5th Gen Gear Storage Bag

[smittw]

I have been thinking about gear storage in my 2012 4Runner. For my previous SUV (Trooper), I made a wooden gear box that fit the entire rear deck, adding rubber diamond deck material to the top so the dog would have some traction jumping in.

For the 4Runner, a friend suggested that an ATV rear cargo bag might work. I found some very nice bags made by Quadra (www.Quadragear.com).



I purchased the Skyline model and secured it to the tie-downs just behind the rear seat (I don't have a third row).



The bag is very sturdy with a double closure system (zipper and buckles) that should retain my gear in case of an accident. The bag is big enough for my tools, cables, hitch, folding shovels, etc. The Bazooka model is the same footprint, just a bit taller.

The bags are not cheap, but are very well constructed. I found mine at a local ATV shop on sale for about $175.



Although it is not as sturdy as my wooden gear box, I think it worked out well. Plus, it is easy to remove or reposition if I need the extra space.

 

[lowrange44]

That looks great! I was looking for something similar... Thanks for posting.

 

[kingpin748]

That looks pretty good plus it's removable. Good idea.

 

[Antman]

Good idea! What's it look like inside?

 

[smittw]

Here are a couple of pics.



With the buckles unfastened, the lid picks up. The lid has a support piece inserted between the layers of fabric to give it some rigidity. Here you can see the flaps that are zipped down. On top of them are mesh map pockets.



Here the flaps are unzipped. The bag comes with 3 semi-rigid dividers that you can velcro in to make compartments in the bag. I prefer to leave them out.

Exterior dimensions are 33w, 9h, 16d. The bag tapers to about 6h at the front. I have my gear basically stacked in 2 layers.

The bottom of the bag is made of a rubberized material. Besides waterproofing, this has an added benefit in that the bag does not want to slide around. You can't see it in these pictures, but there is also a rainfly contained in an external pocket on the front.

I like the bag enough that I wrote their customer support and told them they should think of advertising it for this SUV purpose, not just as an ATV bag.

The Bazooka model is a couple of inches taller.

 

[4FL]

I just threw in a rubbermaid container (sterilite brand actually) and secured it with a bungee cord.