Rear cargo boxes

Lets see what you all have. I'd like to build one, and I'm tossing around a few ideas (drawer vs. piano hinge'd lid, size, etc). I'd like to get something back there so I can keep all my junk back there and not have it look like...well...junk. Also not keen on getting a reciever hitch in the back of the head in an accident...

Here are a couple of threads...

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=54956&page=3&pp=15&highlight=cargo+box

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=53342&highlight=cargo+box


If you search, you'll probably find a few more.

I love mine. I might still have the dimensions somewhere, but I know it was 43" wide and 7.5" high. If I had to do it again I'd make it about an inch higher. I have a hinge in the middle so I can lift it up and easily reach stuff inside. On one trip I got stuck and the rear end was pretty deep in mud. I didn't want to walk through mud to get my tow strap and open the hatch. I was able to get into the back seat, open up the hatch on my box and get the strap since it opens up that way.
I liked having the end open so that if I do have stuff packed on top, I can reach in still and pull out whatever I need without having to move anything on top.
I stapled a rubber matting on the top to protect the wood some as well as making it easy to wipe off mud and water.
I have latches on the sides so when I go wheeling, I stick a bolt or anything in the latches and it locks them down, so stuff doesn't go flying around. It's strong to support all of my stuff when I pack my XJ to the top with gear.

For securing it, use the 4 metal rings on the floor and put a bolt through the rings and through the side panels. If you ever need to remove the box for cleaning or whatever, take out the bolts and out comes the box.
Here's what I keep inside:

Two jackstands
4 ton jack
120 piece socket set
grease gun
battery charger
all recovery gear (snatch block, 2 straps)
basic hand tools (screwdrivers, knives etc)
18V drill and bits
angle grinder
gloves
spotlights
cords cables, torque wrench and other stuff


I have since added a panel on the open end that is removeable. When I went wheeling, stuff could slide around and when I opened the hatch it fell out. I put two double threaded screws on each side and put a board that slides over the screws. A few wingnuts and it's secured on there. If I need to get in there, it takes about 10 seconds to undo the wingnuts and come off. With the board on there it's a fully enclosed box. I can take more pics if you'd like to see what I'm talking about.

Chris

I think the main thing to think about is: can i access it several differnt ways? Is it easy to get to stuff in the back as well as the front?

Yeah, that addresses two of my major concerns...cargo access with things piled on top, and mounting. Never even thought of using a bolt through the cargo points. To the drawing board!

The top panel opening would be VERY handy if you didn't have anything on top, much easier to get stuff.

XJourney and Lesslimited have some nice boxes, if they don't post up, try a search on their username

GI-John said:

XJourney and Lesslimited have some nice boxes...

Click to expand...

Quoted for posterity

ROFLMAO!

JeffsJeep04 said:

Quoted for posterity

ROFLMAO!

Click to expand...

How did I know someone would take that out of context




Bylaw 200.18.6

Junior members cannot quote senior members in a derogatory way.

Punishment for said offense is thirty eight Hail Marys and recieve a flogging with an XJ engine wiring harness. :wierd:

GI-John said:

Punishment for said offense is thirty eight Hail Marys and recieve a flogging with an XJ engine wiring harness. :wierd:

Click to expand...

Renix, with the throttle body and fuel rail still attached.

Awright - bring them here. I've got a couple complete RENIX wiring harnesses, a spare fuel rail, a throttle body - and some other assorted parts that are still loose...

I've also got a fairly mean swing - when my ribs aren't playing up (should only be another month or so...)

I've been thinking of something like this - but I'd have to "waterproof" the wood as well, just to be sure. That, and add some jerrycan bases and a base for my water jug, so they don't all rattle around (and the cooler, and the sub tube, and the road kit, and ...)

5-90

Still working well after a few years. It's got latches and drawer pulls now too. It's bolted to my cage now and attached through the wheel wells also.

http://www.tcinternet.net/users/jkorda/jeep/mods/box.html

It may be useless information, but I've been designing one on AutoCAD and my father will be helping me build it (he's a carpenter). I'm going for more of the flase floor look instead of the box, I've also incorporated hinges for the top and drawers. My thinking was that if you ever got stuck and the rear hatch wouldn't open and all you had were the drawers, you'd be SOL. I was also thinking about mounting a spare on top of it, any ideas on that?

not really a caro box

but inline with the same principle of keeping $hit put where it belongs instead of hitting you in the back of the head or worse yet knocking out your rear window when your rig flops onto its side (ie: 100lb tool boxes are not held in place by 1" ratchet straps and bungee cords during a roll-over..

this Olympic product inspired my use for the Conn-ferr porthole roof rack sitting in my storage building, i used half of the rack cut-down to squeeze in between the cargo area wall just below the windows and then used some 2.5" self tapping screws through the rack through the plastic wall into the sheet metal, its just high enough above the floor that my large toolbox is a snug fit. it and all other tools spare parts (ie: heavy crap that could knock you out) are trapped in the cargo area until i decide to let them out..

GI-John said:

Bylaw 200.18.6

Junior members cannot quote senior members in a derogatory way.

Punishment for said offense is thirty eight Hail Marys and recieve a flogging with an XJ engine wiring harness. :wierd:

Click to expand...

I'm just here to help out the future generations...please don't whip me with a wiring harness!

ECKSJAY said:

Renix, with the throttle body and fuel rail still attached.

Click to expand...

Yikes! Perhaps a bylaw against cruel and unusual punishment?