Low-Budget Storage System
I got a 2000 Ford Expedition, prompting the recent sale of my FJ60. I didn't have much cash on hand for customization, but with a little luck, ingenuity, and perserverance, I came out not half bad. I labeled one of the pictures and have notes below:
1. Anvil case (44 x 18 x 12") bolted to shelf (# 2); $30 on Craigslist
2. 1/2" plywood shelf (44 x 18") (left over from an old project), faced with aluminum C-channel (see #7 below)
3. Heavy duty drawer (?) slides; $4 at Goodwill
4. ASML case (52 x 26 x 10"); $25 at Goodwill
5. Storage spaces for fishing poles, folding chairs, etc.
6. Three 2x8s, each 4' long, running lengthwise (see other picture); $7 at Home Depot
7. Two military crates (14 x 46 x 6") with moveable dividers; $5 each at Savers. Plastic lids slid on and off via aluminum tracks down each edge. The lids were discarded and the tracks reversed so that the channels faced outward. Aluminum C-channel was then attached to the 2x8s to either side ($20 at Ace). Thus, the boxes were turned into drawers that slide in and out. They carry long and bulky gear.
8. Plastic faceplate cut from removed lid (see #7 above)
*All hardware left over from past projects (free! kind of)
The upper box is mounted so that when it is rolled all the way forward (toward the front of the truck), it acts as a counter-balance for the bottom box's lid. Gear that is needed often is stored in the top box. When something from the bottom box is needed, you unlatch it and slide the top box forward. The weight of the top box lifts the bottom box's lid and keeps it open.
The three 2x8s (# 6) run forward to the back of the truck's rear seats. Neither of the boxes go that far forward, so I put a deck over the top of the 2x8s. This allows unimpeded storage underneath (# 5) as well as atop the deck (duffels). When the top box is pushed forward and the lower box lid is open, the lower, forward edge of the top box rests on this deck, preventing undue strain.
Extra gear (folding table, etc.) can be strapped between the two boxes. The whole shebang is tied into the stock lashing points.
This sure isn't as fancy as a lot of the storage systems I've seen, but it is plenty sturdy, gets the job done, and didn't break the bank.