Storage box behind seats on a gen 1 Tacoma

[alexh]

Hi,

I keep my recovery/safety gear behind the front seat in a duffel bag. I use the rear seat belt to hold it on the seat bench but it still often falls down behind the seat.
I also tend to put my small camping and hiking gear back there and it becomes a complete mess and almost impossible to find anything.
It's time to make a storage box that fits in that space and creates a flat surface for bins to store camping gear etc.
The storage box should have flush lids on the top so that bins or whatever will lie flat and not rest on handles or hinges.
The items in the box would be seldom used items like recovery gear, safety gear or tools.

I'm a experienced wood worker so this should be fairly easy.

I'm sure someone here has made drawer systems and I have seen home made drawer systems with flush top side lids.
I would think 1/2" plywood would be a good choice with vertical dividers to strengthen the top and separate access.
I don't see why I would not make a single unit the whole width of the interior - no problem to get it in and out.

Attached a crude drawing.

For the lid, is the approach for flush to use a piano style hinge where I have the text "hinge"?
And to open the lid I have seen flush D handles? Do you route out a recess for the handles?

When I decide on bins I'll probably add vertical ply or wood strips to restrain the bins.



Thanks

 

[rayra]

That seabag lesson was learned early on in my enlistment, 'whatever you want, it's gonna be on the bottom of the bag.'
Good plan to bury the least-used gear by design. It's also usually the biggest heaviest stuff, too.


I've done what you are looking to do, I'll have the link in a moment, it's in my build thread

eta https://www.expeditionportal.com/fo...s-platform-for-my-gmt800-suburban-wip.161631/

I used surface-mounted concealed cabinet door hinges and fabricated the top hatches so they were supported by the drawer box on two opposing edges. So the hinges don't bear any weight but the door itself.

near the bottom of the first page

The SouthCo brand flush pull-ring / D-latches are in post #96, you drill a doorknob-style hole thru your door face, the two halves of the latch mechanism sandwich together thru the hole and there's a striker plate / catch that you have to position just so. Look at how they engage each other / align, before you design your box layout.