cosmokenney
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Cosmo
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2019
- Threads
- 41
- Messages
- 1,007
- Reaction score
- 808
- Location
- Loyalton, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2019 JLR (2-door)
- Thread starter
- #1
After many months of working on this thing an hour here and an hour there, I made the final push to get this done over the thanksgiving weekend.
I have a 2 door with the factory subwoofer in the floor. So the first thing I wanted was a box that would accommodate the woofer. Second, I didn't want any of the aftermarket boxes that are the same height as the bathtub/tailgate because the dogs will need to be on the box and still have room to stand up when they want. So I decide to go DIY.
I had a bunch square aluminum tube I got from the scrap yard and was able to use it to build the frame. Then I found a guy on Craig's List selling used street signs that he bought at auction for next to nothing. So I used those for the outer shell. And I like working with aluminum vs. steel and wood. So it was a no brainer to use it up.
It was a bunch of work to get the reflective laminate off the signs and to strip the powder coat off the square tubes. But I saved a ton of money. Just added a bunch of unexpected time to the project.
I'm still learning to TIG weld aluminum but I'm getting there. Don't comment on my shitty welds ;-) I already know.
The bottom frame of the cabinet is connected to the rear seat brackets by stainless hose clamps. So that thing nice and secure in there.
I used a mailbox lock which will deter some but not all dirt bags. So that may get replaced by something more substantial someday.
And the dogs giving it a good test for stability:
I got some soft-close drawer sliders from Home Depot. They worked out great and I can remove the drawer without much hassle. Soft-close adds a pro-mode touch to the project:
It holds all of my current recovery gear including my compressor. I might add electrical, down the road, to be able to run the compressor right from inside the drawer. But I haven't decided on that yet.
It also might be nice to add a few small LED lights inside the cabinet with a pressure switch to turn them on when the drawer opens.
After seeing some of the posts on here I may also build a small tailgate box that I can lock some rain gear and other jackets/gloves and dog gear into.
I have a 2 door with the factory subwoofer in the floor. So the first thing I wanted was a box that would accommodate the woofer. Second, I didn't want any of the aftermarket boxes that are the same height as the bathtub/tailgate because the dogs will need to be on the box and still have room to stand up when they want. So I decide to go DIY.
I had a bunch square aluminum tube I got from the scrap yard and was able to use it to build the frame. Then I found a guy on Craig's List selling used street signs that he bought at auction for next to nothing. So I used those for the outer shell. And I like working with aluminum vs. steel and wood. So it was a no brainer to use it up.
It was a bunch of work to get the reflective laminate off the signs and to strip the powder coat off the square tubes. But I saved a ton of money. Just added a bunch of unexpected time to the project.
I'm still learning to TIG weld aluminum but I'm getting there. Don't comment on my shitty welds ;-) I already know.
The bottom frame of the cabinet is connected to the rear seat brackets by stainless hose clamps. So that thing nice and secure in there.
I used a mailbox lock which will deter some but not all dirt bags. So that may get replaced by something more substantial someday.
And the dogs giving it a good test for stability:
I got some soft-close drawer sliders from Home Depot. They worked out great and I can remove the drawer without much hassle. Soft-close adds a pro-mode touch to the project:
It holds all of my current recovery gear including my compressor. I might add electrical, down the road, to be able to run the compressor right from inside the drawer. But I haven't decided on that yet.
It also might be nice to add a few small LED lights inside the cabinet with a pressure switch to turn them on when the drawer opens.
After seeing some of the posts on here I may also build a small tailgate box that I can lock some rain gear and other jackets/gloves and dog gear into.
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