3rd Gen Cargo Shelf

[4x4mike]

As you've all seen my my cargo area is jammed full of stuff when my family goes on a trip. So much I take pictures loaded up.


This is just going to the in-laws for Thanksgiving. They asked that we bring some tables and chairs.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qDrzIgGU3jE/T80f3nXAr5I/AAAAAAAAu4I/KbOCDwxuh_4/s800/IMAG1401.jpg

Same thing but a birthday party.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2FS3E6UyFT0/UNNSxqoDMkI/AAAAAAAA0rg/lpNDpkEPTu8/s800/IMAG2158.jpg

Camping with stuff on the roof.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--ajclG2Nnf8/SsGGizsdPEI/AAAAAAABAJw/Qu3N2HSW_9I/s800/DSC_0001.JPG

Camping with a 2 month old.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vNwUQX41tX4/TGhFGf83k5I/AAAAAAAA_9c/27loJifIyT8/s800/0716001637.jpg

Home Depot trips.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Ai578C6WxDU/UlS3wlXzKTI/AAAAAAAA7bQ/XTK8ZbJSRec/s800/20130812_192025.jpg

These pictures have come in handy. I know what and where I carry stuff. How I used to carry and how I carry now. With the addition of kids the loads changed a lot and have started to mellow out. My plan is to build a shelf in the cargo area. I've always thought drawers or a sleeping platform would be cool but for everyday life they wouldn't be used or they would be in the way. The shelf wouldn't be used everyday but would work with my near everyday setup and maybe replace the sunshade.

I was talking with Sean about the shelf at Pismo and when he had the opportunity to remove his interior cladding I asked him to snap some pictures. I'll put them here for reference.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BPrh-k2WsgQ/VFxOFns_YJI/AAAAAAABBPM/juagSKq5H_w/s800/10678745_638791096240848_530585310183676670_n.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bjmVAZrIxU0/VFxOGFFyD0I/AAAAAAABBPQ/VmX9bKkR_kk/s800/10612714_638791216240836_8973807012772009359_n.jpg

[4x4mike]

For the most part our excursions take an ice chest, our kitchen box and food boxes. These all fit together and create a platform I pile everything else on. I'm thinking this shelf will be about as high as that first layer of gear. It will mount on the side of the interior body and would require some small holes drilled in the plastic cladding. I've got plans for the holes as well as covering them up if need be.

The items that would go on the shelf are lighter weight goods that are usually duffel bags (X4), sleeping bags (X4), tools, blankets and maybe an extra duffel of assorted items. For the most part soft items are smashed into any crevice and when it's all said and done nothing has to be tied down. However if you want to get a beer out of the ice chest or change your underwear after Sean rolls his truck you need to remove half the gear to access what you're after.

The hopes is that an appropriate sized shelf will allow items on the bottom to be slid out to be opened or moved to get something on the bottom layer without removing the top layer. Right now I have half the material and an idea but usually I need to start building before it comes together. I've staged the bottom layer and have just eye balled stuff trying to imagine the scenarios I want and need the shelf and what would occur that would make the shelf useless and result in it staying home.

I store fishing poles and chairs up against the upright rear seats and the ice chest and boxes hold them against the seat. I'd like to still access the chairs and poles from the top so the shelf probably won't go all the way to the seats. In order to fit all of our stuff I fill the cargo area until stuff starts falling out them close the hatch and continue to stuff through the open window. As such I need to leave room near the back of the hatch to stuff the stuff I put there. The width I'm thinking will go about mid wheel well which will allow storage below and above the mounting arms.

Material will most likely be steel with a plastic shelf base. I'm thinking large cutting boards Velcro'd down but even large ones might not be large enough. We have a plastic place about a mile away so I'm going to stop in there to see what they've got. I put my front bike wheel on top of the sun shade currently but it makes a mess when it's wet or muddy. Opening the hatch with a bike in the rack and rolling down the window is a bit of a pain to do everyday so I go through the back doors. Having plastic will be a bit nicer than expanded steel but that's a decision to make down the road. Of course there will be LED under lighting and the metal will be painted hammer black but the rest is just brain storming.

Is there anything I should consider you think I may be leaving out? Something I should integrate?

[Seanz0rz]

Hopefully I have more time to post up later, probably already late leaving for work at this point...

Look into installing rivnuts or PEM nuts into the sheetmetal. You can then take some careful measurements of what length standoffs you need to clear the plastic. I'll draw something up on my break at work.

I've had this idea kicking around in my head since before Pismo. My sleeping platform is somewhat awkward, lacks tie down points, etc. I was looking into building a new platform from steel that would bolt in (no more hooks and turn buckles). Never got a chance to draw it up since I decided to go belly up, but it will be in my 4Runner V2.0.

I think the biggest thing to me is tie downs. After rolling and having everything fly everywhere (it was just a backpack, junk drawer bag, and some other odds and ends that weren't secure) it's apparent to me that every thing needs a tie down. The lighter stuff can get elastic nets or bungees. Heavy stuff needs ratchet or at least cam straps.

[4x4mike]

I'm a big fan of the factory tie downs and use them a lot. Most of what gets crammed in the cargo area is light stuff and a cargo net does good to hold that down. While I haven't rolled I'd had great results with cam straps and a Yakima bungee net. Another feature I'm going to incorporate into the shelf is a passenger cargo net of sorts. Something to keep things from sliding forward onto the kids. So far other than space this has been my biggest issue. I try to put the sleeping bags in the front so if anything would fall forward it would be those.

I don't want a huge or vision hampering net but probably some shock cord strung through strategic points that are enough to create a fence of sorts. I did have a PVC mock up of a fence this summer and it utilized the head rests. I liked it but never executed it, now the design has changed.

These guys have done some cargo organizing that have gotten my gears turning.

This one is nice but I don't have that much room to give up. Mine will still take up room but this is a bit big. I think it's a HF ATV cargo rack he made some legs for. I want to mount to the sides as I use the tops of the wheel wells for storage. Similar to my roof rack I don't think I need something deep like this tray. More of just the shelf with some footman loops for strapping if need be.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8u3243a7J_s/VFzerMr1KbI/AAAAAAABBQI/LYpokuGyYik/s800/IMAG1547_zpspqaiozue.jpg

This one is more of another example than something I would do. I definitely don't have room for something like this but I do like the locking shelf. I was thinking about building a thin locking drawer into the shelf but what I'll probably end up doing is making a mount for a Nano Vault 100 or 200.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MfyCBkLR5pY/VFzerKC4MGI/AAAAAAABBQQ/AHVQCiWNolk/s800/IMG_0128.JPG

[4x4mike]

Sean, I was thinking about Rivnuts with a stud/standoff. I don't know what the distance between the plastic and sheetmetal is but I don't want to compress it. With a stud I could put a nut on the stud if need be, at plastic level, and have a solid point. Now I just need to figure out if my feet will have one mounting hole or two.

[Kryptoroxx]

I can't claim credit for the idea but Dirtco did an idea similar to the other two but his is removable (which is why I like it so much). Here's a link to the thread.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/105609-1st-gen-rollbar-install-guide-request.html

I am in the process of slowly building towards that (one of the reasons for the welder and stuff). So far so good. Only small difficulty I had was welding the chromo since my experience in welding could be counted on your hands. I got it done though and I guess that's something lol.

Here's a pic of mine installed. With the spacer it really puts it up against the sides of the truck nicely.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/07/6046d18241567c1583dc60ac648842e0.jpg

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/07/4cd8089e9effb25b687d1efa0941b5fe.jpg

[4x4mike]

I've got a co-worker that has been trying to sell me his 1st gen roll bar for cheap.

I fired up the Amazon Prime a few weeks ago and some parts have come in, none ended up being Prime shipping. Just little tabs and some straps but I'm still trying to figure it out. I've got too many ideas in my head and now that I've seen more builds I'm coasting a bit at the moment.

[DHC6twinotter]

Could you use the existing tie down hook mounts to bolt the legs of a shelf system to? The legs closest to the hatch would probably block some space, but it might be an option.

I've been pretty happy with my drawer setup that I have, but I do wish I could have built it out of aluminum. I also wish I would have built longer drawers instead of the small cubbies at the front. One giant slide out drawer would be even better, but then I have no center support for the platform, which I think is needed for a wooden platform.

[4x4mike]

Dan,
I use the front tie down hooks to hold the rear anchors for the car seat. The rear ones would probably take up space like you mentioned but may be an option. After messing around this weekend I took some pictures and some measurements.
Here is our larger ice chest (by about an inch in all dimensions), our kitchen box and food boxes.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eMuP_e0Kn_Y/VF7y16Zr7fI/AAAAAAABBQk/_N4aqn6AdNA/s800/20141108_093126.jpg

It looks like I'm going to have to tie into the side near the window sill or go from the floor. The rear tie downs are used for the car seats,as mentioned, although slowly being phased out by booster seats. That area is also where I store the camp chairs and I need every inch from wheel well to wheel well.

I scrounged up a 20% HF coupon and headed over there on Friday since I only worked a few hours. I bought the hitch basket in the above pictures. Of course it wasn't exactly as I needed, even though I don't know that yet, so I had to cut, weld and grind. I cut the top piece off so it's just a shelf with no depth. I didn't need the 2" receiver part so instead of bolting it together I welded the left and right pieces to together. Now that Dan brought up the tie down mounts I'm wondering. Tying into the side will be nice but a lot of work. I'd have to remove the plastic, weld, cut, etc so we'll see. I could use the metal I cut off the rack to make feet to the sides or the floor.

I did source some knobs online and at a local shop so if I tie into the side I'll have to consider studs or screws, both of which I found knobs for. The knobs are cool but not necessary and eliminate a bit of security which I was sort of considering.

[Kryptoroxx]

Looks like we are headed down the same path in a way. I am planning my shelf to be right at the top of the seats. I think I will have to modify or eliminate the side railing sadly. The width of the railing is just a hair too wide but hopefully I can rig something up so I can do all the fitting outside the 4runner. I have found working with the partial shelf inside the cab is rather difficult.

I am looking forward to how you fit everything. A shelf supported by the sides would be a first and pretty cool looking imo.

[Seanz0rz]

I am aiming for top of the wheel wells, just like my sleeping platform. I can store all if my tools plus most of my food and camp stuff under there. Ice chest goes on top.

[4x4mike]

It would be nice if the wheel wells were symmetric, blasted filler neck bump. I do like to sleep in the 4Runner when I'm able. A wheel well level shelf won't make that possible. Higher will actually be nice since I can sleep under it and leave stuff on top. One down side to sleeping inside is finding somewhere to put all the interior cargo, especially in bear country or in wet weather. I have to stuff things under the vehicle, on the front seats and fill up the dash. With the kids in their current size I could probably sleep one on the shelf like a bunk bed.

I also use the heck out of my side pocket storage area. My version uses the larger door and I have that thing stuffed with everyday stuff I always want to have with me. Back in the day I imagined making a box on the passenger side wheel well that expanded the cargo pocket. It would also allow me to store stuff in a box instead of having a loose duffle bag. It would also allow things to be stacked on top and in front of the door yest still retain access.

[Kryptoroxx]

It would be nice if the wheel wells were symmetric, blasted filler neck bump. I do like to sleep in the 4Runner when I'm able. A wheel well level shelf won't make that possible. Higher will actually be nice since I can sleep under it and leave stuff on top. One down side to sleeping inside is finding somewhere to put all the interior cargo, especially in bear country or in wet weather. I have to stuff things under the vehicle, on the front seats and fill up the dash. With the kids in their current size I could probably sleep one on the shelf like a bunk bed.

I also use the heck out of my side pocket storage area. My version uses the larger door and I have that thing stuffed with everyday stuff I always want to have with me. Back in the day I imagined making a box on the passenger side wheel well that expanded the cargo pocket. It would also allow me to store stuff in a box instead of having a loose duffle bag. It would also allow things to be stacked on top and in front of the door yest still retain access.
You could look at one of those tents designed to connect to the 4runner although that would kind of negate the bear country idea.

Haven't decided where I will sleep although I have slept out in all kinds of weather before. Sleeping inside would be nice but I would be just as comfy on a cot or in a hammock.

[04 Rocko Taco]

Just tossing it out there, what about an overhead shelf?

A lot of FZJ80 overland type guys do an overhead Cargo shelf in the rear.
I know the area is bigger in an 80 series than a 3rd gen, but the concept could be the same.

This is the best picture I could find in a quick search over on Mud, but the one I was thinking of is wire, not a strappy one.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/attachments/cargo-net-rear-jpg.797622/

Also, could you benefit from something like this for the kids?
http://forum.ih8mud.com/attachments/p1010532-jpg.651100/

[Seanz0rz]

I like that! It helps to have the upper mounts for the jump seats to mount stuff to.

[04 Rocko Taco]

In an 80 there are no upper mounts for the jump seats. Only mounting point is on the wheel humps.

[Kryptoroxx]

That cargo net looks to be attached to the oh shit handles in the back. What might be interesting is if one did a removal of the niceties like plastic and headliner in the cargo area to make a compartment with nets and the like. I bet you could really organize stuff in there.

[04 Rocko Taco]

That cargo net looks to be attached to the oh shit handles in the back. What might be interesting is if one did a removal of the niceties like plastic and headliner in the cargo area to make a compartment with nets and the like. I bet you could really organize stuff in there.

Most of the 80 series guys I have seen have made a wire shelf (a lot like the seat blocker I posted) and have used the grab handles mounting location and hardware to mount it. Doesnt make for a ton of room, but gives you 6-10" high shelf the entire area of the cargo area. That coupled with a rack at the front to keep things from sliding forward, I think you could really get some use out of it.

[4x4mike]

Chris, the 80's have a much taller ceiling to allow for storage up there. When my cargo area is about 50% full I close the hatch and have to stuff through the rear window. The smaller opening would make ceiling storage a little difficult.

I saw that cargo fence when I was thinking I was going to take the entire family on the Mojave Road. The area around the seats isn't too big and the head rests hold back stuff. Stuff as in the lighter stuff I put on top of the heavier stuff. A metal fence is a bit over kill and I hate removing and messing with plastic interior pieces so I'm going to go another route.

I got some head scratching done today and a little work. I'm pretty sure I'm going to drill into the side plastic and mount from there. I'd like the shelf to be adjustable because I carry different things. If in the future I'm always at one setting I'll make legs that height and use the adjustable ones when I need them.

I'm still waiting on some parts and there are a lot of little items here and there that will take some time. Such as wiring for some under shelf LEDs, maybe a pull out work surface from the shelf, tie down loops and paint.

[Kryptoroxx]

Chris, the 80's have a much taller ceiling to allow for storage up there. When my cargo area is about 50% full I close the hatch and have to stuff through the rear window. The smaller opening would make ceiling storage a little difficult.

I saw that cargo fence when I was thinking I was going to take the entire family on the Mojave Road. The area around the seats isn't too big and the head rests hold back stuff. Stuff as in the lighter stuff I put on top of the heavier stuff. A metal fence is a bit over kill and I hate removing and messing with plastic interior pieces so I'm going to go another route.

I got some head scratching done today and a little work. I'm pretty sure I'm going to drill into the side plastic and mount from there. I'd like the shelf to be adjustable because I carry different things. If in the future I'm always at one setting I'll make legs that height and use the adjustable ones when I need them.

I'm still waiting on some parts and there are a lot of little items here and there that will take some time. Such as wiring for some under shelf LEDs, maybe a pull out work surface from the shelf, tie down loops and paint.
I like the led idea a lot but if you're going to be stuffing cargo in there the mount is going to have to be flush....or very durable.

On both sides of the vehicle the metal is about an inch past the plastic. I replaced my sides a time back because the others were pretty busted up. You could weld a bent piece of plate to the side and then angle it out. The only part that would be difficult is guessing where exactly the slit would be need to be made in the plastic. If I am not mistaken the metal is thick enough to weld. Sean would be a better judge though.

[Seanz0rz]

That sheet metal is pretty thin to weld to. If you do weld, plug weld to a thicker piece so you are less likely to blow through the thin body.

[4x4mike]

There will be no welding to the body. Yes the sheet metal is thin and set back from the plastic to accommodate the plastic fasteners. My load will be strictly vertical so I will use a stud then mount an arm to that stud in double shear. The shelf will then mount to the arm.

In messing around I found the plastic will also support some of the vertical load of the studs.

[paddlenbike]

The sheetmetal under there will support a vertical load fine. I've been planning to mount some logistical track in that location to give me more tie down locations and the sheetmetal is only supportive enough for a lateral load for the first 12" or so behind the factory cargo shade bracket. Much beyond that and the voids where the storage pocket is located result in the sheetmetal being unsupported. I may still throw some track in there but ultimately I think I have decided that some track mounted to the floor (with an additional steel strengthening plate underneath) and more on top of the wheel wells will provide the most secure locations for tie down points.

[4x4mike]

So I got some time to pull panels. As I mentioned above I’m not a panel guy so I if I saw something that was going to work I was going to go for it in hopes to not go full agro and end up pulling them out for good. I had some good pictures from Sean and Ken but for the most part knew there was some flat sheet metal back there and all I needed was a little spot.

Rewind a bit to the shelf itself. It’s narrower than the cargo area, between the plastic just below window height, so I needed something to take up that space. At small ice chest height there were about three fingers worth of space, 1.5 fingers on each side. This photo shows the 3 finger space and a bulging cargo area, more on that later.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CJF_PqN0m_0/VGFhQy-LpQI/AAAAAAABBSQ/tzZx9OmwBTw/s800/20141110_170033.jpg

On the subject of the small ice chest, I also own a bigger one. I also sometimes need to carry a larger folding table which is 6+” tall. Folded it takes up the floor space between the wheel wells and almost from the seats to the hatch. As such I was beginning to realize the shelf would need to be built for a certain gear load out and to stick to that or it would need to be adjustable. Since the load is forever changing I figured I needed some adjustability. Cool.

So now along with adjustable I had to figure out how to take up that three finger space (I know it’s all dudes here but let’s keep it clean). I contemplated just taking the easy way out and mounting legs on to the top of the wheel wells but that’s a lot of valuable space (I can fit all of our sleeping bags and at least one of the kids duffels on the WW’s). Plus those WW’s are anything but flat and symmetrical.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lbXhxZft-O0/VGKsXhMSF5I/AAAAAAABBTA/_kSYZClD_Uk/s800/20141111_093111.jpg

Then I thought about something that would mount to the side of the WW. The legs would have to be thin because the gear and boxes use all that space. Having a thin arm would also introduce side to side slop with no room for triangulation and with nothing to tie into it would be floppy.

Sooo, I got out the masking tape, pencil and a level. I drew lines on the plastic to find a spot I could drill into and hit some metal, noting I haven’t pulled any panels yet. With some holes in sheet metal I could fasten a long bolt to the sides, poke them through the plastic then work off of them. Once I got a lowest possible line, maintaining space for legs and adjustment I pulled the panels away just a bit to see what it looked like behind there. After peeking on both sides a few times I drilled holes through the plastic and pushed enough to mark the metal. Next was pulling the plastic, such a PITA, to see what I hit.

[4x4mike]

There was no damage and I was impressed with my eye ball engineering. When I saw I didn’t hit a drain line for the sunroof or a wire harness I increased the size to 5/16” in the metal and plastic. This was all on my day off and I thought I’d have about 30 minutes to work on this since the family was home so I didn’t plan too far. Being Veteran’s Day my local ACE was closed but I tend to keep an entire assortment of nuts, bolts, washers, etc. I grabbed 4 long bolts, some Nylock nuts, small and large fender washers and attached the bolts through the sheet metal and then through the plastic, fit like a glove.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-22w4SZKcBQk/VGKsm-txOvI/AAAAAAABBTw/aMdDBC6q0-w/s800/20141111_145454.jpg

The camera angle or lens makes the front one look cockeyed. The two bolts on each side were level with a tool and the line. What really throws things off is the slope of the window sill and the inward taper of the walls in the cargo area.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ED8fI5kMQMU/VGKsoKi1laI/AAAAAAABBT4/Ae2caFTXO8w/s800/20141111_145639.jpg

Next was mounting some legs and then the shelf to the legs. I used some C-channel metal for the legs for several reasons. For one I had 1.5 fingers to take up on each side and the width of the channel was perfect. Second with two holes in the channel, in the parallel sides, the leg would slide on and not bend (it would stay perpendicular to the bolt). Third the channel would hide the nuts that hold this all together. When I figure out the other heights for the adjustable part I’ll weld the nuts in to the inside of the channel and it will all be hidden.


Now the angle and lens wants to make this one look crooked. Anyways, here is the channel just hanging for the picture. They will be shorter but I’m not sure yet by how much. When mounted they are 180* from this position and the legs are held in with more nuts. The nut is hidden from view from the hatch and with the shelf pushing/pulling on the legs the nuts hold them in place without pushing against the plastic or having to build stand offs. The long bolts hold the vertical load very well. The shelf doesn’t seem to place any side load on anything but fully loaded and bombing offroad it could, through when fully loaded and bombing there is hardly room in the 4Runner for a fart so I don’t think I’ll have a problem. If I do I’ll just start farting.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cYPamOuhjc8/VGKsqi2xB3I/AAAAAAABBUI/oQrTQXtaBAI/s800/20141111_160334.jpg

Fast forward through lunch, a bunch of measuring and drilling holes, picking out hardware and you get this.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DqyeVNAGwIE/VGKsxOwYkYI/AAAAAAABBUw/0ltwvc0V6Zw/s800/20141111_162127.jpg

Here the rack is at its lowest position and it is super solid. It’s never going to have a bunch of weight on it and it’s kind of hard to get in there to put weight on it but it doesn’t budge. Here you can see how the legs work and that they stand up. The plan is to put more holes in them for an upper setting. I’m thinking I’m going to keep it at one more setting or build another set of legs for when I use the larger ice chest and larger table as they go under the rack. Once that height is determined I’ll chop them and maybe weld the top, maybe with a threaded hole. That way I could put an eye bolt in it for a tie down or a mount for my snow shovel or fire extinguisher.

[4x4mike]

One of my original criteria was being able to still use the sunshade. I don’t have anything special in the cargo area but sometime I do and I’d like to keep it hidden from not only the sun but prying eyes. Sometimes it’s a small bag but it might be something as large as a rifle case, either way I don’t want to risk a break in. In the lowest position the shade can go over or under the shelf which is perfect.
Ugh, I have to cut down those tall legs.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FTycBAt2eIM/VGKsyc9jafI/AAAAAAABBU4/hVRZ1PWY1qI/s800/20141111_162732.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FfFaiVdBEfY/VGLxthEMzRI/AAAAAAABBVQ/EGm9jEO9Y3U/s800/20141111_213029.jpg


There is still more to do on this project. I’m thinking about putting little tie downs along the sides similar to my roof rack. It will act as tie downs but also keep smaller items from sliding around. On trips I use extra large wheel bags for bike wheels to store things in. They are light and not going to hurt anyone in a crash. They along with soft luggage will go on the shelf. They could be tied down but it’s not the plan. My LED’s are still in the mail so when those arrive I need to find a place to put those. In the meantime I’ll need to see if I want to build a work surface into the bottom of the shelf.

I’m pretty happy with the surface of the shelf as larger things than the holes will be on it. I suppose if I needed it covered I could make some wood or plastic covers. As it sits now it will hold my front bike wheel fine after my daily commute. With a solid surface the wheel would slide off.

Another item is mounts for arms that will extend forward toward the rear seats for a cargo fence type thing. The shelf is positioned in such a way I can touch the floor with the hatch closed and rear window open. This is nice because I use this space and the back window to load. The front of the cargo area behind the seats is where chairs, etc go and the shelf ends before that section so it’s still able to be loaded. Now most of the gear doesn’t have to be removed just to get the chairs which are nice for lunch stops. With a full load there is the possibility to have stuff fall forward. It’s usually the small things as the large cycling bags are usually filled with pillows and a blanket or jackets. It’s too large, light and soft to squeeze over the seat and into the cargo area but since I’m doing this I might fab up an option.

I liked Rainglers product for the 4th gens that puts a mounting spot on top of the C pillar. I ordered some footman loops from Amazon but it’s been nearly a month and I’m still waiting. Since I had the panels off I decided to do something now.

Raingler http://static.wixstatic.com/media/261533_379dab3e5da443ccb677a221483e31f2.jpg

The 3rd gens look different up there and I wasn’t sure there was enough room for a 1.5” footman anyway. Screwing in sheet metal screws that close to the drain hose was something I wanted to avoid as well. I did know I wanted the mounting point as high as possible. The lower you go the more the strap pulls on the plastic even with a side load. Here is what I have on the top of my pillar. It’s an access hole for the drain hose from my sunroof.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-j_8TYlGzeiI/VGKsi252hgI/AAAAAAABBTY/qE24ntcPUVA/s800/20141111_141416.jpg

I had wanted to do this for a while and a few months ago bought some 1” webbing key chains from Home Depot for $1. They are a couple inches long and have a carbineer on one end. For $2 I couldn’t go wrong. Rainglers kit is $18 before shipping. I have webbing but really didn’t want to have to bust out the sewing machine.

I removed the little door which has razor sharp edges. After cleaning up the blood from three of my fingers I found the best location to mount the strap was on the door itself. I used a small screw with Loctite and washers for a sturdy anchor.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RtoonR7rj50/VGKskYrXeHI/AAAAAAABBTg/sFHLxXBuO8M/s800/20141111_142633.jpg

I’m probably just going to thread some shock cord through the binders and down to some removable pieces on the front of the shelf or even the headrest posts. The headrests and roof hold a lot of my gear back but I need just a little more. Maybe one day I’ll pull out the sewing machine and make a custom webbing net but I don’t care much for that look, especially for holding back pillows and jackets.

Here is some reflective paracord through the mounts just to show where they are and how much stick out. I’ve removed the binders and the loops are hardly noticeable.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CO1Wc3VTETM/VGLys_DYjNI/AAAAAAABBVo/PiWlEQPyjVs/s800/20141111_213128.jpg

Last pics with it staged.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WilsJhpDAE0/VGKstTxbQZI/AAAAAAABBUY/OR5ZqtlurM8/s800/20141111_162101.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MwNDhaof9ZQ/VGKsupIEGZI/AAAAAAABBUg/ROQI0eYUvFA/s800/20141111_162107.jpg

[Seanz0rz]

Looks great!

[Kryptoroxx]

I really think that looks amazing!

That's a great approach to support and it is still removeable too if you need it to be. I haven't had any time hardly to even think about my shelf but you are motivating me to get outside and work it all out! I have a lot of work still to fit everything up.

[4x4mike]

As with most of my projects I was left with extra parts at the end. This is what was left over from this part of the project.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b8etizIIaEI/VGKspgM9_1I/AAAAAAABBUA/LSYj926cB3o/s800/20141111_153033.jpg

You can see where over time it's broken free from the brown plastic. About a week after buying the 4Runner I took a Dremel to the cargo pocket and cut out the ridges for extra room. I would stick 30 minute flares and other long items through the holes just to use up all the available space. After breaking things some more I tossed that M'fer and am going commando now. And it feels great.

I knew there was a lot of space in there but now it's cavernous. I pulled down a couple of my heavy duty nylon tool bags and stuffed them with what I had in the pocket and still have twice the room I had before. Of course I can leave no cranny unfilled so I plan to take some of the items I keep in the red duffle bag and put them in the pocket now. I wanted to build a side box years ago to increase the storage space in that pocket but this and shelf are way better improvements.

[paddlenbike]

I was going to ask if the truck sounded any louder without the insert there, but if you've got the cubby stuffed with stuff, probably not. When I drove around without the driver's side panel in place I was amazed how much louder the truck was inside. Of course, that side has the cabin vent.

[4x4mike]

It's cooling down here but the sun is still shining so I got to painting the shelf. The original shelf was designed to fit in a box. Second to that it was designed to be a hitch rack cargo carrier. I omitted the 2" receiver and decided to weld the two pieces together. This would keep it the width I needed (I actually lucked out on that) and welded would be better and nicer looking than bolted.

Because of the welding the factory paint/coating was removed or burned off. I used this opportunity to remove some more and weld on some tie down spots on the perimeter. Again I used nails, smaller ones than my roof rack, and tacked them on. These little nails were way harder to get prepped and held in place. As such I used more weld than I wanted which resulted in a lot of grinding. My neighbors must hate Saturday mornings when I have a project because that's when I make my noise.

Removing material to make it more pleasant to the eye started with a grinding wheel, flap disc, wire cup then Roloc. In the end it turned out nicer but damn it was a lot of work. I also grabbed some nicer hardware while out.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_rj14LhmHzk/VGoWLU2kTiI/AAAAAAABBWw/KNTElaKNHSI/s800/20141116_102952.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PLxGWeNbY-Q/VGoWKIOiAFI/AAAAAAABBWo/Ihnyfe_-ZMo/s800/20141116_102959.jpg


When I get some time I need to finish the legs. I'll probably bring down some gear from the attic and load it up in a configuration that requires the rack to be higher than it is now. I'm stare at it awhile then decide whether to make more holes in the legs or make a second set of legs. Once that is figured out I'll cap the ends of that c-channel.

[Kryptoroxx]

I like it! It definitely looks very nice and is simple too. Easy to remove and functional. Should make loading up the 4runner a lot easier or should I say getting that one thing out that you packed first easier. That's what always scares me. I try my best to compartmentalize or pack smarter on long road trips but somehow I always end up dragging half the cargo into the hotel...with the other half unpacked and then re-packed. This past trip to CO went much better than others though.

[4x4mike]

I got a chance to use the shelf this weekend on a trip to lake Tahoe then into Nevada. It rained and snowed the entire trip out so I packed some extra gear. It was nice having a separate spot for some of that gear. We didn't have an ice chest or any camping gear so there was a lot more space in the cargo area. When it's packed full it's easy to find a little cubby or spot to stuff something. When it's not so full stuff is jut kind of piled along with our other bags. I loaded up the shelf, sorry no pictures, got some props from the wife and had a good time.

Late last week I got the LEDs I ordered for the under side of the shelf. They aren't really needed but figured it's another spot to stick something so I ordered some COB strips. I'd say they are about 8" long and are the perfect width to stick under the side to side cross members of the shelf. The idea is to light the underside when the shelf is full and won't allow light from my 250+ lumen dome light to shine through.

i think I'll mount them side to side instead of front to back. I also think I'll put them farther away from the hatch as it's darker the more you go in. They have peel and stick and are already wired so it's going to be pretty easy. One bummer is that I'll have to pull the side panel again to tap into power for the lights.

[paddlenbike]

One bummer is that I'll have to pull the side panel again to tap into power for the lights.

Now that I've done it a couple of times I can have the side panels out in about 3 minutes per side. Just don't mess with the seatbelt. I pulled mine again and added some OEM tie down loops. I've always wanted some on the wheel archs to have a good securing point for my ice chest and kitchen box.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eRLneNodO4k/VHNN9WLM0II/AAAAAAAAwjk/Nj4ZUmvRsBE/s640/20141123_171314.jpg

Nice job on the shelf.

[4x4mike]

I had some time to work on the legs. I welded some nuts on the legs to make installing and setting up the shelf a little quicker. For the most part the legs will thread on like big wing nuts and the shelf bolts in with the hex screws (hex wrench needed).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BbowepvVABU/VHpyaQcTgzI/AAAAAAABBYI/TXEp8oTwQ8c/s800/20141129_145440.jpg

I also got the LED's installed. They are strip COB's from Amazon. I think they are 6000K and are marketed as DRLs for the tuner crowd. Having no desire to put these on the front of the 4Runner I stuck them to the bottom of the shelf.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ely-8l08Abk/VHpybWQepZI/AAAAAAABBYQ/l1Gh--OscDA/s800/20141129_171847.jpg

I have very bright dome lights so these aren't totally necessary but I love me some LED's. Actually if the top of the shelf is occupied these will make looking for stuff under the shelf much easier. For the time being I just wired in a 12 cigarette socket. I need to figure out a way to hide as much wire as possible yet still make it work with two different shelf heights. I'm thinking a small port in the plastic that the shelf just plugs into. A cool switch will also be in order. I'm thinking a small in line push on/off.

Here is the light .
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Yrio2cVYXO4/VHpycU5OgmI/AAAAAAABBYY/27xtQQUTIM0/s800/20141129_171855.jpg

Then with my 2 Cree dome light.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L2zgfc9hK60/VHpzXNFdxzI/AAAAAAABBYk/ZkZf1MgST_s/s800/20141129_171910.jpg

[Kryptoroxx]

Looks great! I had actually considered those lights....and I suppose I still can. How flush would you suppose they are?

The lighting makes a big difference. Looks great!

[4x4mike]

I'd say they are 1/8". Half of that being the light and half being the adhesive. Since I re-purposed a cargo basket my shelf has a ridge down the bottom. It kind of protects the lights but I'll have to remember they are there when I go sliding stuff in or when I take it out and set it on my work bench or the ground.

The ribbon lights are probably lower profile if you like the starry look and but I doubt the adhesive is as strong as this stuff.

[Kryptoroxx]

I'd say they are 1/8". Half of that being the light and half being the adhesive. Since I re-purposed a cargo basket my shelf has a ridge down the bottom. It kind of protects the lights but I'll have to remember they are there when I go sliding stuff in or when I take it out and set it on my work bench or the ground.

The ribbon lights are probably lower profile if you like the starry look and but I doubt the adhesive is as strong as this stuff.

Thanks for the info. I was going to try and avoid wires out on the shelf itself so I was going to install the lights in the ceiling and walls. Right now a lot is on hold with holiday stuff going on and my welder on raincheck from tsc :(.

[Seanz0rz]

Mike, (or anyone else) do you have the measurements from panel to panel (nearest 1/4" would be fine). Since I don't have my interior in, it is impossible to measure.

[Kryptoroxx]

Mike, (or anyone else) do you have the measurements from panel to panel (nearest 1/4" would be fine). Since I don't have my interior in, it is impossible to measure.
53 1/4" is what I came up with but I didn't have a level.

[Seanz0rz]

Thanks! I'm working on first drafts of my own platform since I don't feel up to grinding and hammering today (flu?)

[Bob98SR5]

great work, gents

[4x4mike]

Update.

Lots of use with the shelf. One thing I was worried about when starting the project was if the shelf was going to get in the way. I don't carry a lot of tall items in the back but if I have the shelf installed those items would have to be rotated to fit on or below the shelf. No big deal but not all cargo can be rotated. So far I haven't needed to remove it so I'm glad I didn't try to make it quick release and risk the chance of it being something that rattled on it's mounts or releases. I'm very happy with my clean hex head mounting.

In the beginning I left the mounting arms tall to accommodate the two different levels of packing a majority of our trips require. I was pretty set on one height but not so sure on the second level (upper). I finally took time last month to make the decision, cut, weld, paint, etc and call it good. If it wasn't/isn't going to work out I've got options or I can just omit the shelf if need be.

Second was a cargo net I showed in Kryptoroxx' post. Basic and removable.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eUT4Nl3NPg8/VVoGA-P988I/AAAAAAABEbc/SC7ZxkJIyZE/s800/20150516_153936.jpg

Here is a good picture of the back loaded up. The shelf isn't so big it takes up space or makes me reconfigure my containers. As you can see there was still stuff on the roof but it wasn't going to fit inside anyways. That's what the rack is for, to be used.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ga3l-hTlIv8/VWicHmj64kI/AAAAAAABFKc/U0LumL_HW5s/s800/20150522_133944.jpg

One of my main wants was to be able to remove the ice chest without taking half the gear out. Sometimes you need just a soda. Sometimes you're making lunch for four. Either way I don't want to remove the kitchen sink and everything else just for lunch, if I don't need to.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QBvHfeVymzE/VWicGMKgQtI/AAAAAAABFKU/zPSS8khMcOg/s800/20150522_133504.jpg


The lights are handy as well. Here's a picture from a self supported 80 mile mountain bike ride I did with my buddies. We returned to the vehicles several times throughout the day and the shelf was like a kitchen counter for me. Once the sun went down the under side leds made digging through stuff much easier.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AXGL8AQSoKE/VMa6igWJkHI/AAAAAAABB8M/bI8h_YG_HuM/s800/20150125_174834.jpg