Product Idea: over wheel well interior storage (SUV only)

[ree]

I'd like more interior storage in my H2. I'd love to have a storage vault drawer, but I don't want to give up what little vertical room there is in the rear cargo area.

To keep stuff secure (i.e. not flying about killing people in an accident), I keep it in a largish bin that I strap down to the 3rd row seat mounts. If I need the space to haul something, I can move the bin.

This is fine for stuff I rarely want to access, but for more frequently used stuff it's a pain to get to it AND keep it secured.

Since, I've removed the interior spare to get space and I can't really see out the left rear window anyhow, I figured there's four frame-mounted anchor points available to use for anchoring some kind of bracket/shelf to facilitate more storage like in the e-sketch below.

The level area that's created would have a rectangular area above it of up to 26x 18 x 11 inches (see yellow dimension lines). I haven't yet found the right kind of storage box yet, but there's got to be something like a small topsider or underbody truck storage box with a side door that could be bolted onto the bracket in this space.

And if you weren't interested in mounting a storage box, you could at least strap down a large toolbox or other gear. In that case it might make sense to make the legs a bit taller to make sure the little storage bin in the OE panel is still accessible.

Thoughts (I already know I might be stupid or crazy)?

Any one with a fab shop that would want to try to make something like this?

If it existed, would you want it if it were finished nicely?

I have no clue of the economics of this. I don't know how many SUVs are out there and how many of those have the interior tire removed or even if all model years even have the interior spare mount anchor points.

[Dan]

Very nice. Your idea will be promptly stolen.

[ree]

Originally posted by Dan:
Very nice. Your idea will be promptly stolen.

Stolen would be okay if it gets made for a reasonable price. I suppose I could learn all it takes to bring a product to market and do it myself, make the contacts, get the equipment, or hire it out,... But what I do is no where close to any of that stuff and I've got lots of other things to do. The costs of getting into that business would outweigh the revenue I think I could pull.

I recall shipbldr throwing out an offer to do some test fabs on some accessory mount for a GOBI rack. Whatcha think of trying this one out? I'd be a guinnea pig. I could do some more measuring too. I work at a software company that makes CAD software...not that I know how to use it, but maytbe I could learn

[H2Finally]

You mean like this?

[H2Finally]

Easy enough mod. I used 36" Alu piece (Home Depot), to build the bracket, by just bending it in the right places, and drilling a few holes. Yeah, I know, I know, but I really love the versatility of black electrical tape!! (as some can attest I'm sure!! ) . Anyways, its a temporary finish..

The box is from Costco (comes with a bigger rolling bottom box); the "HUMMER" is from Ebay; and the spacers (another work in progress) is required because the top of the wheelwell slopes down. I prefer nothing hard/sharp/pointed as spacers, as conceivably you can bounce hard enough (on a gnarly trail) to damage the wheelwell trim.

The box is steel, which is important as it simply attaches to the back bracket by drilling some holes, short machines screws and wingnuts. It's large enough to put my aircompressor, tow strap, tie-rod kit, and other odds and ends.

I can access most of the content fine where it is. If I needed to have the box removable on a constant basis, I would build a matching front bracket, hinge it at one end, and attach it with a big wingnut at the front.

A couple of points you want to watch for:

- Make sure the bracket is flush enough, so that it doesn't ding the interior plastic trim of your liftgate when you slam it close.

- Make sure there is enough clearance so that the lid of the box can be opened without scratching the rear speaker cover.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR MOD!

[ree]

Originally posted by H2Finally:
You mean like this?

H2finally,
Nice! And simple. That's way simpler and probably is more than good enough for my needs. I tend to overthink things

Questions, questions:

Where does it mount on the front?

Is it sturdy enough to keep the box up there if you really pull on it?

Did you make it? If so, did you just do all the bends by hand? Where might I beable to score a strip of metal the right width so that I only have to bend and drill it?

[ree]

Originally posted by ree:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by H2Finally:
You mean like this?

H2finally,
Nice! And simple. That's way simpler and probably is more than good enough for my needs. I tend to overthink things

Questions, questions:
... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Questions answered. Just had to wait a few for the write up.

Looks like something cheap and simple enough to take a stab at and waste some time with.
Thanks.


Any other ideas and thoughts are still welcome though.

[H2Finally]

ree, it's very sturdy with 5 screws/wingnuts along the back and 1 side. You wouldn't want to put an anvil in there anyways, as the entire trim "floats" above the steel body underneath, and would definitely crack when you hit a large bump.

The bending is easy (aluminum). The drilling of matching holes (bracket and box) is more tricky. I drilled 2 end holes first on the box, press the box in place against the bracket, and mark/drill correspoding holes on the bracket. After you attach the bracket to the box on those 2 end holes, its easy enought to drill and attacht the other 3 holes, before reattaching everything to the truck.

For aesthetics, I will fabricate a "skirt" to cover the spacer.

[ree]

h2finally, I'll mimick your mod for the time being, provided I can find the materials in my hick neck of the woods.

For the spacers, I might try carving up a large block of minicell foam I bought to custom make some kayak seats from. It doesn't compress much and I can probable make a single slab that looks decent.

Ultimately, I'd like to do a tall storage chest with side doors and maybe a shelf to get as much storage as possible. To do that, I imagine you'd need more support somewhere to keep it from twisting off the shelf. Maybe a second metal bracket around the front like you mentioned would add enough support.

[ree]

Well I finally got around to copying h2finally's idea on my 2.

To make the driver side rear wheel well cover level, I cut wedges from a block of closed mini cell foam that I originally purchased from NRS (nrsweb.com) to make some custom kayak seats from

I opted to use two wedges because it was easier to cut plus it would leave access to the bin to store little things.

[ree]

Aluminum strip, folded to fit along backside of toolbox

This is a 1/8" thick, 1 1/2" wide, 36" long strip of aluminum that I picked up in the metal by the piece section of a local home improvement store.

I drilled a hole to mount it using the bolt that holds the top of the tire jack (right side) which was where the front of the interior spare tire carrier used to be anchored. I pushed the toolbox into it to establish the bend point in the back left, then folded it again to align with the rear anchor point that the interior spare tire carrier mounted to. Then I drilled three holes in the strip, two on the long edge, and one on the short edge on the left side. I filed these holes square to accept some 1"x1/4" carriage bolts which will be inserted into the back edge of the toolbox to hold it in place.

Note that I trimmed the strip on the left end to that the rear lift gate can close without hitting it. A hacksaw (recommendation: use goggles. I broke a blade and it hit me in the eye, ouch) will do the cut easily and a file to smooth off the edges/points.

Also, I used several washers behind the strip on the right to ensure it sits out from the trim a little bit and then I put several strips of foam tape along the back side of the strip to reduce scraping of the trim over time.

[ree]

Wingnuts on the carriage bolts to allow for toolbox removal

I drilled holes in the toolbox to accept the carriage bolts from the aluminum strip. This is the view on the inside.

[ree]

This is the completed project with the toolbox closed.

[ree]

This is with the toolbox cover open.

I can just barely squeeze my hand into the original storage bin.

I put some two-sided foam tape under the wedges to keep them in place if I remvoe the box.

[ree]

BTW, the toolbox is a craftsman box from Sears (online only). It measures 24.25" x 9.5" x 9.5" and is very rectangular providing a lot of interior storage space. Unfortunately, it has a lock on the center latch that rattles, but maybe some strategically placed glue will cure that

The craftsman logo on it was just a sticker that easily pealed off.

I don't think I'll be adding the HUMMER lettering that h2finally did to his.

Thanks H2Finally for the idea and construction tips.

[DDWH]

Looks good ree! Does the tray rattle or does the weight of the tools keep it pretty settled?

[ree]

Originally posted by DDWH:
Looks good ree! Does the tray rattle or does the weight of the tools keep it pretty settled?

Thanks.

I haven't reorged my tools yet. But I can say that, empty, the tray does rattle.

There's a good chance I'll be adding some weather stripping or something like that to quiet any rattles. Plus I'll probably stuff it [the toolbox not my pants] with a spare towel to keep the contents quiet too. I've got some stuff in a .50BMG metal ammo can right now and it requires cloth padding around the tools to stay quiet.

[ree]

Originally posted by DDWH:
Does the tray rattle or does the weight of the tools keep it pretty settled?

DDWH,
I loaded it up tonight and it works best [for me] to not use the tray. I've got a recovery strap and extension cord that sort of pad it out and the only noise it makes is the rattling of the little lock.

[H2Finally]

Looks great ree! After you use it for a while, you'd be pleasantly surprised how useful and.. out of the way, it is.

Actually, that space is very under utilized. The rest of my setup fits a cute chrome flame extinguisher and an itty-bitty 18V cordless chainsaw (which hard cover I use as right spacer), seemingly without taking any space at all...