So for the last four years, I've been building custom cargo areas for my rigs every winter or so. This thread is to share what I have done, and am doing, with others. I have never "completed" a build, I'm still testing for the final design. So I don't mess with finishing the wood nicely or anything like that yet. Thanks for all the inspiration I have gotten here on Mud.
The 4Runner Kitchen:
The whole thread of this build it here:
4Runner Kitchen - Toyota 4Runner Forum
Here are some highlight pics, and then we'll get to the 100
100 SERIES LAND CRUISER
Okay, so this is a bit of a mix of photos and reposting from another site. This is the first build I tried and used for a year. Good, but needed improvements.
Bucket of parts removed that will not go back (speaker, seat belts, seat anchors, jack, etc, etc.)
I bolted a 1/2" sheet of plywood down to the metal cargo floor deck. In the final version I will use an insulation beneath it and filling in the metal corrugation.
Here is how it looked after the first weekend. This picture shows where the fridge will sit:
Here is how it looks now, after the second weekend. Here you see the two 7 gallon water tanks in the center. The plan is to use one and then move them and swap the faucet. That way I could tuck the one behind the center wall. The center wall will hold the fire extinguisher, mag light and etc. Unlike the 4runner kitchen (see link above) I will retain my visibility out of the upper portion (other than the center wall). I will use some nylon webbing on the cargo door side so the "granny's attic" as I call it (the area above the fridge and water tanks) can be stuffed with our clothes bags from the "extended cab" portion. (more on that later)
The recess in the drawer was necessary. The faucet is as far back to the door as possible, but I didn't want to have to move all the drawers back for clearance. The water tank area will be lined in rubber membrane that will extend out under the faucet and down the face of the recess. My plan is for that to act as a shield when water is used. It will direct water down and through the gap between the floor and the door (removed the cover). It will also direct water away from my stuff if the tank leaks. I have more to plan on this whole idea.
Drawers are raised so that they just barely rest on the tailgate when open. This helps support the drawers with the cheap slides I had...saves the $$ of having to buy heavy load slides. I had 24" and 30" slides on hand from the various 4runner versions, so I used both. I will decide this year what length I prefer. The drawers are 9 inches deep and 14" or so wide. They do not take the depth of the cargo area, as I have the extended cab area.
The area to the left in the photos above is for our dog. When the seat is folded down, this area becomes a one-man sleeping platform. I built the drawers at this height for that reason.
In the area behind and above the wheel well I can fit a lot of stuff. I have two hinged panels here. Because I hacked up the interior molding and stripped stuff like the speaker and factory jack/tools built into the sides. Future versions will include a much better finish in these areas, but I am just testing it out for functionality right now.
I put a plug in a little nook in the side for the fridge.
Here is the "extended cab". This area is not as wide as the whole rig, as it is cut short by the dogs area. However, the drawer does not go all the way back, so extended cab goes under the dogs platform. This way I can store long items. The hole you see goes to the small space behind the water tanks. Figured something would fit in there.
Yup, it's ugly, but I don't care. It may get wrapped in carpet or something when I am all done. This is making use of a bunch of space behind the panel. Now I can fit really long stuff in the extended cab, and I have more room overall. I thought it might also be integrated into a jumper seat type thing, but it is a bit too narrow back there for that, and the depth of the fridge limits the size of the extended cab.
Here is a test fit of the extended cab. I fit everything that used to be on the roof of the runner inside and I didn't fill above the seats. I fit 2 adult folding chairs, 3 kids chairs, 4 man tent, 5 sleeping bags, 4 thermarests, 1 small folding table, a large tarp and a back of emergency cloths for all five of us. Oh yeah... No more climbing up to the roof. The "attic" and the rest of the xcab area will fit our 5 clothes bags and we're set!!
Side by side here's the runner build compared to the LC build.
The 4Runner Kitchen:
The whole thread of this build it here:
4Runner Kitchen - Toyota 4Runner Forum
Here are some highlight pics, and then we'll get to the 100
100 SERIES LAND CRUISER
Okay, so this is a bit of a mix of photos and reposting from another site. This is the first build I tried and used for a year. Good, but needed improvements.
Bucket of parts removed that will not go back (speaker, seat belts, seat anchors, jack, etc, etc.)
I bolted a 1/2" sheet of plywood down to the metal cargo floor deck. In the final version I will use an insulation beneath it and filling in the metal corrugation.
Here is how it looked after the first weekend. This picture shows where the fridge will sit:
Here is how it looks now, after the second weekend. Here you see the two 7 gallon water tanks in the center. The plan is to use one and then move them and swap the faucet. That way I could tuck the one behind the center wall. The center wall will hold the fire extinguisher, mag light and etc. Unlike the 4runner kitchen (see link above) I will retain my visibility out of the upper portion (other than the center wall). I will use some nylon webbing on the cargo door side so the "granny's attic" as I call it (the area above the fridge and water tanks) can be stuffed with our clothes bags from the "extended cab" portion. (more on that later)
The recess in the drawer was necessary. The faucet is as far back to the door as possible, but I didn't want to have to move all the drawers back for clearance. The water tank area will be lined in rubber membrane that will extend out under the faucet and down the face of the recess. My plan is for that to act as a shield when water is used. It will direct water down and through the gap between the floor and the door (removed the cover). It will also direct water away from my stuff if the tank leaks. I have more to plan on this whole idea.
Drawers are raised so that they just barely rest on the tailgate when open. This helps support the drawers with the cheap slides I had...saves the $$ of having to buy heavy load slides. I had 24" and 30" slides on hand from the various 4runner versions, so I used both. I will decide this year what length I prefer. The drawers are 9 inches deep and 14" or so wide. They do not take the depth of the cargo area, as I have the extended cab area.
The area to the left in the photos above is for our dog. When the seat is folded down, this area becomes a one-man sleeping platform. I built the drawers at this height for that reason.
In the area behind and above the wheel well I can fit a lot of stuff. I have two hinged panels here. Because I hacked up the interior molding and stripped stuff like the speaker and factory jack/tools built into the sides. Future versions will include a much better finish in these areas, but I am just testing it out for functionality right now.
I put a plug in a little nook in the side for the fridge.
Here is the "extended cab". This area is not as wide as the whole rig, as it is cut short by the dogs area. However, the drawer does not go all the way back, so extended cab goes under the dogs platform. This way I can store long items. The hole you see goes to the small space behind the water tanks. Figured something would fit in there.
Yup, it's ugly, but I don't care. It may get wrapped in carpet or something when I am all done. This is making use of a bunch of space behind the panel. Now I can fit really long stuff in the extended cab, and I have more room overall. I thought it might also be integrated into a jumper seat type thing, but it is a bit too narrow back there for that, and the depth of the fridge limits the size of the extended cab.
Here is a test fit of the extended cab. I fit everything that used to be on the roof of the runner inside and I didn't fill above the seats. I fit 2 adult folding chairs, 3 kids chairs, 4 man tent, 5 sleeping bags, 4 thermarests, 1 small folding table, a large tarp and a back of emergency cloths for all five of us. Oh yeah... No more climbing up to the roof. The "attic" and the rest of the xcab area will fit our 5 clothes bags and we're set!!
Side by side here's the runner build compared to the LC build.
Is that water pump loud? Thanks and good job!
