DIY Storage systems.

Sound like what I have done to the back of my Rocky.
I'm up to version two at the moment but it did the job for our trip last year up to the Gibb River Rd etc.
Not sure of the layout at the back of your GQ but I took the rear seat out and utilized the seat and setbelt mountings to fix the shelf down. It takes me about an hour to put it in or pull it out hence its only used when we go on hols.
I used 1" ply and construction consisted of a shelf that went from one wheel arch to the other with a plywood divider/support in the middle and plywood back (to stop the _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx from moving forward.Height and depth was so that it covered slide in bins and supported Engel etc. The whole unit was screwed together and for good measure braced with metal brackets, top and sides were then covered with carpet( Friend is in the car stereo business so he covered it for me with a scap of grey material used to cover speakers).
To stop the unit moving around in the car I used metal brackets to fix it to existing anchoring points in the car and also screwed it to the rear rollover bar.I in all it was anchored down to the car at six points- no way did I want my Engle sitting on the front seat with me if I stopped suddenly.Using steel cable the Engle was also locked to the roll bar to prevent/deter theft.
Purchased two plastic bins (on wheels) that slide in and out under the shelf , the top was used to support an Engal on one side and an esky on the other. Both the Engal and esky were also anchored down through the shelf.
Version one was similar but started to show signs of collapse after just a week on a trip to Mt Augustis , version two gave us six weeks of excellent service over some atrocious roads. A friend of mine did something similar with aluminium but I could not justify the expense (He works in the aluminium business)
Cost - about $60 for materials and all purchased from the local hardware store (Bunnings)

C Ya !

Cookieboy, do an archive search with storage systems as key words & you will find all you can read for days.Regards Bob
Where to next

Hi cookieboy:

Go to archived post number 5250 - it was covered well there, including a link to CAPRAL Aluminium who market a product called QubeLock, which would make frame building fairly simple. There is also some advice on contacts for heavy duty _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx in the same post, and a link to a site with some purpose built _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx that look pretty sweet.
Jack
No trees were harmed in the making or sending of this message.
However a great number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

I shied away from using ply (and that compressed cardboard stuff MDF) as a structural frame because of the twist and sheer stresses put on by acceleration, cornering and braking. Depending upon screws to hold inside the edge of plywood and especially MDF is asking a bit much. I built mine out of a lightwieght 20mm steel square tube and angle welded together and 12mm ply infill side panels and shelves carpeted both sides. I use 4 plastic boxes with lids for closed storage on top of an open section full width at the bottom for long things like chairs and table. I also have a Black Widow fridge slide and two cupboards for spares and tools. I drop the back seats of my Frontera to fit it in and bolt it to the hold down points already in the floor. The setup allows me to put a 55 lt water bladder in a ply box behind the front seats and this then allows me to put soft storage such a clothes on top of the box. I have a cargo barrier behind the front seats. The storage system still allows me to pack soft stuff down the sides over the wheel arches. I carpeted it to stop slipping and cut down on noise. All up it cost me about $800. People tell me they have done them for $80 from spare material. To me all material cost money no matter if its spare or not. If it is spare I bought too much for the last job.
The Frontera is not long enough for me to sleep in so a flat floor was not important. My storage unit finishes about 100mm below the roof.
If you are only putting in a false floor so you can store under it, as long as it is not too high (say not over 200mm) you can use 20mm ply without much bracing as long as you are bracing off the sides of the vehicle. For this short hieght, 25mm penetration by a no. 10 wood screw into side plys of plywood should deal with front and back sheer movement Fixings should be spaced at about 150 centres. I would put vertical dividers in to support the floor at not greater than 750mm centres. You could reduce the ply thickness on the floor ONLY to 15mm if you supported it at 600mm centres.I would not reduce the thickness of the ply where you are screwing into the edge. I am not an engineer but as a builder you get a feel for these things.
I like the Outback and Black Widow systems. I did not build mine because I thought I could do it better. It was entirely a cost consideration.
Good luckRichard and Leonie, The grey nomads.

search the archives, there must be 100 matches to this topic!

Let me help you 1stly with the materials to use, you have several options,

1/ MDF - about 18mm thick, if you are going to suport it mid span with a divider for the tubs, plenty stong enough, (look for utility grade much cheaper)
2/ particle board same about 18mm as above, and agian ask for utility grade for a cost saving,
3/ ply - 15mm should be thick enough, grades to choice from - Marine (way too expensive), Exterior Hoop (cheaper that marine but not needed), CD - good for the job you want to do but really if you're going to cover with carpet, a waste, "Pallet/utiliy" grade ply is the cheapest and fine your job,

personal choice would be the MDF, strong enough but cheap too.

as for the bolt down points, you could use the child restraint bolt hole if not being used or even the holes for the dicky seat if your's is a 7 seater.

as for where to get it, if in Adelaide come see me, but dont go to BUnning WAY Too expensive, look in the yellow pages for Panel/timber wholesalers and merchants, some wholesales deal with the public, and some don't but they will point you to the best source near to you.

PS MDF is easier to shape, cut, mould than ply and if covering no one will ever know, besides you'll find the commercial stuff is most likely MDF carpeted anyway.

CYA
Mik

Thanks everyone for there thought and ideas.

Have alot to think about and some plans to draw up.

Regards,

Cookieboy.

PS.. Does anyone know what how larger tryes I can run on standard Nissan GQ ST mags. I currently have 265/70's.