Still a work in progress (yes still is) but I know looking at other peoples stuff has given me ideas in the past, both what to do and what not to do Most of the time I need a decent load space in the boot for transportation of random objects, I only need a full on 'storage system' a few times a year.
I made a main frame for each side out of steel 25x25x3mm box section. Then I tacked some 25x25x1.5mm box outriggers on for additional supports. The base mounts to some of the 3rd row seat captive nuts in the floor and these provide the real strength. The top bolts to the 3rd row grab handle captive nuts and although quite strong these really are just steadying the tops of the frames. I cut some 9mm mdf to face the frames with, thick enough to take knocks but thin enough not to be too heavy and the steel frame carries the loads.
This is the drivers side with the mdf taken off:
You can see I've trimmed the plastic panels to expose the wing space that is usually inaccesible and above each wheel tub there's room for a 110ah battery so I've put mounting and tie down points in for those. I've got a couple of compressors, fuse / junction panel, a big invertor and my radio gear to fill up some of the void behind the panels. I should still have space behind there for a water pump and any other 'essentials' I think of later!
Passenger side with mdf:
Both:
mdf back on:
day to day stuff:
how it looks from the outside front
I've blurred out all the 1.5mm wall box section in this picture so you can see what I used 3mm wall for and what the basic frame started out as and circled where it bolts to the truck. It wasn't until the extra sections went on that the plastic side panel needed cutting.
Spent time adding a couple of platforms. I started off by running some angle supports along the sides of the existing frame to support the platforms and then welded up the 25x25x1.5mm steel box section platform frames and screwed some more 9mm mdf to the top. Both frames have some nutserts in the underside and where they rest on the side supports are bolted down to stop them going flying! I also got to fit and try my platinum gear fridge drop slide
My current plan is to put a pair of drawers under the lower platform and euro box's or similar on the others. I've gone with the fixed side frame and bolt in middle sections so that if this configuration isn't working out it should be quite easy to change but I needed something to be going on with and I can get on with painting the side pieces and installing aux batteries and compressors behind those panels now I'm pretty sure it's going to work out.
I've run 40mm2 cable from the engine bay battery into the boot on the passenger side where it goes to a heavy duty solenoid. The aux batteries are connected together and to the other side of the solenoid also with 40mm2 cable and to a heavy duty terminal block each side for power take off. All three battery connections are via 250amp inline mega fuse's. The solenoid coil is powered via an on-off-on toggle switch set up for constant, off, or voltage sensed (normal).
Here's the drivers side with the side cover off. My HAM radio is mounted to the inside face of the board and I've got my compressor installed as well. Above the battery is the new board with a 2KW inverter bolted to the back of it and in the top corner a power outlet for the fridge.
Passenger side - lot of unclaimed space which may be filled with a DC charger.
Still quite a large space below battery level on both sides that things can be stuffed into (jump leads etc).
Drivers side again but looking rearwards showing the mega fuse holder (on top of the battery), heavy duty terminal block (black block towards bottom left) and fused power distribution box.
Boards back on, not a lot to see except the compressor power switch and air outlet on the drivers side and the inverter peaking out from behind its window board.
I need to run a few more power sockets but that's the bulk of the electrical work sorted so I'll be getting back to the business of storage next.
Thought I'd try some drawers to see how that works out. The slides are 700mm full extension and they're detachable so e.g. the 'kitchen' drawer is easily removed and carried elsewhere if needed instead of keep running back to the car. Each drawer is 800x420mm and the sides are 18mm good quality ply with a 9mm mdf base, all screwed together no fancy joints or glue If I like em I might eventually bend up a bit of mild steel for them instead. There's still quite a big space between the drawers and back seats where I keep my tools and spare parts.
The right hand drawer is my 'kitchen' so it got a coat of paint:
The left hand drawer has family junk in and when off playing is where my recovery gear will live:
The bit up the middle has my ground anchor with pins, sledge hammer, axe, spade, hand winch handle and a small brush for cleaning lights off.
I made a main frame for each side out of steel 25x25x3mm box section. Then I tacked some 25x25x1.5mm box outriggers on for additional supports. The base mounts to some of the 3rd row seat captive nuts in the floor and these provide the real strength. The top bolts to the 3rd row grab handle captive nuts and although quite strong these really are just steadying the tops of the frames. I cut some 9mm mdf to face the frames with, thick enough to take knocks but thin enough not to be too heavy and the steel frame carries the loads.
This is the drivers side with the mdf taken off:
You can see I've trimmed the plastic panels to expose the wing space that is usually inaccesible and above each wheel tub there's room for a 110ah battery so I've put mounting and tie down points in for those. I've got a couple of compressors, fuse / junction panel, a big invertor and my radio gear to fill up some of the void behind the panels. I should still have space behind there for a water pump and any other 'essentials' I think of later!
Passenger side with mdf:
Both:
mdf back on:
day to day stuff:
how it looks from the outside front
I've blurred out all the 1.5mm wall box section in this picture so you can see what I used 3mm wall for and what the basic frame started out as and circled where it bolts to the truck. It wasn't until the extra sections went on that the plastic side panel needed cutting.
Spent time adding a couple of platforms. I started off by running some angle supports along the sides of the existing frame to support the platforms and then welded up the 25x25x1.5mm steel box section platform frames and screwed some more 9mm mdf to the top. Both frames have some nutserts in the underside and where they rest on the side supports are bolted down to stop them going flying! I also got to fit and try my platinum gear fridge drop slide
My current plan is to put a pair of drawers under the lower platform and euro box's or similar on the others. I've gone with the fixed side frame and bolt in middle sections so that if this configuration isn't working out it should be quite easy to change but I needed something to be going on with and I can get on with painting the side pieces and installing aux batteries and compressors behind those panels now I'm pretty sure it's going to work out.
I've run 40mm2 cable from the engine bay battery into the boot on the passenger side where it goes to a heavy duty solenoid. The aux batteries are connected together and to the other side of the solenoid also with 40mm2 cable and to a heavy duty terminal block each side for power take off. All three battery connections are via 250amp inline mega fuse's. The solenoid coil is powered via an on-off-on toggle switch set up for constant, off, or voltage sensed (normal).
Here's the drivers side with the side cover off. My HAM radio is mounted to the inside face of the board and I've got my compressor installed as well. Above the battery is the new board with a 2KW inverter bolted to the back of it and in the top corner a power outlet for the fridge.
Passenger side - lot of unclaimed space which may be filled with a DC charger.
Still quite a large space below battery level on both sides that things can be stuffed into (jump leads etc).
Drivers side again but looking rearwards showing the mega fuse holder (on top of the battery), heavy duty terminal block (black block towards bottom left) and fused power distribution box.
Boards back on, not a lot to see except the compressor power switch and air outlet on the drivers side and the inverter peaking out from behind its window board.
I need to run a few more power sockets but that's the bulk of the electrical work sorted so I'll be getting back to the business of storage next.
Thought I'd try some drawers to see how that works out. The slides are 700mm full extension and they're detachable so e.g. the 'kitchen' drawer is easily removed and carried elsewhere if needed instead of keep running back to the car. Each drawer is 800x420mm and the sides are 18mm good quality ply with a 9mm mdf base, all screwed together no fancy joints or glue If I like em I might eventually bend up a bit of mild steel for them instead. There's still quite a big space between the drawers and back seats where I keep my tools and spare parts.
The right hand drawer is my 'kitchen' so it got a coat of paint:
The left hand drawer has family junk in and when off playing is where my recovery gear will live:
The bit up the middle has my ground anchor with pins, sledge hammer, axe, spade, hand winch handle and a small brush for cleaning lights off.