There are some trick builds here thats for sure. I'm looking to make something like this for my 99. I've been going back and forth on using HD drawer slides or skateboard bearings but I think I'm going to go with UHMW Polyethylene "sliders". Easy and cheap.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/centcom_survivor/7933580040/http://www.flickr.com/photos/centcom_survivor/7933580040/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/centcom_survivor/, on Flickr

 

that would look good and function well!

 

Thanks. I re-did it to scale.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/centcom_survivor/7987356133/http://www.flickr.com/photos/centcom_survivor/7987356133/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/centcom_survivor/, on Flickr

 

bump!

 

Wow looks awesome. Can't wait to see the finished product!

 

mines not low profile but it holds alot of stuff, still need to finish it and build drawers with sliders, its 3 feet deep and the corners are on hinges so that i can fold them in and remove the box, they are cut out around my roll bars

 

This is going to be my next project...

 

Hi Jeff! Glad to meet another local wheeler.

You're going to love your platform when it's done. It's been one of the most useful mods I've done to date. I didn't draft up any plans for the platform and ended up measuring as I built. A few things that I would have done differently or are common mistakes:

For the sleeping platform that goes over the rear seat area, if you hinge it make sure it's short enough to be able to clear the ceiling in the cargo area.

For the drawers, 16 guage is fine for the walls but the bottom of the drawer should thicker, somewhere around an 11 guage to prevent it from sagging with a lot of tools in it.
The drawer face should also be something thicker like 1/8” as well. Mine are fine and nothings broken but they just feel a little flimsy because they flex a little.

If you make your drawers more than about 4” high then it starts to make the headroom cramped when you sit up in the cargo area. Losing the headroom might not seem like a big deal until you've had it and then lost it. I added another mattress on top of the one already in there and now I'm doing some neck bending in the morning when I'm getting out of the rig. I know, I'm spoiled.

If I were to do it all over again I would have short drawers that pull out sideways at the rear doors. Probably would only be able to pull out about 10” - 12” but a latching drawer would be really nice for things like shackles, yank straps, etc.

The latches I used are a good style but are just a little too small to handle the weight in them, recently I've broken two going up some gnarly stuff in Moab. I think I overloaded the drawers with too many heavy tools.

Buy your drawer latches before you actually start to build. It's been a sticking point for a few builds I've seen when it's done as an afterthought because the latches are harder to find or pricey for a low profile cargo box. Slam latches are great. Try and find ones that you can still open with gloves on.

3/4” ply is strong enough for the cabinet walls and top. You don't need a bottom on the cabinet. Two drawers are nice (instead of one big one) because you can have a center support going the length of the cabinet to support the top platform of the cabinet. If you use 3/4” ply for the top of the cabinet it's a good idea to not have the plywood span more than 18”. 1/2” for the cabinet top is a little too thin. It tends to crack under point load. Your knee for example.

Get drawer slides that are 200 lbs rated or higher. The vibrations and G forces can double or quadruple the loads when wheeling.

Get slides that have stays, something that keeps the drawer open when pulled open all the way. Or design in a way to keep the drawer open when not on a level surface.

Use cardboard to create a template for the cabinet and sleeping platform top. Saves time to fit the curves.

Hope that helps!

 

Hey Glen, sweet cargo box one of the best I've seen. Curious what type of sleeping pad is that you are using? looks like a thin futon or something? I'm currently using a full futon in mine and I want to go thinner. Was looking at maybe one of those memory foam setup's like they have in RV campers.

 

It's a latex (Talalay) mattress. They do well in lower temperatures and last a long time. Some of the memory foam mattresses don't yield very well when they get cold, depends on what they are made of. If you want a comfy setup I'd recommend a closed cell foam sleeping pad around 3/4" thick under 3" of the latex foam and then a mattress topper. It has a good R value, cushion, breathes, and is very comfortable. Ain't cheap though.

Throw in an electric blanket and you are in for nights of blissful sleep. Some of the best nights of rest I've had were snow camping. I remember a January trip, waking up and thinking how killer the rest was and then realizing that I was out camping.

 

Thanks for the great info Glen. I'll keep it all in mind when I start to revamp my sleeping deck/cargo box.

 

Chiming in about 8 years late. That is hands down the most amazing sleeping platform I've seen so far. I've been looking up ideas for one since I bought my 4Runner a little over a month ago, and this is the most ideal one I've seen since. The craftsmanship is superb here. I think my approach will look very similar, with a few more inches in height to try and hide the a fridge, create a wider platform over the wheel wells, and open up a few more inches of storage underneath the platform itself. Again, superb work, Glen. I applaud you!

 

Hey i was wondering if you have dimentions of this box. i wanna make same box