cheap drawer/shelf with plywood fridge slide (1 Viewer)

[Devil's Slide Doug]

Design parameters.
The third row seats are often used to haul kids or the cargo area is used to haul bulky items and the Cruiser is only used in "expedition mode" several times a year so the "system" will be easily installed or removed. The drawers do not need to be a sleeping platform. The drawers will be crates that can be unloaded at camp or easily unloaded at home for storage. Using leftover plywood that was cluttering the garage, the cost will be about a hundred bucks. Add $30 bucks to that if you need to buy an additional sheet.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

fridge slide

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

fridge on slide board

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

fridge vents at seat back, this area should hold my eccotemp L5 shower.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

that was a couple hours of screwing and gluing. Next day off I will install the shelf and slap on some carpet remnant and tie downs. Build some apple boxes and it will be done.

 

[jbatx]

I predict that the slide board will become a PITA when the fridge is full.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

Beeswax, soap, lemon pledge.

 

[jbatx]

Beeswax, soap, lemon pledge.

It'll be slippery and clean smelling too!

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

so far it slides well enough

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

Pretty things up with a bit of cheap indoor/outdoor carpet.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

A bit of black paint on the interior and some aluminum trim to pretty up the edges, tie downs on top and tie downs on the sides to secure it. Done! (Except for building some "Apple boxes" for the shelves.

 

[Dave 2000]

I am in the same boat.......er car. I am torn between paying the Spanish engineer, and the inspection station, to allow me to remove the third row seats or, go with your idea which I am liking! Re the fridge slide, I have previously discussed this with a friend who works with wood. It seems if you use GOOD ply perhaps marine grade then after sanding, you rub a candle on the sliding surfaces? I have used candles on sun roof slides many times in the past. Does not attract dust and is non sticky, and a good coating on the wood may be enough?

Looking at some of the high buck drawer units for sale, and given my usage which might be a dozen times a year? I want to be able to lift the unit in/out at a moments notice, and drop the seats back in, this seems to be the way to go.

Keep the pictures coming.

regards

Dave

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

This is very low dollar and very removable. This week I haul 7 kids on a school trip, next week is a kayak camping trip where I need no third row seats but lots of cargo space then followed by the Rubicon trail where I will use the box.

 

[Dave 2000]

Agree it is very flexible, like your thinking.

regards

Dave

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

crates are built.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

I made two mistakes, I applied a bit of wax to the crates and they now slide in and out so easily that I need some sort of latch. The other mistake is that I should have built two large crates instead of 1 large and two small ones. the large one is easy enough to handle and slides way easier than I thought it would.

 

[Dave 2000]

Bang for buck 10/10!!


regards

Dave

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

Suddenly I have the opportunity to take a couple trips without wife and kids and now I think it would be nice to sleep in the back of the cruiser. The box is a bit tall to sleep on so chopped the top kitchen box drawer off. The box can still be strapped down where it used to slide in(or it can be strapped on top off the fridge. The single shelf will still contain/organize my tools and spare parts. Under the wing is where I will continue to store straps/winching gear. The single drawer is pretty much level with the folded over middle row of seats. I did make a small little hinged piece that fills in the gap between the box and seat back. 6+ feet of room to stretch out.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

 

[SkyMall]

Nice work, fella!