Shorty Sierra Storage Systems

[raqmup]

I searched, but pics are gone from the threads. I want to do one with a false floor over the wheel wells with a single drawer and tie downs on the top.
Pics of your handy work guys and maybe what materials you used and how long it took you (roughly)? Mike

[Kitika]

Here's pics for ya mate. Sounds like your doing all the same mods as me at the same time I finished this about a month back doesnt have a drawer cos i stuff my swag etc underneath the floor. Also i'll be adding marine carpet to the top and some tie down points for the esky
The frames made of 25x25x1.6 rhs to keep it light (and hard to weld with a stick welder... ) and 3ply or 4 ply? cant remember plywood for the surfaces.




By the way i dont think its technically legal to carry fuel like i am in the back and i will be making a seperate tray for the jerry can to sit in so if it leaks it has a drain hole to the outside of the car. That should be legal i hope

[CHOPS1]

heres mine i made with ply.


Chop

[Santos]

i imagine the fumes is why you are not aloud petrol container inside the passenger bit

[Kitika]

i imagine the fumes is why you are not aloud petrol container inside the passenger bit

That reason does make alot of sense. I read the part about the drainage to the outside of the vehicle in an old issue of 4wdmonthly i believe. I'll try and track down the article

[Kitika]

I found this while surfing the web
http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/ArchiveVi ... 2%26PN%3D4

and this in 4wdmonthly touring handbook

Don't store petrol in jerry cans inside the vehicle unless they are in a tray that drains to the exterior and complies with AS2906. Locked up in a 4wd, a small leak well turn a jerry can into a Molotov cocktail looking for only a small ignition source. Gas bottles should also be mounted outside the vehicle if possible.

[raqmup]

Thanks so far fellas, both of those look the business!
With the ply drawers, do they rattle around much, or is it pretty un-noticable with the other squeaks and rattles that most sierras have?

The Rhs frame and false floor are a good start and look quite neat. Has anyone played with bearing slides for the drawers? What did you use material wise for the slides 'n rollers? Also, locking mechanisms once the drawers are closed that don't rattle too much? I was thinking some kinda domestic door catch or something like these... pics below.

[CHOPS1]

My ply drawers are tight and do not rattle at all, they have carpet in the bottom also and you dont hear anything banging around.
And also a way of stopping people opening them is to tekscrew a cover plate over the inside latch on the tailgate and always lock the tailgate from the outside. thats asuming you have a softy and this stops people opening it from the inside.
Coz if ya cant open the tailgate you cant open the drawers

chop

[nickw86au]

Sorry 'bout the crappy phone pics - but here's my storage section; just used 90* angle bolted to the existing holes in the body from the trim and bolted form ply onto that. If I want anything stored underneath I can put it into tubs - was going to use drawers, but they're not as versatile and work out much dearer. I havent yet attached the bottom of the vertical section behind the seats yet only held in place with 90* angle screwed to the horiztal section. I also intend to router a few spot for the trapdoor handles that I've bought from bunnings as tie-downs for on top of the horizontal section. It took me a while to get it to this stage only 'cause I don;t have a garage and so if I have a couple of hours to do some work, a lot of that time is taken up in packing and unpacking my tools. Anyway, here's the pics:

[sierrajim]

Don't forget to build then as light as possible for a Sierra. Would tend towards alloy instead of steel for frames.

Would even tend towards a single shelf with plastic tubs in place of actual draws. Much liter and more versatile.

[nickw86au]

Don't forget to build then as light as possible for a Sierra. Would tend towards alloy instead of steel for frames.

Would even tend towards a single shelf with plastic tubs in place of actual draws. Much liter and more versatile.

Have to agree with that too - it's much simpler w/out drawers and you can use the space more efficiently. Forgot to add that with my shelf it's completely lockable with the tailgate lock; you'd need to be pretty handy with a coathanger to open it from the inside - you;d need to know exatly where the hook is and which way you need to pull. If you were worried about the security you could even straighten that hook iside the tailgate so it can't be grabed with a coathanger.

Cheers


Nick.

[CHOPS1]

The one i made with 12mm ply weighs less than the rear seats did! also if you keep the top of the false floor/shelf to just on top of the wheel arched you then have a lip around the outer to stop things rubbing and hitting the soft top. in my pic you can see the lip just behind the seat, along there now and around the sides and the tailgate i have tonneau clips and i use an elasticated cargo net for when i have gear on top and it stops things going anywhere when 4wding.

chop

[raqmup]

Thanks guys, your input's been very helpfull. In regard to theft etc, I may've forgotten to add that my shorty's a hardtop. I was thinking of latches to just stop movement and a bit of added security in case someone managed to open 'er up somehow and pinch all the recovery gear n' stuff.
Jim, I agree with the alloy frame for weight reduction, also the tubs are a good option too if I run out of $'s. However, I think I'd prefer a drawer of some description- depends on how I go for time too... Bit limited these days
Tie down wise, I've seen those adjustable alloy lock rails that some suppliers sell with 'lock in place' rings. What are these like, or are they a waste of money? In the false floor- the recessed spring loaded eyelets or some trap door handless were what I had in mind. Definately going marine carpet for covering the lot.
Once again- thanks for the input so far from everyone.

[jungles]

hey they look sweet just wonderin is there any options if you have a roll bar how would u do it any pics would be much appreiciated

[built4thrashing]

im not a big fan of the shelves as it limits what you can take camping. i pack small. rather than big stuff i pack smaller bags that can be stuffed into the corners easier and use colapsable boxes to reduce the space needed when returning after a camping trip.

[raqmup]

Found some rail based tie down ideas that I've seen at opposite lock and other 4wd suppliers. Are these a waste of money, or are they really handy to have depending on what you're carrying? I'll be camping sometimes with my fridge on board and the usual camping gear incl dry firewood in tubs/cages. Most of my wheeling consists of 1 or 2 day trips as a guide.
What have you fellas used as tie down anchor points?
Pics below.

[sierrajim]

I think bushranger are the ones that sell them out here. Have them in the back of the 100 series. Seem to work ok.

[nickw86au]

Found some rail based tie down ideas that I've seen at opposite lock and other 4wd suppliers. Are these a waste of money, or are they really handy to have depending on what you're carrying? I'll be camping sometimes with my fridge on board and the usual camping gear incl dry firewood in tubs/cages. Most of my wheeling consists of 1 or 2 day trips as a guide.
What have you fellas used as tie down anchor points?
Pics below.

Mine are the same as the ring type down the bottom - cheaper than the slide type. If I had the cash a couple of those slide types would have been great, although I'm not sure about how you would recess them - at least the ring-tye sit flush woth the surface

[raqmup]

Mine are the same as the ring type down the bottom - cheaper than the slide type. If I had the cash a couple of those slide types would have been great, although I'm not sure about how you would recess them - at least the ring-tye sit flush woth the surface

To recess the rails, could use a router to cut a channel into the ply or some narrow aluminium c-channel to strengthen the rails mouning point once the groove is cut? Rings are removable when not needed I think. The single recessed rings might be the go, depending on price for the rails.

[nickw86au]

Mine are the same as the ring type down the bottom - cheaper than the slide type. If I had the cash a couple of those slide types would have been great, although I'm not sure about how you would recess them - at least the ring-tye sit flush woth the surface

To recess the rails, could use a router to cut a channel into the ply or some narrow aluminium c-channel to strengthen the rails mouning point once the groove is cut? Rings are removable when not needed I think. The single recessed rings might be the go, depending on price for the rails.

Not that I expressed it very well in my previous post ; my concern was not so much how you would recess the strip but the strength lost in having such a long section gouged out of the ply - although as you said you could strengthen it with c-section, or I would have probably done it by bolting a long thinish strip of steel underneath the groove for reinforcement which would add to the expense and stuffing around... I also didn't think about the fact that the ings were removable.

I'd say that it depends on how often you need to tie stuff down on top, as the strips would be easier to tie down to as they can be positioned exactly where you need them. If you're going to be tying the same stuff on top all the time (e.g. camping gear) you'd have a pretty good idea of where you need the rings the most though, and so long as you don't ming having few of the trapdoor handle style tiedowns arranged non-symmetrically, it would be the cheaper (and perhaps easier to install?) option

Nick.