I just came up with what might be a pretty cool idea for storing the countless items we want/need on the trail in our broncos - this may not be some new revolutionary idea - but I'm thinking of building a modular storage system out of military surplus ammo cans. They are fairly weatherproof, light weight, and they're cheap. My idea (since I don't run a back seat) is to get a couple of pieces of angle iron to bolt to the floor using the holes already there for the factory rear bench seat. This will form a "fixture" or "cradle" to drop ammo cans loaded with strategically organized gear into, that will run across the bed floor between the wheel wells. I would line the angle iron with rubber weatherstip type material to keep the cans from rattling around in this cradle.
What I have in mind is the following:
1 can for "survival" type gear including matches, raincoat, leatherman tool, flashlight, fire starting material, etc.
1 can for misc. fluids (power steering, brake, starting fluid, carb cleaner, etc)
1 can for hand tools
1 or 2 cans for non-perishable foods
1 can for recovery gear
I figure I can fit probably 6-7 of them between the wheel wells. They are low profile enough too that soft items can be stored on top of them (tent, pad, sleeping bag, etc). This also forms a barrier to keep things like coolers, etc. from sliding around as they'll be wedged between the tailgate and the ammo cans, and will save a little floor space for my dog.
This might be a little on the redneck side... but I think it'll work great. On my slickrock trip, I had two plastic totes jammed full of stuff, plus a large cooler, plus all the normal camping gear. Not only did this consume a lot of floor space, it showed me that smaller, more organized containers make it easier to find stuff, especially in the dark.
Has anybody come up with anything like this? I think this might be a very inexpensive way to add a little organization and weather protection to my rig's interior.
I've also considered making some kind of shelf in the back to allow small stuff to be stored under coolers. The shelf idea seems like it might end up consuming more space than it provides, kind of like a closet organizer in a small closet.
What I have in mind is the following:
1 can for "survival" type gear including matches, raincoat, leatherman tool, flashlight, fire starting material, etc.
1 can for misc. fluids (power steering, brake, starting fluid, carb cleaner, etc)
1 can for hand tools
1 or 2 cans for non-perishable foods
1 can for recovery gear
I figure I can fit probably 6-7 of them between the wheel wells. They are low profile enough too that soft items can be stored on top of them (tent, pad, sleeping bag, etc). This also forms a barrier to keep things like coolers, etc. from sliding around as they'll be wedged between the tailgate and the ammo cans, and will save a little floor space for my dog.
This might be a little on the redneck side... but I think it'll work great. On my slickrock trip, I had two plastic totes jammed full of stuff, plus a large cooler, plus all the normal camping gear. Not only did this consume a lot of floor space, it showed me that smaller, more organized containers make it easier to find stuff, especially in the dark.
Has anybody come up with anything like this? I think this might be a very inexpensive way to add a little organization and weather protection to my rig's interior.
I've also considered making some kind of shelf in the back to allow small stuff to be stored under coolers. The shelf idea seems like it might end up consuming more space than it provides, kind of like a closet organizer in a small closet.
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