I built a box for tools and gear.

[Jeepin_OLB]

Hello! I'm new to the forum and purchased a JL last year. I go wheeling often and like to always have tools/gear on-board. My last Jeep was a JKUR and I built a full platform box with a drawer to keep tools and parts. I found it much more difficult to find space on the 2 dr JL with the rear seat installed. I was hoping to build another drawer, but the added layers of a box and drawer didn't leave enough room for tools. Anyway, here's what I came up with:

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[hotsauce]

Hello! I'm new to the forum and purchased a JL last year. I go wheeling often and like to always have tools/gear on-board. My last Jeep was a JKUR and I built a full platform box with a drawer to keep tools and parts. I found it much more difficult to find space on the 2 dr JL with the rear seat installed. I was hoping to build another drawer, but the added layers of a box and drawer didn't leave enough room for tools. Anyway, here's what I came up with:

Very cool. It would be neat if the top was on hinges and you could open as needed.

 

[jessedacri]

Ditch the rear seat unless you absolutely need it often - hard to do much with it in in terms of carrying anything but there's plenty cargo space without it.

 

[tawsenior]

Very cool! Now, how are you mounting that farm jack?

 

[19 JLUR Bright Whit3]

Thats silly. Who needs tools to go to the mall??? LOL

J/K. Awesome job. I like it!

 

[Jeepin_OLB]

Ditch the rear seat unless you absolutely need it often - hard to do much with it in in terms of carrying anything but there's plenty cargo space without it.

I hear ya. I've got an 8 year old daughter, so the rear seat is necessary for most adventures.

 

[Jeepin_OLB]

Very cool! Now, how are you mounting that farm jack?

I had leftover hi-lift rollbar mounts from my JK. I found they didn't fit over the JL roll bars, but I still liked the idea of using them, so I installed nutserts in the roll bar to bolt on the mounts. One of these days, I'll powder coat the mounts black or grey.

 

[davewald]

I built almost exactly the same thing, but use it differently. I have a 2-door, so take the back seat out when I go offroading. I like to take a lot of pictures and videos, carry a drone, camera, gimbals, etc. and often have a co-pilot who also carries photo stuff. We found that just tossing the camera gear in the back with all of the other stuff makes it hard to get to it in a hurry from the drivers and passenger seats. The box is perfect, since all of our photo gear fits in it and keeps it separate from all the other stuff.

 

[Jeepin_OLB]

well done sir. did you bother to write down the dimensions so if I want to build a similar box you can save me a step?

I keep my backseat for grandkids who live 1 mile away and like going on jeep rides with Pops.

A similar project that is on my list is to take some thick plywood and build a shelf that is cut out to fit at the same level as the top of my tailgate. It looks like I'll need two boards. One behind the roll bar for when the back seat is being used, and one in front of the roll bar for when the back seat is tumbled forward. I'll use the existing hard top bolts to hold it down. I'm not all that worried about security, but it would be a mild deterent to thieves. I could use some funky star bit bolts to slow down a thief I suppose. Mainly it would keep the rain out, and make it easier to organize.

The dimensions for the box are 39x11x6.5 (L"xW"xH"). You should match the length, but the width and height will vary. I have bags on the door that I had to factor in for the width and I made the box as short as possible since I want to utilize the little bit of cargo space on top of it. Good luck with the project!

 

[marktgorman]

@Jeepin_OLB what did you use to cover the box? Is it a felt or carpet? Would love to find a place to buy a small roll of carpet to match the interior carpet.

 

[Jeepin_OLB]

@Jeepin_OLB what did you use to cover the box? Is it a felt or carpet? Would love to find a place to buy a small roll of carpet to match the interior carpet.

I used polymat, which is a fiber backed felt. It's high quality stuff and holds up well to use. You can get it from their website or Amazon.

 

[DonH63]

I like this idea, especially after looking at the price of premade ones! I have built a number for previous vehicles. Only thing I did differently was to use outdoor (e.g. CDX) plywood instead of particle board or MDF for less sensitivity to moisture. Only problem is that, every single time, shortly after I finish the box and get it all nicely covered and fitted, I find one more thing that needs to go in it that just won't quite fit.

 

[tawsenior]

I had leftover hi-lift rollbar mounts from my JK. I found they didn't fit over the JL roll bars, but I still liked the idea of using them, so I installed nutserts in the roll bar to bolt on the mounts. One of these days, I'll powder coat the mounts black or grey.

When you have the opportunity, I would like to see the mounts up close. Maybe a seperate post would be appropriate so you can focus on the box in this one. I have been considering this same thing, but was unsure how to proceed.

 

[JOMOjl]

Hello! I'm new to the forum and purchased a JL last year. I go wheeling often and like to always have tools/gear on-board.

Pretty sweet. And a reminder to get off my butt and build one as well. I was thinking about a hinged door in front but probably don’t need it. Just tailgate access with it being strapped in. Thanks for the motivation.

 

[Dobies Run]

I built a similar box with drawer, fridge and power outlets.

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