Azrckcrawler
Junior Member
Been wanting to do this for a while but hadn't found a clean way of doing this till now.
The goal was to have a cargo shelf up above rear cargo floor so you could keep lighter items from getting crushed as well as make it easier to get to certain items (like my shooting table) without needing to unpack everything else first.
Step one was a set of Rago modular storage panels to cover the rear windows. From there a bunch of bags were sourced from Ebay/Amazon to keep tools and first aid items accessible and organized.
Step two was to build a frame to support a shelf but after looking at the Rago panels I figured maybe a complete frame would be overkill. Instead I opted to construct a shelf made from black powder coated low profile Unistrut. This stuff is readily available from McMaster Carr. To attach the cross beams to the Rago panels I 3d printed some brackets utilizing a polymer material reinforced with several layers carbon fiber (via Markforged printer).
The Rago panels do have a vertical load limit so the intention of attaching to them was to just locate my shelf side to side. Under the shelf I ran 4 sets of 18" long Unistrut front to back. From the two end pieces of Unistrut I ran a pair of Unistrut legs down to the cargo floor to support any weight put on the shelf. After that I attached some self-adhesive backed felt strips to the Unistrut beams (to keep rattles at bay) and then attached a piece of wire mesh to serve as the shelf floor.
After two weeks of use I am asking myself why I did not do this sooner. The shelf works perfect with the MTM ammo crates or the fold down crates that Costco sells.
McMaster Carr parts list - https://www.mcmaster.com/
33125T871 U-shaped 13/16 connector, Black - Qty 8
33125T143 Strut Channel Connector, 90 Degree, Powder-Coated Steel, 2-1/4" Long, 1-5/8" Wide - Qty 2 for one set of legs, 4 if you want 2 sets of legs.
3310T516 Strut Channel, Low-Profile, Slotted, Black Powder-Coated Steel, 5' Long - Qty 2 (need to cut these down slightly)
3310T516 Strut Channel, Low-Profile, Slotted, Black Powder-Coated Steel, 1-1/2' Long - Qty 6 (4 front to rear cross beams and 2 legs) My legs set on my rear cargo mat (about 1" above floor), if you don't have a cargo mat you may need the next size up leg to reach the floor.
Note the above are the same PN, when ordering you will have to select a length.
3259T32 Strut Channel Nuts, Zinc-Plated Steel,, 3/8"-16 Thread Size, Packs of 5 - Qty 6
98025A031 Zinc Yellow-Chromate Plated Steel Oversized Washer, Grade 8, for 3/8" Screw Size, 0.406" ID, 0.812" OD, Packs of 50 - Qty 1
Order your choice of 3/8-16 fasteners. 1" to 1.25" work well. I used a mix of hex and button head cap screw that I had on hand.
Mesh was sourced from a local steel supply shop. You will need to make your own side brackets.
The goal was to have a cargo shelf up above rear cargo floor so you could keep lighter items from getting crushed as well as make it easier to get to certain items (like my shooting table) without needing to unpack everything else first.
Step one was a set of Rago modular storage panels to cover the rear windows. From there a bunch of bags were sourced from Ebay/Amazon to keep tools and first aid items accessible and organized.
Step two was to build a frame to support a shelf but after looking at the Rago panels I figured maybe a complete frame would be overkill. Instead I opted to construct a shelf made from black powder coated low profile Unistrut. This stuff is readily available from McMaster Carr. To attach the cross beams to the Rago panels I 3d printed some brackets utilizing a polymer material reinforced with several layers carbon fiber (via Markforged printer).
The Rago panels do have a vertical load limit so the intention of attaching to them was to just locate my shelf side to side. Under the shelf I ran 4 sets of 18" long Unistrut front to back. From the two end pieces of Unistrut I ran a pair of Unistrut legs down to the cargo floor to support any weight put on the shelf. After that I attached some self-adhesive backed felt strips to the Unistrut beams (to keep rattles at bay) and then attached a piece of wire mesh to serve as the shelf floor.
After two weeks of use I am asking myself why I did not do this sooner. The shelf works perfect with the MTM ammo crates or the fold down crates that Costco sells.
McMaster Carr parts list - https://www.mcmaster.com/
33125T871 U-shaped 13/16 connector, Black - Qty 8
33125T143 Strut Channel Connector, 90 Degree, Powder-Coated Steel, 2-1/4" Long, 1-5/8" Wide - Qty 2 for one set of legs, 4 if you want 2 sets of legs.
3310T516 Strut Channel, Low-Profile, Slotted, Black Powder-Coated Steel, 5' Long - Qty 2 (need to cut these down slightly)
3310T516 Strut Channel, Low-Profile, Slotted, Black Powder-Coated Steel, 1-1/2' Long - Qty 6 (4 front to rear cross beams and 2 legs) My legs set on my rear cargo mat (about 1" above floor), if you don't have a cargo mat you may need the next size up leg to reach the floor.
Note the above are the same PN, when ordering you will have to select a length.
3259T32 Strut Channel Nuts, Zinc-Plated Steel,, 3/8"-16 Thread Size, Packs of 5 - Qty 6
98025A031 Zinc Yellow-Chromate Plated Steel Oversized Washer, Grade 8, for 3/8" Screw Size, 0.406" ID, 0.812" OD, Packs of 50 - Qty 1
Order your choice of 3/8-16 fasteners. 1" to 1.25" work well. I used a mix of hex and button head cap screw that I had on hand.
Mesh was sourced from a local steel supply shop. You will need to make your own side brackets.
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