4DR Overland drawer & sleeping platform DIY build

[campbebc]

I got inspired to build a drawer setup that could be extended to form a sleeping platform for any trips that we don't want to setup the old fashioned tent. I watched lots of YouTube videos and took lots of inspiration from this thread, thanks @Jabberwock. The main goals were as follows:

1. Sleeping platform that could fit two people (my wife and I, I'm 5'11") and be installed in a few minutes over top of the rear seats
2. Sleeping platform that could be carried in the trunk so that all seats could be utilized
3. Two drawers, one wide enough to fit our Coleman 2-burner stove, and tall enough to fit some of our standard gear (propane, cooking bowls, etc)
4. Securable to the factory trunk tie-down points
5. Look OEM-esque
6. Not rattle

This was my first ever real project working with wood so I had to buy a decent number of new hand tools, drill bits, etc and learn some new skills. Sticking with the "measure three times, cut once" principle, I'm proud of the result and it has met all of our needs. Pictures below are of the finished product:

Key Details:

1. Entire drawer/platform is from 3/4" finished/treated Birch plywood
2. Turnbuckles attach the drawer system to the factory tie down points
3. Both sides are on hinges to be able to quickly grab things
4. Drawer slides lock closed and fully open, support 250lbs
5. Drawer fronts trimmed in 3/4" angled, 1/20" thick aluminum
6. Sleeping platform is supported by 6 blocks, 1/2" steel beam pieces slot through the platform into the blocks to keep things stable
7. E-Tracks on top of drawer system for tying down coolers and other heavy cargo
8. Sleeping platform is just under 70", so that we can have the sleeping platform assembled and still drive in our standard seating positions

Things I would do differently:

1. Get different carpet/felt for the top and sides. It looks very similar to the factory floor/seat backs but gets dirty too easily. I may add another layer of something different in the future, possibly rubber.
2. Heavier duty handle, I worry that I may need to cut these ones out and replace them with something larger. These will likely be too small to open a fully loaded drawer.
3. Add dividers within the drawers (can probably still do that in the future)
4. Have the larger drawer be a "two" step pullout for easier cooking/prep

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[campbebc]

[RESERVED FOR PROCESS PICTURES]

 

[campbebc]

[RESERVED FOR ITEMIZED LIST OF MATERIALS]

Item	Pricw	Quantity	Link
Wood - Birch 3/4" treated ply. 4'x8'	$94	2	Home Depot
Handles	$10	1	Amazon
E Track	$57	1	Amazon
24" Locking Slides	$40	1	Amazon
48" hinges (cut in half)	$11	1	Home Depot
Felt (I don't recommend)	$40	1	Amazon
36" length 1/2" steel rod	$9	1	Home Depot
Rubber Mat	$8	2	Home Depot
Turnbuckles	$15	1	Amazon
Wood - 3/4"x10" common board, 12'	$22	1	Home Depot
Wood - 4"x6"x8'	$25	1	Home Depot
Velcro - Heavy Duty 1.5"x10'	$25	1	Home Depot

 

[Underflow]

Impressive work! Thanks for all the details in your posts!

 

[campbebc]

Impressive work! Thanks for all the details in your posts!

Thank you, hoping I can help someone else out if they're interested in doing something similar

 

[codydb19]

Man went all out on the pocket holes!

But jokes aside, as a weekend warrior that’s built several pieces of the furniture in my house, for this being your first project this actually looks really good and functional.

 

[campbebc]

Man went all out on the pocket holes!

But jokes aside, as a weekend warrior that’s built several pieces of the furniture in my house, for this being your first project this actually looks really good and functional.

Didn't want to run the risk of drilling down and missing the mark and botching the whole thing . Thanks for the kind words

 

[Jabberwock]

Looks great! Lots of great ideas. Thanks for posting and for the mention. Happy to hear I'm inspiring others to make their own platforms and hopefully my build was helpful to you in some way.

 

[campbebc]

Looks great! Lots of great ideas. Thanks for posting and for the mention. Happy to hear I'm inspiring others to make their own platforms and hopefully my build was helpful to you in some way.

Your post was what inspired me to actually do it! I'm also thinking of buying that exact same camp mattress that you listed as our REI Camp Dreamer is a bit too wide to fit inside the Bronco. Thanks again

 

[dangerfoot]

Fantastic work! Really nice job. Mind sharing the rear window light you have?

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