Ratbert
Well-Known Member
I just cut out a finger hole, then cut out the remainder from there. Then I screwed in pieces of metal from the bottom crossing each corner to hold it in. That worked really well.
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FRV
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #62
Not very elegant. Not very strong (plywood has terrible holding power for screws in tension). Would not want to stand on it. But, if it meets your needs and you’re satisfied with your effort then good enough.
Cutting flush hatches does not take long. We made all of ours in a couple hours. The only specialty tool you need is a router (I used an inexpensive laminate router), a router bit with top mounted guide bearing (bought at Lowe’s or Home Depot) two six inch clamps, and some scrap plywood. Given the amount of money we spend on Jeep stuff it’s a bargain. We can stand on our hatches which we do all the time climbing in and out of the Ursa Minor J30 camper top.
The max plywood thickness need only be 1/2“. A lot of people use 3/4” which just adds unnecessary weight. We used lightweight BS1088 ply. My next choice is birch plywood but it will have more voids, weigh more than 1088, and is more prone to delaminating if it gets wet. Birch is what Goose Gear uses. The beauty of doing it yourself is you can build it better and lighter than Goose Gear for about 1/4 the price.
Cutting flush hatches does not take long. We made all of ours in a couple hours. The only specialty tool you need is a router (I used an inexpensive laminate router), a router bit with top mounted guide bearing (bought at Lowe’s or Home Depot) two six inch clamps, and some scrap plywood. Given the amount of money we spend on Jeep stuff it’s a bargain. We can stand on our hatches which we do all the time climbing in and out of the Ursa Minor J30 camper top.
The max plywood thickness need only be 1/2“. A lot of people use 3/4” which just adds unnecessary weight. We used lightweight BS1088 ply. My next choice is birch plywood but it will have more voids, weigh more than 1088, and is more prone to delaminating if it gets wet. Birch is what Goose Gear uses. The beauty of doing it yourself is you can build it better and lighter than Goose Gear for about 1/4 the price.
Ratbert
Well-Known Member
FRV
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #64
You didn't say you used T nuts. You said you screwed pieces of metal from the bottom. You left out some important details. Pictures always help especially on a build thread--or you can start your own and share how you did it and the final results so others can decide if it's something that they can emulate to get results that meet their needs and goals.
Are you familiar with the Ursa Minor J30? You access the camper compartment above the roof via the inside of the Jeep compartment. So you have to stand on the platform. We have five hatches in the platform. The one in the back and four in the area previously occupied by the rear passenger seats. So yes, we stand on them. All the time.
Are you familiar with the Ursa Minor J30? You access the camper compartment above the roof via the inside of the Jeep compartment. So you have to stand on the platform. We have five hatches in the platform. The one in the back and four in the area previously occupied by the rear passenger seats. So yes, we stand on them. All the time.
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Ratbert
Well-Known Member
Ahhh, I missed the bit of context that you were doing this for an Ursa Minor. That looks slick. Note that I've moved on to a Goose Gear setup in the new rig.
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XX4XEXX
Well-Known Member
Nice job ! I'm thinking of smashing one of these out for my 4xe.
As part of our JLUR (with manual trans) build we ordered and finally received (8 months) our Ursa Minor J30 pop up camper. It took a few days to install it and wire it into the jeep. We have also installed an engine bay mounted ARB single pump compressor.
We took the jeep up into the Appalachian mountains for five days this summer for some overlanding to get some insights into the jeep. We were pretty happy with the it overall but knew we needed a platform to make the Jeep more user friendly and maximize the storage.
So, the next project was to design and build a platform based on the Goose Gear plate system. I studied pictures and watched a view videos of people installing the GG system to see how it was constructed. It did not look difficult to build. We used marine grade 1/2” BS 1088 okume plywood for the platform. We removed the rear seat. We used doorskin ply strips and a hot glue gun to build the templates. We templated all the original fastener holes. We build the hatches in the same style as the GG plate system. We used some fiberglass right angle supports that I had on hand to frame under the forward half of the platform. The L shaped brackets that secure the main transverse bulkheads (to the bolts that held the seat in place) I replicated using two layers of 1708 biaxial and epoxy laid over a right angle form (simple 2x4 taped and waxed). When I removed it from the mold I cut them into sections with a hack saw and sanded them smooth.
We thought about line x or bullet liner over the platform but it’s expensive and black is the only color available in our area. But, we also thought it made the inside of the Jeep very dark. Our plan is to paint it with a marine grade single part linear polyurethane in light grey. If it scratches it’s easy enough to remove the platform, sand, fair, repaint and reinstall. The platform is light, dead flat, and stiff.
We found flush mounted keyed compression latches ($18 each) made by Pacific Sierra. They look to be the same as the GG latches that sell for $45 each. They arrive next week. So far, with the plywood, fasteners, paint, and locks we have about $200 in the project. That’s a savings of about $1,300 from a GG plate.
if this is a project that interests others I can write a little about the tools and techniques we used.
sylverknuk
Member
@FRV really, really well done! so good that I would like to emulate it!
any chance you might be able to post a few more detailed pics of how the front and rear fit together? looks like overlapping seam; between that and your thorough writeup should be very helpful. throwing in a few more pics of supports would help too.
any chance you might be able to post a few more detailed pics of how the front and rear fit together? looks like overlapping seam; between that and your thorough writeup should be very helpful. throwing in a few more pics of supports would help too.
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FRV
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #71
Couple pictures attached. There is a 3/4" thick strip of plywood about 4" wide that spans the width of the platform. The front and rear platforms sections each rest on the plywood strip. The platforms are secured via the flat head fasteners to the ply strip. To remove the forward section and reinstall the rear seat just remove that flathead bolts (I used tee nuts on the underside). The plywood stays there. With a small lip extending forward. Nothing to it. Very simple and it's the same approach used by Goose Gear.
Make sure you make the break between the two sections far enough back so the rear seat clears it when the seat is installed.
I edited this lightly to correct some grammar.
Make sure you make the break between the two sections far enough back so the rear seat clears it when the seat is installed.
I edited this lightly to correct some grammar.
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sylverknuk
Member
perfect thank you for taking the time to write up and take pics ... much appreciated.Couple pictures attached. There is a 3/4" thick strip of plywood about 4" wide that spans the width of the platform. The front and rear platforms sections each rest on the plywood strip. The platforms are secured via the flat head fasteners to the ply strip. To remove the forward section and reinstall the rear seat just remove that flathead bolts (I used tee nuts on the underside). The plywood stays there. With a small lip extending forward. Nothing to it. Very simple and it's the same approach used by Goose Gear.
Make sure you make the break between the two sections far enough back so the rear seat clears it when the seat is installed.
I edited this lightly to correct some grammar.
ecoBLVE
Member
Very nice, and thank you for the insights, and detailed steps. I commend your attention to detail and use of marine-grade materials. I will do the same come time, but will try to eliminate wood altogether in favor of some fiber-enforced foam core. Was thinking coosa board or divinycell, but generally I don't want wood in the Jeep.
It is insane to me that someone (Goose Gear) is charging 3-4k for a piece of plywood and aluminum extrusion frame, not even made to fit the vehicle. they are just square boxes in the middle of the trunk.
Eyesore.
Not even painted to match.
It is insane to me that someone (Goose Gear) is charging 3-4k for a piece of plywood and aluminum extrusion frame, not even made to fit the vehicle. they are just square boxes in the middle of the trunk.
Eyesore.
Not even painted to match.
stingGreyNJ
Well-Known Member
I think all of us that DIY'd a solution have had the same thought.... You see something you want. You think about how much you'd want it to cost and when its 15-20% more "eh.....ok. I'll buy". But when its an order of magnitude different it's a repulsive "nope".
FRV
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #75
All true but you have to remember companies that make these products have to have work spaces (production facilities), they pay property tax, infrastructure mortgages, electric costs, CNG machines, wood working machine, dust extractors, paint booths, vapor exhausts system, employee health care, employee wages, IT overhead, many have EPA associated costs, workers comp insurance. We DIYers don't have any of those costs. I don't think they make as much as it might seem. The profit margins are fairly tight I suspect.
For me the key is can we do as good or better of a job and how much can we save over purchasing the product from a vendor? I think when it comes to platforms and such we can save a lot and get as good or better of a product, if we know what we are doing and take our time.
I installed my own suspension as well as a Long Rang America Aux fuel tank. We installed our Ursa Minor J30 camper and wired everything in. Big savings in labor for all these projects--sometimes more than the cost of the product itself, well except for the J30....
I don't think you will save anything with coosa. The surfaces need to be covered. Messy to machine. It's expensive. I guess if you are going to put the jeep in the water or it sits out I. The rain without a top then it might be worth it. Coosa is great for boat bulkheads but overkill for a Jeep platform unless it's just something you want, then right-on.
Here is my boat build if interested.
For me the key is can we do as good or better of a job and how much can we save over purchasing the product from a vendor? I think when it comes to platforms and such we can save a lot and get as good or better of a product, if we know what we are doing and take our time.
I installed my own suspension as well as a Long Rang America Aux fuel tank. We installed our Ursa Minor J30 camper and wired everything in. Big savings in labor for all these projects--sometimes more than the cost of the product itself, well except for the J30....
I don't think you will save anything with coosa. The surfaces need to be covered. Messy to machine. It's expensive. I guess if you are going to put the jeep in the water or it sits out I. The rain without a top then it might be worth it. Coosa is great for boat bulkheads but overkill for a Jeep platform unless it's just something you want, then right-on.
Here is my boat build if interested.
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