Building a DIY JLU Sleeping Platform & Drawers (like Goose-Gear)

[csspar]

@csspar WOW!!! Thats super impressive man. Very well done. Love the way you designed & executed the drawers.

Im planning to start working on the drawer this weekend & the dimensions would be extremely helpful. What did you have to use the router for?

I redid the back lower panel as i mentioned since I bent it by tightening the side bolts too much. I also sunk the screws in the way you did and it looks much better. Don't know what I was thinking the first time lol

Thanks for also sharing the photos of the telescope and side lighting. It looks great and very functional, good idea!!!

I'll get the dimensions for you today. I used the router to put grooves down the length of the drawer sides to slide the bottoms into. It gives the bottom better support than just screws and glue and allowed me to use 1/4 inch for the bottoms with a little more security. It's certainly not necessary however. I'm going to exclude that aspect from the dimensions for simplicity, as it doesn't change the exterior dimensions of anything.

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[LawrenceL]

I'll get the dimensions for you today. I used the router to put grooves down the length of the drawer sides to slide the bottoms into. It gives the bottom better support than just screws and glue and allowed me to use 1/4 inch for the bottoms with a little more security. It's certainly not necessary however. I'm going to exclude that aspect from the dimensions for simplicity, as it doesn't change the exterior dimensions of anything.

Awesome!! Thanks so much!

Are you going to cut out an opening in the lower back panel for access to the jeep bonus storage area? Im planning to do that after I install the drawers to see where the best place is to make the cuts for the opening. I want to be able to access it by removing one drawer... most likely the right one because that side of the storage area is wider.

I actually bought a router last week, but its still in the box & Ive never used one before. I might go for the extra challenge, or take the easier route and make pocket holes for screws.

 

[csspar]

Awesome!! Thanks so much!

Are you going to cut out an opening in the lower back panel for access to the jeep bonus storage area? Im planning to do that after I install the drawers to see where the best place is to make the cuts for the opening. I want to be able to access it by removing one drawer... most likely the right one because that side of the storage area is wider.

I actually bought a router last week, but its still in the box & Ive never used one before. I might go for the extra challenge, or take the easier route and make pocket holes for screws.

Sorry I didn't get around to the dimensions today, I've been pretty busy this week. I should have time tomorrow though. My wife does lots of CAD for work so she's going to help me make the plans digitally.


I wouldn't worry about using the router for the drawer bottoms. I actually used a router table which makes the particular cut much easier than using a handheld router and guide. You should have no issues simply screwing the bottoms on. However I'd definitely play around with using the router to round off some of the exposed edges. Do test cuts on some scraps to see how it works the plywood.

I did indeed cut a hole in the bottom left side for access into the storage area! I picked the left because I don't want to fuss with pulling the stove out to access it.

 

[csspar]

Finally! Ok here are the plans for the cabinet and drawers! Sorry for the long write-up, but hopefully there's some helpful info. Of course feel free to ask questions! I can also take pictures if you need them.

Don't blindly follow these plans! Measure things along the way and make sure everything is making sense and fits together the way it should. You also might find a better way to do something or change some dimensions to better suit your needs (especially for the drawers). Wood is usually warped and imperfect in some way, so like I said, measure along the way and make sure things will fit together like you want them to.
Oh, and even though I triple-checked the plans, I could have made a mistake or typo somewhere! (I built everything first, then drew up the plans after.)

The drawer bottoms aren't pictured the way I made them in reality. Assuming most people don't have access to a router table, I simplified that portion of the design.
In reality, I cut dados into the front and sides to support the bottoms. The plans show a bottom piece simply placed between the front, back, and sides. I didn't include dimensions for the thickness of the drawer bottoms, since I'll leave it up to you to use 1/2" or something else. Now if you do want to try and use the router to make dados in the sides to hold the bottom piece, I can give you the measurements for that, but it's something you should be able to figure out on your own if you're using more advanced methods anyway.

I made the cabinet with the plywood floor uninstalled from Jeep. I assembled the cabinet using a few precisely cut pieces of wood help keep things in the right spot and square. I recommend doing this and be ready to tweak stuff a little bit to stay square before putting all the screws in.

For assembly, I used a brad nailer to tack things together, ensured everything looked flush and square, then screwed the parts together. I used wood glue everywhere I could. I only pre-drilled spots where I was concerned about splitting the plywood. The cabinet is screwed down to the floor from underneath.

As Lawerence mentioned, if you really crank down the 6 torx bolts for the floor platform, you'll bow the plywood . I didn't add spacers or supports to alleviate this (you probably should) but I was careful not to over-tighten. My floor does have a slight upwards bow, but (almost) everything fit together fine. I did have to spend some time sanding down the 1/4" cabinet back piece near the sides since the floor was pushing it up in the middle.

I used 24" 100lb drawer slides from Lowes because they were the longest ones available in the store. This leaves a couple inches of drawer within the cabinet at full extension. This is only an issue with the stove drawer. I want that extra bit of length for the cutting board and for the stove platform. I'm probably going to get some longer locking slides for these two in the future.

Oh I should mention the cutting board drawer too! The upper surface is higher quality plywood sanded and treated with cutting board oil. I'm pretty sure this won't last very long, so it's just tacked in place with 4 brad nails. It will be very easy to swap out with a real cutting board in the future.

Latches and handles are up to you! I used cheap latches from Amazon.

 

[csspar]

Plans

 

[LawrenceL]

@csspar Wow, thats really impressive! Your wife's drawings are amazing, & your write-up is super helpful. Thanks so much again. Installing a rack, and roof top tent today/tomorrow, then getting back to the drawers this weekend

Im thinking about getting locking slides for all the drawers... super expensive though do you think thats unnecessary. Will it be much better? Remember, Im going to be living in the Jeep for at least the next 4 months, driving about 15-18k miles in total ... no hotels/motels, only Jeep

 

[csspar]

I dont think you need locking slides for the regular drawers, just the stove and cutting board box. Personally I'd save the weight and money.

 

[csspar]

I found this 3x5 rubberized door mat at home depot today for $18 and it almost perfectly fits the forward platform. Easy to cut with a utility knife and it's held down with the tie down points I installed into the platform. It will be easy to remove and hose down. Be warned, it smells like burnt clutch. On the way home I thought my clutch was about to explode lol. Maybe I should take care of that recall... Hopefully the smell will go away soon.

I also got an outdoor rug to line the cabinet with. I'm pretty sure it was less than $20.

 

[csspar]

Oh yeah and I got these to line the drawer bottoms with.

 

[csspar]

Just cut and installed the first one. I recommend trimming 1.5 from each side rather than just one cut. It gets rid of the rounded corners.

 

[csspar]

Carpet!

 

[csspar]

Telescope mounted!

Don't forget to reuse the tie down points from the trunk.

 

[Will_Jeep]

It's funny, at no time do I see my self building out the back of my Jeep like this, I throw stuff in the back way too often. But I am fascinated by this thread!

 

[LawrenceL]

It's funny, at no time do I see my self building out the back of my Jeep like this, I throw stuff in the back way too often. But I am fascinated by this thread!

Totally understand where you're coming from, it's definitely an aggressive change to the interior.

In my case, Im going to be living in the Jeep full-time on the road, & using it as a mobile photography/videography home & office. I shoot around the clock, day & night, and take naps throughout. I really need the organization for myself, its going to be very helpful. I have a million little items & need to know where they all are at all times, especially at night when its pitch black out and my camera is shooting a time-lapse and I cant turn any lights on (which would ruin it).

The reason for the second platform is for emergency shelter, & nights where I wont be able to sleep in the rooftop tent during severe storms or insane wind. It also blocks all of my gear from view hopefully killing the temptation to break in.

 

[Endless Summer]

Count me as another dude who will NEVER go live in my Jeep for more than a night or two but friggin LOVES this thread.. I want to build out the back of mine like this just because it's an awesome process to see.. Keep posting - I *love* this shit!

Lawrence - post a link to your photo/video porfolio.

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