The ultimate cargo slide/tray?

[jscherb]

What would people like to have for the shelf to go over the slide tray? This morning I made up the adjustable shelf brackets, and I borrowed this rack from one of my trailers so I'd have something to mock up as a shelf. For mockup purposes the rack is secured to the top of the brackets with small c-clamps, since the rack is going back on my trailer I didn't want to drill extra holes in it. This rack isn't a bad size/shape for a shelf, but I'm wondering what type/size/shape shelf would be most useful for people.

The brackets are designed so the height of the shelf can be set as needed; in these photos it's slighty higher than the midpoint of the adjustment.

Also in these photos the latch that holds the slide closed can be seen, it's mounted at the rear passenger corner of the tray. It's a slam latch, so all that's necessary to latch it is to close the tray.

I'll get the whole thing installed in the JKU tomorrow, more photos then.

 

[jgaz]

The ultimate cargo slide/tray

I think you are on the right track with the shelf you have mocked up. I am very interested in the adjustability of your system.


This is the cargo shelf I installed in my LJ. I mounted it on angle iron secured by longer bolts that retained the hard top. This was the initial position. BTW, my shelf is a narrowed Harbor Freight trailer hitch carrier. A lot of utility for the $ IMHO.


Here I show it raised and moved forward in order to mount the fridge I acquired.


Here is the fridge installed with no slider.

This is working well for me so far. But I can see room improvements that your design would allow.

For example, the shelf is farther forward than I really would like. Your slider with the fridge mounted to it would allow me to correct this.

Being able to raise the shelf as desired would have been much easier than my redo when I wanted to install the fridge

Your storage drawer under the slide would be an added bonus. Out of storage would be a big plus.

I really like where this design is headed.

 

[jscherb]

I think you are on the right track with the shelf you have mocked up. I am very interested in the adjustability of your system.

View attachment 306979
This is the cargo shelf I installed in my LJ. I mounted it on angle iron secured by longer bolts that retained the hard top. This was the initial position. BTW, my shelf is a narrowed Harbor Freight trailer hitch carrier. A lot of utility for the $ IMHO.

View attachment 306978
Here I show it raised and moved forward in order to mount the fridge I acquired.

View attachment 306980
Here is the fridge installed with no slider.

This is working well for me so far. But I can see room improvements that your design would allow.

For example, the shelf is farther forward than I really would like. Your slider with the fridge mounted to it would allow me to correct this.

Being able to raise the shelf as desired would have been much easier than my redo when I wanted to install the fridge

Your storage drawer under the slide would be an added bonus. Out of storage would be a big plus.

I really like where this design is headed.

I think we may have both used the same HF rack for our shelves .

I'm thinking a shelf with a solid floor like the slide drawer might be more useful than something styled like the HF rack - how has the HF rack worked out for you in practice?

 

[jgaz]

Actually not bad. I usually put my tent, big sleeping pad, sleeping bag, chairs, etc. up there. I guess most of the items are longer, or in small bags so the space between the bars hasn't been a problem.

I did cut, center drill, and tap some alum. rd. stock to accept eye bolts on top to hook tie downs into and mounting bolts on the bottom to mount the rack. It's is much more convenient to hook up tie downs this way and they don't have a tendency to slip.

 

[screwball48]

I have been thinking about installing a thin sheet of HDPE or similar material to the cargo rack in my XJ. I find myself placing grocery bags on it, and the spacing between the bars allows part if the bags contents to fall between them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jscherb]

I have been thinking about installing a thin sheet of HDPE or similar material to the cargo rack in my XJ. I find myself placing grocery bags on it, and the spacing between the bars allows part if the bags contents to fall between them.

That's what I was thinking - if you put plastic grocery bags up there everything would be slipping through between the bars.

 

[jscherb]

Everything should be tested by a 6'-6" 225-lb. gorilla. Here's the slide pulled out with the aforementioned gorilla aboard...

 

[jscherb]

He's a playful gorilla, and wants to go for a ride...


And at the very end of the video, demonstrating the slam latch.

 

[jscherb]

Some photos of the slide and shelf together. The shelf can go several inches higher to fit an ARB50 underneath, or it can go lower, although this shelf is a bit too wide to go too much lower. Since this "shelf" needs to go back on my trailer to serve its original purpose there as a cargo rack on the tongue, I'll need to finalize a shelf design soon. Any and all suggestions about shelf design are welcome.

 

[jscherb]

Some cargo.

 

[jjohnson1892]

Looks great! Happy to see that it can support a person's weight, I have a feeling we'd be having some fun with it at camp after a day of wheeling and a few beverages :beer:

For the shelf, I'd consider something that has a lip/rail all the way around. The HF ones are missing it on one side (pointed at your back seats) and smaller items could easily fall out of the front. x2 on having a solid surface on the bottom of the shelf, maybe do buyer-provided so that it can match the floor of the slide?

 

[jscherb]

Looks great! Happy to see that it can support a person's weight, I have a feeling we'd be having some fun with it at camp after a day of wheeling and a few beverages :beer:

For the shelf, I'd consider something that has a lip/rail all the way around. The HF ones are missing it on one side (pointed at your back seats) and smaller items could easily fall out of the front. x2 on having a solid surface on the bottom of the shelf, maybe do buyer-provided so that it can match the floor of the slide?

Thanks!

I was thinking a shelf with a DIY plywood floor might be the way to go; the shelf rails could be done designed so that the shelf size could be chosen by the user to fit his particular cargo needs and then a piece of plywood cut to fit in the assembled size of the rails. The rails would have a lip all around them to prevent cargo from sliding off, and holes for tie-down straps to secure to cargo.

 

[jscherb]

I was asked about access to the storage cubby in the floor - when the tray is pulled out the cubby is fully accessible:

 

[lawdot74]

Looks great!

Just read through the thread after online search coming up with little for the WJ. Looking forward to seeing these "modular" slides available for a DIY setup for the Grand.

Keep up the great work!

 

[jscherb]

Just read through the thread after online search coming up with little for the WJ. Looking forward to seeing these "modular" slides available for a DIY setup for the Grand.

Keep up the great work!

Thank you very much. I'm glad you like the design.