2 Door Bronco rear seat delete, and carpeted platform w/ pics

[broncorik]

I am definitely taking out my rear seat. Currently 50/50 on deciding between Goose Gear and DIY. Watching all these threads with interest.

The good thing about the Goose Gear setup is that there's a panel right behind the passenger and driver seat that's vertical that adds a great deal of structural support across the span from driver to passenger side. I used that vertical piece to attach my safety jack base plate too on the passenger side, and my smittybilt compressor on the driver side. The other cool thing about the goose care setup is for the rearward part of the panel, you remove the entire OEM floor piece...and with the spacers to level out the entire floor you gain about an inch of height over the cubbies which allows you to put more stuff in them. The reason I morphed from my do-it-yourself set up to the goose gear setup is because the goose gear setup already came with a waterproof coating on it, and cutouts for the cubbies, and it was already cut to the exact dimensions it needed to be. I know that there's woodworking folks and other people out there with all the equipment that could do it out of other materials, or would, and do a much better job than I did, but the Goose Gear as expensive as it was did save a lot of time (to clarify it was the second platform they sent me that saved time...the first one was in drastic need of modifications). I ended up throwing a giant yoga mat over the whole shebang anyways, so no one would be able to tell the difference between the $1,000 Goose Gear setup and the do-it-yourself first attempt. The important part for either setup is having the exact correct height spacers and the correct locations for those spacers so that the floor doesn't flex (and pinch things like the windshield washer line). With the spacers I was able to disconnect the seat belt receivers from their brackets and they fit well without interfering with the underside of the platform.

Sponsored

 

[Montana Bronco]

The good thing about the Goose Gear setup is that there's a panel right behind the passenger and driver seat that's vertical that adds a great deal of structural support across the span from driver to passenger side. I used that vertical piece to attach my safety jack base plate too on the passenger side, and my smittybilt compressor on the driver side. The other cool thing about the goose care setup is for the rearward part of the panel, you remove the entire OEM floor piece...and with the spacers to level out the entire floor you gain about an inch of height over the cubbies which allows you to put more stuff in them. The reason I morphed from my do-it-yourself set up to the goose gear setup is because the goose gear setup already came with a waterproof coating on it, and cutouts for the cubbies, and it was already cut to the exact dimensions it needed to be. I know that there's woodworking folks and other people out there with all the equipment that could do it out of other materials, or would, and do a much better job than I did, but the Goose Gear as expensive as it was did save a lot of time (to clarify it was the second platform they sent me that saved time...the first one was in drastic need of modifications). I ended up throwing a giant yoga mat over the whole shebang anyways, so no one would be able to tell the difference between the $1,000 Goose Gear setup and the do-it-yourself first attempt. The important part for either setup is having the exact correct height spacers and the correct locations for those spacers so that the floor doesn't flex (and pinch things like the windshield washer line). With the spacers I was able to disconnect the seat belt receivers from their brackets and they fit well without interfering with the underside of the platform.

Question about your Goose Gear: their website talks about an access hatch, and the choice of either drivers side or passenger side for the hatch. Which side did you use ?

 

[bcb1]

I am definitely taking out my rear seat. Currently 50/50 on deciding between Goose Gear and DIY. Watching all these threads with interest.

You won’t go wrong with Goose Gear if you want to spend the $$ on it. It’s nice stuff.
I wanted to go the $135 route since I like doing projects like this, and I think it turned out pretty good. And it’s easy enough to pull it out and put the seats back in should I need to.

 

[broncorik]

Question about your Goose Gear: their website talks about an access hatch, and the choice of either drivers side or passenger side for the hatch. Which side did you use ?

I went with passenger side...the primary reason I wanted no seats in the back are because I have dogs...so it didn't matter which side that hatch went on. The cool part about the hatch design is that I found a roll up Rhino bag for my tools that slides in from the open side perfectly and then that also allows me to put in my jack and some jack accessories and some gloves. I then took the OEM jack out of the rearmost cubby, and put a bunch of other stuff that I need in there. I would not have been able to fit the jack on its side in the forward most cubby were it not for the spacing to raise up the Goose Gear panel.

 

[mcinfantry]

$600 in materials

I used 1/2” beige hdpe
I wanted sage storage when the top is off and my wife can also lay down on our trip to moab

 

[Njchris1968]

Looks great

 

[mtclimb3r]

I felt the same way after having had to deal with the botched initial one I was sent and even the second one that addressed most of the issues from the first one...500 seems much more plausible. There was another manufacturer that was rumored to be making a similar platform as the goose gear but out of aluminum...does anyone know what happened with that one?

American Adventure Labs is working on one. They have 1/2 of it done basically with their MASS platform for the 2-door. I have been going back and forth on goose gear or wait. I would prefer to have my heavy shit bolted to a steal sub-frame than coated plywood if an accident happens.

 

[broncorik]

American Adventure Labs is working on one. They have 1/2 of it done basically with their MASS platform for the 2-door. I have been going back and forth on goose gear or wait. I would prefer to have my heavy shit bolted to a steal sub-frame than coated plywood if an accident happens.

Ah yes that's the one...I think they have been working on it ever since I was considering the Goose Gear. I would think that some company would be sorting one out in some lightweight composite and be churning it out on a 3D printer by now.

 

[mtclimb3r]

Ah yes that's the one...I think they have been working on it ever since I was considering the Goose Gear. I would think that some company would be sorting one out in some lightweight composite and be churning it out on a 3D printer by now.

A 3d printer isn't the correct tool for something like this, but AAL (and most manufacturers like Goose Gear) are using CNC machines to make everything. AAL seems like they are really ramping up, but still in a growing pain phase. Just my impressions.

 

[broncorik]

A 3d printer isn't the correct tool for something like this, but AAL (and most manufacturers like Goose Gear) are using CNC machines to make everything. AAL seems like they are really ramping up, but still in a growing pain phase. Just my impressions.

They have made one but it seems like it is only for the rear section? Is it a full-length one in the works?

 

[mtclimb3r]

They have made one but it seems like it is only for the rear section? Is it a full-length one in the works?

That's my understanding, but I have noticed that sometimes what they say and what actually happens is not always the same.

 

[mikej]

They have made one but it seems like it is only for the rear section? Is it a full-length one in the works?

I’m a big fan of AAL. I have their rear platform, shelf, drawers, fridge slider, fenders in my Jeep. Don’t try and predict timing based on their prototype announcements. It was around three years between them launching the rear section of their platform and the seat delete piece for their Jeep JL product. I wouldn’t hold my breath for the seat delete portion of their Bronco platform.

If a seat delete platform interests you today, go Goose Gear or built your own. If it’s something that’s not critical and may be interesting in a few years, keep watching AAL.

 

[climb2descend]

That's my understanding, but I have noticed that sometimes what they say and what actually happens is not always the same.

I talked to them the other week, it's on their list but they need another bronco back in the shop to finish the design. I really like AAL stuff, super high quality and well designed and constructed but they do take a while. I picked up their molle panels and the battery cargo compartment and its nice stuff. They have a lot of stuff in development across multiple platforms so they are busy. They did say it will be modular, so the delete part will just add onto the already available 1/2 first section they have. So if you like the AAL item then just get it and make your own 1/2 delete until there's comes out? Only thing I don't like about the AAL design is their is no access to the jack space anymore, we already have limited storage on 2 door and now putting a jack somewhere else kind of sucks, deleting the jack hatch makes sense for AAL intended purposes which is more on the drawer and slider systems though. I was really tempted by the AAL part but started making my own for now.

 

[broncorik]

I talked to them the other week, it's on their list but they need another bronco back in the shop to finish the design. I really like AAL stuff, super high quality and well designed and constructed but they do take a while. I picked up their molle panels and the battery cargo compartment and its nice stuff. They have a lot of stuff in development across multiple platforms so they are busy. They did say it will be modular, so the delete part will just add onto the already available 1/2 first section they have. So if you like the AAL item then just get it and make your own 1/2 delete until there's comes out? Only thing I don't like about the AAL design is their is no access to the jack space anymore, we already have limited storage on 2 door and now putting a jack somewhere else kind of sucks, deleting the jack hatch makes sense for AAL intended purposes which is more on the drawer and slider systems though. I was really tempted by the AAL part but started making my own for now.

That would definitely be a deal breaker for me because as you mentioned with the two-door it's all about trying to utilize whatever few places I have to stow stuff. I'm more of a rock crawler than an overlander, so I don't want to make a lot of space just to fill that space up with a bunch of other cargo like drawers and so forth. Wood is a fine material for making a platform, and it lasted on sailing ships for a long time so I don't doubt it's ability to function while wet... it just seems that somebody by now would have figured out how to make something similar out of a material like nylon or some other forever plastic for folks who aren't into the wood thing. Aluminum is fine, but I don't like the grate thing because unless you cover it with something else then stuff just falls between all the cracks...and the Goose Gear setup is pretty tight to the edges so there's not a lot of things getting down beneath it.

 

[TheShark]

That would definitely be a deal breaker for me because as you mentioned with the two-door it's all about trying to utilize whatever few places I have to stow stuff. I'm more of a rock crawler than an overlander, so I don't want to make a lot of space just to fill that space up with a bunch of other cargo like drawers and so forth. Wood is a fine material for making a platform, and it lasted on sailing ships for a long time so I don't doubt it's ability to function while wet... it just seems that somebody by now would have figured out how to make something similar out of a material like nylon or some other forever plastic for folks who aren't into the wood thing. Aluminum is fine, but I don't like the grate thing because unless you cover it with something else then stuff just falls between all the cracks...and the Goose Gear setup is pretty tight to the edges so there's not a lot of things getting down beneath it.

I think broncorik, was one of the first to get the Goose Gear and gave them good feedback on making their product better. Once I saw that broncorik had sorted out the issues I ordered the GG rear seat delete. Not cheap but well made and a nice fit (with broncorik's help of course). So thanks man for taking one for the team and being a early adopter and helping GG to make a better product.

Sponsored