That is quite the robust storage unit! Nice work

James, I thought of using these dowels from a wine rack, I tried to throw away three or fours times in the past, attaching them to the top of the box as a backstop all the way across box. May use this or some type of netting.

The refrigerator was going back there in the initial plan but fell short for the amount of space I needed to utilize. The frig, converter and air pump will go behind the rear seat and under the seat respectively, at a later date.

I doubt anything I already have in my possession James would give you any ideas that you haven't already thought of.

I've only put the articles in that I have readily available at my house at this point, much of the rest is buried in boxes at my shop.

In regards to the refrigerator placement. I will attach a housing to it and use a wedge style bracket to the front of the box for easy removal.
Now I ready to see what Philberto has come up with.

I'm a-coming, I'm a-coming... I was hoping to start construction once I get my weathertech cargo liner, so that I can use it to create the base template in CAD. Financial issues have prevented me from doing much more than researching, but i may break out the duct tape and the cardboard and start mockups with what I currently have in the vehicle. Nice storage unit, wolfpack! I'm loving the great ideas you have all put forward! So far, I have the following setup in mind:


Full-width platform extending across the cargo area, with small drawers on both sides, and a center cubby area for the aquatainers and the access to the underfloor storage. On top of the platform will be my portable toolbox, ActionPacker, and Edgestar fridge/freezer held down by ratchet straps. The tie-down hook placement will be custom-fit to this configuration.

The entire roof area should be covered with (2) cargo nets, each anchored at a total of six points, running horizontally from driver's side to passenger side... one for the front seats, one for the rear seats. In addition, there will be a cargo divider/pet guard separating the cargo area from the rear seat area. I also plan on adding a net to the rear liftgate that will allow more storage when the gate is lifted.

The front area will have a laptop mount a la RAM, with an attachment mount for my future phone (Motorola Droid) and a power inverter powering both devices. The center box will house my CB and 2M/70cm radios along with other switches for lights and things (hope to get my amateur license next year or whenever I have time). Antennae for these radios should be mounted either where James has his mounted (using the hoodmount on the rear sheet metal area) or on the rear bumper to allow for more antenna height. Planned antennae are a Firestik II 4' for the CB and a Comet 4' 5/8wave antennae for the 2m/70cm. A GPS/cell/wifi combo antenna will be installed on the roof as well, and the stock FM antenna will be laid down and tucked under the wiper cowl to keep it out of harm's way.

Still to be determined are the locations for the drinking water spout (chilled using a food-safe radiator of some kind in the rear AC box), the Superflow MV50 air compressor (to be routed to a 5-gal tank tucked between the frame rails), and the whole plumbing layout. I have also yet to determine a permanent location for the misting heads, which may end up on an awning when one is purchased. There is much more yet to be determined... but I'm grateful to everybody for their ideas which have helped me design this... I promise to have something more tangible for you as soon as I can sit at the desktop and bang out a design at least for the rear area. Hopefully I'll get some of the things I need for my birthday or Christmas

Sounds like your next Thread.

List what Santa can bring. Word is he's got a little helper down south from you or is he the Grinch?

Just for reference, I figured I'd post pics of my existing cargo storage situation:


Whole thing held down... (Not too pleased with how the ActionPacker deforms under the ratchet straps)



View of the toolbox and its ratchet strap:



My Aquatainers held in place with a ratchet strap (hose goes to pump)

I'm liking the idea... are you gonna mount a compressor to the storage compartment or not bother? For airing down on trails an air compressor will become very important, and is definatley one of my future mods.

I have a Superflow mv50 on my xmas list, but I'm not sure if I'm going to mount it in the rear or elsewhere. I may find an access hole that I'm planning on using to run plumbing through and use it for air hoses to an air tank underneath, or I may just try and mount the compressor in a box with a remote air filter, or maybe in the engine bay... One way or another, I am certainly going to be mounting a compressor in, on, or under the vehicle.

Okay, here's the first render of the rear drawer/tiedown unit. Bear in mind that the underfloor storage door will be narrowed so that it can be opened after removing one aquatainer.




What do you think? All measurements have been taken into account.

Is that a fridge on the upper left? Planning for it to be a slide out? The only issue I see is that it's going to be really high once you slide it out. Make sure you bring a stool to stand on!

That upper rack in the rear is sick. I've been looking for a way to increase miscellaneous cargo capacity without adding a box. I'm gonna have to play with that.

Philberto... Have you validated that your pump can indeed pull the necessary amount of flow from the top of the containers as in your pics? That will require a ton of suction. I would also test with your tanks half full, a quarter full, etc.. Good luck!!

A fridge will only work in the way back if it's on the floor, and the drawer unit is half-width. Can't get at the food with the liftgate above it.

Unless you buy this Australian drop-slide gadget, which IIRC is about as much $$ as the fridge and they don't ship to the US.

http://www.platinumgear.com.au/



Guy on Ih8mud made his own:

http://forum.ih8mud.com/expedition-buil ... slide.html

I have indeed validated my pump.... Self-priming to 9ft, and I've been running it that way from the top of the containers so far... I have a tube running to the bottom, and I'm utilizing the existing spigots on the AquaTainers. For my purposes, my pump is kinda overkill, but it'll let me expand the system to what I want in the future.



You read my mind, Bill! I was going to go the way of the guy on IH8MUD and build my own, since if I recall, he couldn't even get the company interested in shipping their units out here. Another interesting idea I had, which would require moving the compressor, would be to have the fridge slide forward and end up in the rear seat area. I'd still have 5 seats while driving, but I'd be able to access the fridge a little easier maybe.

Which model pump are you using? The pump I inherited is horrible at self priming

FloJet Pump Model 03526144
The triplex diaphragm series features models that deliver 2.9 gpm (11 lpm) flow and up to 50 psi (3.4 bar) of pressure. Pumps are self-priming and can safely run dry if necessary. Soft noise absorbing mounts reduce annoying background noise while running. Utilizes 1/2" (13mm) snap-in port fittings and the built-in pulsation eliminator reduces frequent pressure surges. Flojet offers a complete line of switch and VSD water pressure system pumps ranging from 1.1 to 6 gpm (4 to 23 lpm) models.

Volts

12 VDC
Amp Draw @ 10 psi (0.7 bar)

4.4
Flow Rate GPM (LPM)

2.9 (11)
Pressure Switch Max psi (bar)

50 (3.4)
Bypass

Yes
Weight Lb (Kg)

3.50 (1.59)

* Self-Priming
* Dry Running
* Soft Noise Absorbing Mounts
* Snap-in Port Fittings
* Built-in Bypass: Less Pulsation
* Reduces need for accumulator tank
* Corrosion Resistant Materials
* Meets ISO 8846 (Ignition Protection)

Warranty: 2-year limited manufacturer's warranty

###bought it for $50 from adventurerv.net

We had a plastic liner/mat for my mom's Rav4, since that was the vehicle used to haul the dog around, you can remove it to wash it and doesn't interfere with the animal divider (we also had one of those)

Found a site that may offer some new ideas. www.truckvault.com

Phil, any progress on your design?

Randy... why don't you create your own fab thread for your design, I beleive it warrant's its own. Be sure to post up about any lessons you've learned since you've been carrying it around for a while.

James, not really, I'm to the point that I need to buy some things and get physical with it before I can make any real changes. Fundage doesn't permit purchasing things for that right now. If you all wanna buy Cadillacs from me, then I can get to work on it But seriously, I will probably be doing a little something with my tax return, all measly $150 of it, once I get it.

I do think I'll be adding a cargo divider right before the rear seatbacks, so that whether the seats are down or not, I'll be able to keep debris from hitting heads. The platform in the back will also double as a dog platform, so I can finally keep the damn dog hair off my seats, but I need to devise a ramp of sorts so the dogs can make it up there. I'm also trying to get an inventory of things I have now, as well as things I'll be purchasing (like recovery gear and hi-lift) so that I have sufficient storage space and keep the heavy things down low.

Little details like that. Also started my new sales job in January, so that's been taking up a lot of my time. To add to my obstacles, my laptop isn't working, and my work laptop is back with our IT department, so I don't have a pc to do my CAD work on when I'm at work.

Believe me, I want to get cracking on the rear area ASAP, as I'm tired of constantly rearranging things in it and messing with the ratchet straps. I also can't wait to get to work on the roof rack, and get some lights and an awning on it. So do stay tuned, I have some big plans, but they may take a while to put into motion.