HotRodLarry Build (2 Viewers)

[Hotrodlarry]

I want to say that I have had very few original ideas for my build. This forum has been a wealth of information. I will recap a few of the things I have done to my land cruiser but most of those ideas can be searched. I have also posted a few other times on individual projects. Search my user name for some of those. I have had a detail request for my sleeping platform/storage/fridge solution. I will devote most of this post with that info. It is also important to understand how you want to use your rig. My goal is to have a single person RV that is very capable offload. I want to move camp each day and keep up with my friends in their JK's. Setting up a tent and cooking station each night is a pain in the neck.

To start with I have a '99 with 280K miles purchased 5 years ago with 170K on it. It has been my daily driver. Some of the details:

33" BFG KO2
Ironman Pro Foam Cell shocks
Metal Tech extended sway bar links front/rear
Ironman T-Bars
no-name sliders
Slee front/rear bumpers (awesome) w/come up 9,500 lb winch
Baja Designs fogs/ditch and LP6 driving lights (all hooked up to the factory fog light and high beam switch) you can search that
Slee second battery tray with ARB compressor

The sleeping platform started as just a mock-up. I had read numerous post on other solutions but they seemed to permanent (heavy / hard to remove). I wanted something that would just go in an out of the truck as needed. My idea was to start with cardboard templates and then transfer to a sheet of 15/32" cheap plywood ($20 per sheet). I did that. However it came out good enough that I plan to use this for the next few years. I started with the sleeping platform one year and added the fridge/storage tower later. Here are a few pictures. I will follow with more construction details.

 

[Hotrodlarry]

The sleeping platform was designed to hold three storage containers. The idea is to have these three boxes fully packed at all times. I am all about packing quickly. I also need to keep the bulk of my stuff inside. I am south of Houston and the humidity is off the chart. The space to the left of the boxes can be accessed by lifting the top of the platform. Seldom used items are stored there. The base platform is short enough to have the second row passenger seat usable at any time. A single sheet of plywood is then laid across the folded seat to make the full sleeping platform. You can see my goal was to make it as light as possible. I did this to make it easy to move/remove.

 

[Hotrodlarry]

Photos

 

[Hotrodlarry]

Here is the box the platform was designed around. The platform and storage tower divide the truck at the centerline and are connected with a piece of 3/4" stock and three bolts/Tnuts

 

[Hotrodlarry]

I have always hated dealing with ice. I also hate my bread, chips and other stuff floating around the truck and getting smashed. So I deigned a storage tower that would be powered off of my second battery. It has been pretty good. I have a space in the middle that I cannot decide if I am going to add a drawer. In the last two trips that has been where I keep all of my clothes. The tower was built as light as possible. All of the weight of the fridge slide and the fridge itself is carried on the floor of the tower. There for the tower carries no load. The entire unit is bolted to the sleeping platform and then lashed at the four corners with dynema twine. This has worked well.
It survived Black Bear pass last year and never moved around. When I got to Telluride I notice that I had not even noticed all of this in the back of the rig. Good enough for me.

 

[Hotrodlarry]

Some construction details

 

[Hotrodlarry]

A few more. I have added a power block for the fridge and an inverter. This also make a great tailgating rig at the football games. I can plug in my TV and have plenty of adult beverages.

 

[planomateo]

Nicely done!