zipties. It was PITA using those little ones, so I got some 125lb 18" zipties and I'll redo it this weekend. Those baby seat latches are supposed to secure a child in a booster seat in an accident, I figured they could hold the weight of the hilift. I was worried about the marks the base would leave on the wheel well cover and then I realized that I would never see it with the seats up anyway. It keeps it from rattling and the pressure on it is really minor.

Sorry bro...been so damn busy as work...can't even breath, but I didn't forget ya'.

Good news is students start back the 24th, and my secretary comes back who's been out since the second week of December...been a real *****.

We'll get the Sketch Up done and go from there...thanks for being patient



Edit:....slipped a Hi-jack in there ya' sneaky bugger....lol

No worries Pat, winter has kicked both our butts.

Given your inspiration, Im sure this is going to turn out bad @ss!

X2 Looks like your off to a good start! Cant wait to see the final product!

I hope so. I've been thinking it out for a few weeks but the new puppy and the weather has distracted me. Since the 5th is wider than the 3rd that CSL used, our dog will have a tad more wiggle room in his "spot" plus one of those trays underneath will house his sliding ramp so I won't have to lift him up there for the next few months as he grows.

I was also thinking about sliding some stacked MaxTrax under that side, and one or two of the water cans from Expedition One.

Great idea!

Subscribed, can't wait to see how it turns out.