Hopefully adding some value to this thread, even if this is a REALLY long post - I saw a Goose Gear plate a little while back, and thought it was a neat idea. I had spent a lot of time making a nice drawer system, but the dog seemed to get around a lot easier in the back before the drawers, and there were times I would have liked to have a fully open cargo space with the seats down to haul random bulky items every once and a while.
Like many others, I thought the Goose Gear plate was quite expensive, and I thought I could improve upon it a little. Of course it got a bit out of hand, and I think I spent more making my own than I would have buying the GG, but hopefully gained some durability/usefulness. I spent a LOT of time searching the forum looking for mounting options, and tips from people who had already ripped out the flooring from their cargo area. Three folks I'd like to thank for informative/helpful posts are [MENTION=138432]Liquidmantis[/MENTION] [MENTION=129593]MTN4RNR[/MENTION] and of course [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] You guys saved me some headaches, for sure.
First I removed the carpet and foam underlayment and spent a lot of time thinking about the size of my template and mounting points. For those who may not have found this information already: There are existing threads in the floor for mounting the optional sliding cargo tray. These threads exist even in non tray-equipped models (like mine), but they are covered by sheet metal. I planned on finding these existing mounts, slapping down some Dynamat, and mounting my plate directly on top. Once I drove around without the factory foam underlayment and carpet, I quickly realized how much noise traveled through the bare sheet metal floor. I also thought it would be nice to at least have the option of changing back in the future if I desired, so I decided to make my template, identify mounting points, then reinstall the foam & carpet and mount my plate over it.
After some difficulty identifying the location of the existing mounts, I realized there was plenty of room underneath to just make my own connection points and not have to worry about drilling my bolt holes in just the right place with no room for error. I thought rivnuts would be a good fit here, then decided on 1/2" carriage bolts with extra wide washers on the under side since they would get me a little more spread on the thin sheet metal. I'm satisfied with how that worked out. I'm happy to share a sketch with anyone who wants it showing my dimensions for the plate and mounting points. A note about the mounting points: I have a 2016 Trail. No KDSS, no XREAS, no 3rd row, no factory sliding cargo tray. I can't be 100% certain that the easy access I had for my bolts will be as easy for someone with KDSS for example. Who knows if there's a bundle of cabling strapped to your floor pan where mine is bare.
If I was going to spend this much time and effort on the project, I didn't want it to be plywood. I used to be a carpenter, and I know how wood (even high grade exterior finish marine plywood or high density exotic solid hardwoods) can react to heat, cold, impact, pressure, and moisture over time. I wanted to use something that would last basically forever without any maintenance or adjustment whatsoever, no matter what it was exposed to. I found a plastics warehouse and bought a partial sheet of 3/4" UHMW sheeting (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene). It was expensive AF, but I kinda wanted to make the plate out of solid aluminum, so I justified it as being cheaper than that.
This post is getting excruciatingly long, so I'll stop with the detail and say that I knew I wanted flush mounted adjustable railing, but I stole (borrowed?-just like the light you see in the last photo with the switch in the hand hole...) the slide out tray idea from [MENTION=129593]MTN4RNR[/MENTION] I made mine without rails. It is all plastic, with a set pin (the yellow thing on top of the plate) that holds the shelf in either the open or closed position. I didn't want to cover the factory tie-downs, so I didn't make the fins that flare out behind the wheel wells. Ended up with a nice ultra heavy duty flush surface that sits even with the rear seats when folded down. I through-bolted all of the railing, so it's strong enough that I wouldn't hesitate to ratchet strap a 500lb weight to it and go off roading. Anyway, if you've read this far, thanks, and I hope this is useful for someone who wants to make theirs better the next time around.
Two final notes:
-The diagonal cut you see on the face plate on the right side of the close up picture is really not sloppy like it appears in the photo. Please don't call me out on a bad cut
-I have another one of the large cases that you see strapped down in the last photo. Made by Hardigg/Pelican. $100 if anyone wants it. It's bigger than I need for my camp kitchen.
There are things I really like about the seat delete idea; maybe some day. Not giving up hope yet.
