Designed my own low profile cargo box (for complete lay flat mattress)

[ejaffe]

Love the box. I was looking for something similar for more storage. If you ever decide to make these, keep my name. SS is really nice but I would think aluminum would work just as well.

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[Joemama]

Hey all,

So I wanted something to fill that 4 in gap between the back seats being down and the cargo area, so that I could lay a mattress flat with no issues. I ended up designing and prototyping a low profile cargo box that works really well.

And it let me lay a double mattress down across with no drop off. Steel hinges and a lock are on the way!

It nicely fit a table, stove, cooking stuff, 2 chairs and a blanket with room

how tall is the box? when i measure, the gap from the seat to the bottom of the cargo area is less than 4". asking for a friend

 

[Headsong]

Yeah, it's not quite 4. And then factor in the lid. I'm almost done with mine out of wood. Found long m8 bolts that will go thru to the anchors, making tie downs still available. Biggest surprise is having to box around the driver's side of rear tailgate where door mechanism is. You don't notice until you cost it! Lol

Looking back, I see the Op just shorted his box. I wanted max size.

 

[Joemama]

Yeah, it's not quite 4. And then factor in the lid. I'm almost done with mine out of wood. Found long m8 bolts that will go thru to the anchors, making tie downs still available. Biggest surprise is having to box around the driver's side of rear tailgate where door mechanism is. You don't notice until you cost it! Lol

Looking back, I see the Op just shorted his box. I wanted max size.

How tall did u make yours? Can u send pics of progress or when u are done. Thanks

 

[Headsong]

How tall did u make yours? Can u send pics of progress or when u are done. Thanks

3.5 all scrap wood. Next is varnish to waterproof. I beveled the front piece so the top will lay flat. And the tiedowns will sit on top of the corner pieces and screw all the way into the fittings.

 

[CowboyKid]

And it let me lay a double mattress down across with no drop off. Steel hinges and a lock are on the way!

Nice work, and interesting. I have a top Yakima box I generally use when camping, but it would be nice to have a place inside to put the stuff for shorter, lighter trips and avoid the hassles of the top box. I thought of the Yak box as generally pretty secure, but my nephew had his entire box sawed off and stolen off his rig, with everything in it, when he parked in San Francisco for the day on a cross-country climbing trip. Not sure your box is necessarily a cure for theft, but maybe less obvious if a mat is thrown over it.

Better throw a set of leather gloves in back and stash a first aid kit in the box. The edges look like finger slicers!

Security from movement and theft would be improved if you could add 4 anchor points for tying the box down to the cargo hooks, as well as the lock for the lid.

Agree with others that an interior hinge would be preferable to avoid damage to stuff put on top (e.g., mattress, esp. an air mattress), and some foam, PPF, or similar protective layer on the box where it meets the plastic wall interfaces and tailgate would help avoid contact damage to the cargo surround.

Even with interior bracing I would be concerned that the steel would deform if you are not very careful about where to put your weight, or the dog (my lab is 85#). What is your experience with that? What gauge steel did you use?

Does it rattle while driving?

To access the trunk well, it looks like you will need to lift the box and the mat up? Still, that is better than taking out a box with a bottom to get to it.

 

[Headsong]

How tall did u make yours? Can u send pics of progress or when u are done. Thanks

IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!!
Thanks to inspiration from another thread, I pulled the heavy cargo mat out entirely....and discovered two things:
1. And this is the deal breaker, there is moisture under the mat on the whole floor!!!!! Just like our truck bed mats we used until we discovered that....so that is going away for real.
2. Too late for me since I'm not re-cutting wood, but if you don't want to use it on top, which doesn't seem to make sense to me, you gain that extra 1/2" of height, so you can go the full 4" and have a smidge more room for stuff.
I'm going to cut out the panel that hides the tools so I still have a flat surface all along....and the boards all level out much more nicely with just the metal floor.

 

[BostonSasquatch]

I'll go across so I can put rifles in there....trying to map it in my head....was going to leave the back end open, but then realize I'll want to lock it.

It's been a long time since I've seen a gun rack in the back window of a pickup truck. What if somebody came up with a strong, secure, and lockable gunrack for the Bronco? That would sure rack the brains of the anti-gun folks!

My suggestion to prevent buckling would be a few wood blocks to line up the interior center of the box. And I'd go for a simple floor cut-out for access to the OEM storage compartments.

This could be a nice side hustle for you, especially if you configure it for the two-door crowd. If you set up a production list, please! add my name. I'm a 4-door Badlands guy.

 

[Headsong]

It's been a long time since I've seen a gun rack in the back window of a pickup truck. What if somebody came up with a strong, secure, and lockable gunrack for the Bronco? That would sure rack the brains of the anti-gun folks!

My suggestion to prevent buckling would be a few wood blocks to line up the interior center of the box. And I'd go for a simple floor cut-out for access to the OEM storage compartments.

This could be a nice side hustle for you, especially if you configure it for the two-door crowd. If you set up a production list, please! add my name. I'm a 4-door Badlands guy.

Rifles won't fit. Need 48",only can get 41 or so on an angle....

 

[BostonSasquatch]

Point well taken, Headsong.

Orion447, some thoughts. Give careful attention to the last. My thinking on that home-configured storage box:

1) cut out panels on the bottom of the box to allow the Bronco's built-in storage lids to be opened.
2) bolt the box to the flooring. When it is opened, they can be unscrewed for removal.
3) install a piano hinge on the back (adjacent to the seats). Stronger than what we see in the images.
4) install a good, built-in lock on the front--something stronger than a hasp and padlock, which can be pried off with a screwdriver
5) Figure out some sort of bracing or pillar so the top doesn't bow or collapse in, but allows a rifle to be laid in on the diagonal.
6) Consider partitions that could be bought as accessories/options in various configurations.
7) A mat for the interior floor and carpet or mat for the top cold be additional accessories for sale.

Now that would be some storage box, and could accommodate some rifles.

8) Chart out your design, and look through the sponsors for somebody who would like to produce and market it. Then sit back and enjoy your royalties!

 

[Headsong]

Point well taken, Headsong.

Orion447, some thoughts. Give careful attention to the last. My thinking on that home-configured storage box:

1) cut out panels on the bottom of the box to allow the Bronco's built-in storage lids to be opened.
2) bolt the box to the flooring. When it is opened, they can be unscrewed for removal.
3) install a piano hinge on the back (adjacent to the seats). Stronger than what we see in the images.
4) install a good, built-in lock on the front--something stronger than a hasp and padlock, which can be pried off with a screwdriver
5) Figure out some sort of bracing or pillar so the top doesn't bow or collapse in, but allows a rifle to be laid in on the diagonal.
6) Consider partitions that could be bought as accessories/options in various configurations.
7) A mat for the interior floor and carpet or mat for the top cold be additional accessories for sale.

Now that would be some storage box, and could accommodate some rifles.

8) Chart out your design, and look through the sponsors for somebody who would like to produce and market it. Then sit back and enjoy your royalties!

Working on most of that. 1 is done... Pulled mat out. 2. Done. 4"bolts. 3. Considering that... 4. Hmmm, gotta think about that. The fact that it's hidden and blocked in by the tailgate... 5. Yeah, ready for that. 6.100%! 7. Yep. Can't figure a way for rifles.... 8. It's not something that no one else could do. But I'll cash your check.

 

[BostonSasquatch]

My remarks were directed at Orion, but they seem to have applicability to yo

Working on most of that. 1 is done... Pulled mat out. 2. Done. 4"bolts. 3. Considering that... 4. Hmmm, gotta think about that. The fact that it's hidden and blocked in by the tailgate... 5. Yeah, ready for that. 6.100%! 7. Yep. Can't figure a way for rifles.... 8. It's not something that no one else could do. But I'll cash your check.

My remarks were direct to Orion447, but they're applicability to you, too. Depending on your non-Bronco lives (jobs, families, silly stuff like that), and recognizing you're 1500 miles apart, you two should put your heads together. The market is ripe for clever accessories, and this is very clever. Once you have a few prototypes and working plans (bona fide manufacturers would make their adjustments) you can come up with things like tool pouches, fit-to-Bronco sleep pads and mattresses, all sorts of things come to mind.
You--and Orion447--make a note of my user name, and if you come up with more (I'm especially interested in the steel one) get back to me...please?

 

[tourproto]

Nice workmanship!

 

[rlsoriano]

I already count 8 people interested in ordering

 

[Mike5681]

Make that 9 interested

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