LATEST PROJECT - Truck Drawers/Sleeping Platform

[roadtripcrazed]

Hi Doug, amazing looking build out, it shows great skill. I'm a furniture builder but I think I may have to get my cabinet maker friend on this job with me.

Wondering about headroom and what shell you have. I have a Snugtop Hi-Liner. Do you have any pictures of the whole truck, or do you know how tall your shell is?

Thanks.

Great to hear from you! I am now a cabinet-maker by trade, though I was not when this build was completed. There is definitely some room for improvements now that Ive learned a few things.

I have a LEER 100XQ canopy. Headroom is just over 26" inside. The opening is just about 22.5". It is good enough, but I am actually looking at swapping the LEER for the Snugtop Hi-Liner to increase the opening height. I can't quite slide some of my larger tools into the LEER. The few extra inches provided by the Hi-Liner would really help.

 

[roadtripcrazed]

I was wondering what you ended up using as your cooling pump and how you hooked this into your system.

My father found an auxiliary pump in a Nissan Armada or something ... I am not positive what vehicle it came from. Simple Bosch brand pump added into the coolant circuit. Works just fine! I am still hunting a small electrical gremlin in the truck somewhere though. It seems there is always something ...

 

[krafty77]

Hey, love the pictures!

I'm looking to do a similar thing to a 2005 Ford Explorer. What would be your initial recommendations for starting to make it expedition ready like this?

Thanks!

 

[roadtripcrazed]

Every vehicle and every driver has constraints and/or limitations. I built out our truck for how my wife and I like to travel. Your tastes may vary drastically from ours. I have no experience with Ford Explorers. Good luck and have fun!

Hey, love the pictures!

I'm looking to do a similar thing to a 2005 Ford Explorer. What would be your initial recommendations for starting to make it expedition ready like this?

Thanks!

 

[CaptDave]

I read the entire post and comments and could not find what heat exchanger you used. Can you please tell us what heat exchanger you used?

 

[Driveway]

Hi. Where did you find that turnbuckle system? I can't find anything like it.

 

[roadtripcrazed]

You won't be able to find another. That is a fully custom piece that I fabricated for this build.

Hi. Where did you find that turnbuckle system? I can't find anything like it.

 

[fabjunkie]

Great to hear from you! I am now a cabinet-maker by trade, though I was not when this build was completed. There is definitely some room for improvements now that Ive learned a few things.

Great design! I'm designing a bigger version for my work truck right now and am curious what you would change knowing what you know now?

edit: Also what latches did you use/order from?

 

[roadtripcrazed]

Great design! I'm designing a bigger version for my work truck right now and am curious what you would change knowing what you know now?

edit: Also what latches did you use/order from?

Hmm ... What would I change exactly? Not much.

Although I am very pleased with the outcome of the project, my skills have advanced over time and I have access to better machinery now. There are simple joinery revisions that I would make. Not that they would be any stronger, but a bit more pleasing aesthetically. I would also tighten the space tolerance between the steel tubing and the carcass. There is a bit too much "slop" there. The steel tubing I used has rounded corners that tend to roll off the bearings a bit. Square-cornered steel and tighter tolerances would eliminate that issue completely.

I am still trying to come up with something to replace the carpet. I need something that allows me to slide tools in ad out for my daily job, but also prevents our dog from slipping around when she is back there. The carpet was great, but the glue has started to give and the carpet is now bunched up and stretched in some sections. I may just remove it all and attempt to re-glue with a stronger adhesive.

We have very rarely used the top roll-outs and given the added complexity to the build, I am not entirely sure that I would include them in the next build. But when we HAVE used them, they were indispensable, so I am a bit torn on that one.

Plumbing, mechanical, etc has all proven itself to be dependable. I should have protected some of the wiring better as I have had a few electrical issues that could have been prevented with better cable routing and wire loom, etc. The wiring was the last thing to be completed before the initial trip and it was rushed a bit. I promised to go back and revise when we returned - but that never happened!

The latches are just simple paddle latches. Easy to locate at most supply houses or ordered online. Nothing fancy at all.

I hope that helps you a bit! Let me know how your build progresses.

-=D

 

[fabjunkie]

Thanks for the info. What tolerances did you use on the tubing and carcass? I've got it drawn up at a 1/16" per side and have been wondering if I need to go tighter.

 

[roadtripcrazed]

Thanks for the info. What tolerances did you use on the tubing and carcass? I've got it drawn up at a 1/16" per side and have been wondering if I need to go tighter.

It was originally 1/8" per side, which was way too sloppy. I immediately added a 1/16" spacer to tighten things up. That is the white strip that is shown in a few of the shots. If I was to build it again today, I would only allow 1/32" per side. But that means that your margin for error in assembly is nearly zero.

My best advice - make your space as small as you are comfortable building. And have your steel on hand beforehand. You may need to adjust if your steel is slightly more or slightly less than what you account for.

 

[cwood]

I have been lurking and have decided to use the method to build a low profile light duty slide for my 2012 Ford F150 Super Crew Short box. I have a Tonneau cover and want to use the slide to deal with skiing, snowboarding and kiteboarding equipment. The trick is to have it as low profile as possible so as to retain as much space as possible vertically. Only have 20" under the cover.

This is the current design using a 1x1 steel rail. The other issue is having enough meat in the wood of the 2x4 outside rails so the bearing shafts don't tear out. To get around this I have given up some surface area by going with outboard rails rather than under rails. I was thinking of possibly connecting the top bearing to the bottom with a metal plate with two holes at each bearing pair. I may also consider using biscuited 3/5 inch ply for the rails to regain a bit more space. Anyway.....ideas welcome and thanks to the OP for the great ideas!

Two views, one from the front that has a lateral piece of 3/4 inch ply to clean up the look, and one from the rear. There will also be a vertical at the rear to stop stuff from dropping off the back.

 

[fabjunkie]

I have the same concern about the top bearings tearing out of the sides and considered the plate idea like you. The OP's seem to have been fine for several years now so I'm going to just keep a close eye on them and add plates in lieu of washers if needed at a later time. In your case, I think using ply on the sides will be stronger than 2x as it has grains going back and forth vs in one direction. You may also need to add some metal L brackets on the outside around the bottom and side to help brace the sides from bowing one way or the other.

 

[cwood]

I could also use a hardwood for the rails. Biscuit joints and gorilla glue would not allow any bowing. The OP top bearings are very close to the edge of the board but I think he implied that the tip slide outs were not used much and probably not loaded up like the drawers which are in a much stronger position.

 

[dyogim]

I have been lurking and have decided to use the method to build a low profile light duty slide for my 2012 Ford F150 Super Crew Short box. I have a Tonneau cover and want to use the slide to deal with skiing, snowboarding and kiteboarding equipment. The trick is to have it as low profile as possible so as to retain as much space as possible vertically. Only have 20" under the cover.

This is the current design using a 1x1 steel rail. The other issue is having enough meat in the wood of the 2x4 outside rails so the bearing shafts don't tear out. To get around this I have given up some surface area by going with outboard rails rather than under rails. I was thinking of possibly connecting the top bearing to the bottom with a metal plate with two holes at each bearing pair. I may also consider using biscuited 3/5 inch ply for the rails to regain a bit more space. Anyway.....ideas welcome and thanks to the OP for the great ideas!

Two views, one from the front that has a lateral piece of 3/4 inch ply to clean up the look, and one from the rear. There will also be a vertical at the rear to stop stuff from dropping off the back.

Have you thought of using garage door rails and rollers? Here's how I built my sliding platform that can be used right side up or upside down. Depending on what you decide is right side up. I built it up a bit to accommodate my drawers that is bolted to the bed. Here's some pics:

FYI... Gas can is empty and stored on the outside when filled.