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Where do ya put yer stuff?

chucknewell

NAXJA Forum User
Location
So. Cal.
I just bought a 1998 XJ and one of the first things I noticed is it is really lacking in storage nooks and crannies. No map pockets in the doors. No pockets behind the front seats. No cubby holes to toss sh*t in anywhere! But I still love it!;)
 
you didn't look hard enough!

Chuck,

Under the front seats provide good storage, and under the rear seat cushion is a great place to store tow straps, fire extinguisher, 4-way lug wrench, bottle jack, first aid kit, and maybee a few assorted tools. (yes, its all under there!) Don't give up hope! There's room to stash!:D
 
I know what you mean... I love my 98 way more then the 86 with the 2.8 that I had... but the 86 had map pockets on the doors!!!!! So finally I decided that enough is enough (btw, seems that DCX reintroduced the map pockets back the next year or the year after that) and I decided to do something about it. So... what I did is go to a boneyard and scope out what some passenger vehicles have for map pockets. I have found some (Honda's, Volvo's, Yota's, Saab's, Chevy's and more). After looking at dozens of them, I have found two different Hondas (some version of older Civic IIRC) that had two matching map pocket thingies that were screw on into the door panel. So... I have removed them and I painted them with duplicolor bedliner black paint (regular paint was rubbing off too fast) and screwed them onto my door panels and now I got map pockets on both sides :D

Also, I have picked up some seat covers from Kragen (the canvas ones, ran about $29.99 each) with WHOLE BUNCH of pockets all over them, and I also removed that plastic moulding on the sides of the seats so that I got more space between the seat and the door (the seat cover covered up the unfinished parts of the seats that were previously hidden by the plastic)
 
I dunno, you can put a lot of junk under your back seat...
Spares.jpg

... ;)

Jes
 
throttle jockey? ;)

-Scott
 
Found a big hub cap, had a brain storm. Jumper cables, road flares, tow straps and other assorted junk, inside the spare, held in place by a full rim hub cap.
 
I don't have any pictures, but I've managed to fit quite a bit in the back with little everyday-usable cargo room lost. That is, I have the same surface area availble - it's just not as high. If you carry lots of long stuff this wouldn't help much... but... I laid the spare flat, on the passenger side and built a very simple hinged wooden platform to set on top of it. my toolbox sits on top of that, against the back of the seat, bungied tight. The platform has a hinge that lets me get into the inside of the tire easily - where I have tow straps, fire extinguiser and some other things... beside that is my sub box with the amp attached the back of it - all wedged and bungied in place. The only real horizontal space I lost was the tool box, since I can put things on top of everything else. I'll get some pictures sometime. It works better than it sounds - for me anyway. Nothing moves around on the road - even over big bumps and sharp corners and anything else within reason I could put it though. Probably not safe for a rollover though... I've yet to test it offroad however...

I believe late model Limited's had map pockets in the doors - so look for those in the boneyard. I know that some 97+ had map pockets because I have seen them...
 
I built a shelf that covers the back area 5-6" high. Socket set, Tow Ropes, Bungee Cords, Emergency pack, Jumper Cables, extra fluids, CB radio when not in use, CB anntenna and some other stuff fit under the shelf. It extends from the hatch to 6-8" short of the seat where I have my subs. Next to the subs sits my air compressor. Tool bag sits where the spare tire used too.

Under the rear seat on the drivers side I have my amp. Pass. side I keep some spare fluid, bottle jack, and a army shovel.
 
Not only the older limited have map pockets on the doors, but the limiteds had leather seats with map pockets on the back of the seats.. The laredos had optional map pockets on the doors the first year of the laredo model, and then they became standard equiptment on the laredo and the limited.. Just a little tid bit I found out by asking a Jeep tech at the dealership one time..

Also.. You can make a very nice box for the rear of your jeep, with a sheet of plywood, 1 2x4 and about $10 of screws and carpet.. I haven't done this yet, but a friend of mine has, and it looked like it was the floor, until he opened the hatch and then you could tell it was a box with a sliding drawer.. Kinda like the ones you see for CJ's and YJ's..

Also as far as other storage, you can use a overhead center console from the limited's .. It doesn't hold that much, but is very easy to install on any cherokee, and are usually semi cheap in junkyards.. I paid $19 for one around here.. But of course, you're not going to get the thermometer or the compass to work.. But it does come in handy for sunglasses and other things like registration and such..

Just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in..

Bill

:)
 
feb24_01a.jpg


Storage box is high enough to store quite a bit of junk inside yet I can still store heavy items on top of it. The next version of the box will have a pullout drawer on the rear so I can get into the box when gear is on top; will also have a taller box in the space where the spare tire used to be.
 
Thanks!

Lots of good ideas here. I'll have to try to find a bone yard around here that I can look through. All places I've been here won't let you "wander".
 
I too use the space under the back seat, spare H4's, breaker bar, assorted key wrench, shovel, axe....on and on...

Since I'm not a proponent of roof top tire carriers or bumper tire carriers, I secure my spare in the cargo area with a cargo net to keep it in place. I have found that I can stash all kinds of stuff through the center hole of the spare tire...rags, work gloves, WD 40, bungee cords, some assorte rope, etc.

Where the spare use to mount on the side, I found that couldn't mount my wheel well mounted subwoofer now that the spare is on the floor (not enough cable length). So I cut a similar sized cirlce out of masonite with an appropriate sized hole so the spare mounting rod could poke through, and then mounted the subwoofer in the upright spare location, only without the spare. This setup created a spool of sorts, and that's where I keep my pull strap secured. I've seen folks mount garden hose hanger there to keep pull straps there also...

Ivan
 
Ammo boxes dude. Get the bigger ones and tie them down in the corners or on a roof rack. Not only do they work well but when I pop the back people think I am a badass(not far from the truth I must say). I'm thinking of replaceing my center console storage thingamagig with one too just cause it's so groovy.
 
98526419dijsEm_ph.jpg


I do not believe in having anything able to move in the case of sudden movement of the jeep or roll over. This cargo area cover holds down the 33x12.5 spare tire and still has room for a slide out tool box that has tow straps, lights, gloves, spare parts, oil, etc. I put rings on top of the cover and use bungies to hold down light items like lunch, jackets, and duffle bags. I use a ratchet strap to hold my tool box down to the cover and the old spare tire mount so that it is very secure. I also have a full size fire axe behind the spare tire, below the cover and under the rear seat I have plenty of room for bottle jack, gloves, jumper cables, chain, small tow strap and small spare parts. My hi lift and full size shovel are mounted to the rack on top of the truck.

Michael
 
I have my fire extinguisher in a mount that came with it. It's out of the way on the side. I also have my flash light in a simular mount. For the rest of the stuff I took my back seat out and removed all of the cushion from the top part of the seat. I them put a board across the bulk head and I can store a lot of stuff in there. I know this isn't good for every one but the only people that ride in my XJ is me and my dog.
 
For you guys, storing heavy stuff under the rear seat. I got an extra seat belt from the bone yard, and use it to strap the seat down in case of roll over. It also acts as a hold on strap for my kids.

My XJ's a beater, but I removed the plastic molding in the back, and stuff tons of fluids, hoses, yokes, and other parts inside the rear fenders.
 
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