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Creative storage ideas...

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solace22

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Im looking to come up with some creative storage ideas behind the rear seat in the K5. Id like to store various gear, tools, recovery, food/water etc. If you have some handy ideas post them, better yet a pic if youve got it! thanks guys!

Here is a real quick and crappy attempt I had last year at adding some pullout drawers. The idea needs work though...

20150117_154125_zps7pkbwqli.jpg
 
I know there are a few companies out there making sliding units that sit in the beds/rear of trucks/SUV's, but I'm guessing they are pretty pricey.

Creating something large enough to accommodate a fair bit of equipment and hold up, I can see getting real pricey.

Is this stuff you intend to keep in the truck at all times? Or would it be nice to be able to remove it to haul larger or different things around?

These would be difficult to move with a fair bit of weight in them, http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/contico-pro-tuff-bin and take a fair bit of space, but in terms of plastic storage containers, are light years ahead of the totes sold at wal-mart and the like. Contico also make ones without the integral lock, they might be cheaper.

The Contico ones won't hold up to a ton of abuse, but you can sit and probably stand on them without breaking, the same cannot be said of similar products that are cheaper...they tend to crack very easily, just like the wal-mart totes.
 
I'd like to keep it all in there full time. I'm also trying to figure out a way to keep a 35" spare secure inside.
I don't have side interior panels in the back of my truck but I have the templates to print. My thought was to modify it a bit, and including shelving in there to store some things. Kinda like this except not so broad on the sides.
bb8e7bc847a023f3ff2b04beba481314.jpg
 
Personally, I hate having the spare in the truck. They just take up way too much room. I put a Valley Industries swing away tire carrier on that mounts to the back quarter and tailgate. It's held up fine to the weight of a 35" tire. I don't think they're made any more but you could probably adapt one from a Bronco to work on a Blazer.

I had a custom box built for the back of my blazer. It was t-shaped to fit the shape of the floor. It was an enclosed box that housed a pair of 10" subwoofers between the wheel wells with all the amps and crossovers mounted on the front face behind the seat. It widened out to the full width of the bed behind the wheel wells and was an open bin accessible by a hinged top. I was able to keep a highlift, straps, chains, etc in it. The whole thing was about 8" high. It worked very well but I really came to dislike the added height when loading stuff into the back of the truck. I did a lot of surf fishing and heaving a loaded cooler into the back was a PITA. If I did it again, I would build everything into the sides of the back to leave the floor the same level as the tailgate.

I like these wheel well side boxes. They utilize the odd shaped space behind the wheel wells and leave the floor open.

http://www.undertonneaucover.com/Ram-Swing-Case-Tool-Box-p/sc-ram.htm

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_automotive+truck-boxes+wheel-well-boxes
 
runamok151 said:
Personally, I hate having the spare in the truck. They just take up way too much room. I put a Valley Industries swing away tire carrier on that mounts to the back quarter and tailgate. It's held up fine to the weight of a 35" tire. I don't think they're made any more but you could probably adapt one from a Bronco to work on a Blazer.

I had a custom box built for the back of my blazer. It was t-shaped to fit the shape of the floor. It was an enclosed box that housed a pair of 10" subwoofers between the wheel wells with all the amps and crossovers mounted on the front face behind the seat. It widened out to the full width of the bed behind the wheel wells and was an open bin accessible by a hinged top. I was able to keep a highlift, straps, chains, etc in it. The whole thing was about 8" high. It worked very well but I really came to dislike the added height when loading stuff into the back of the truck. I did a lot of surf fishing and heaving a loaded cooler into the back was a PITA. If I did it again, I would build everything into the sides of the back to leave the floor the same level as the tailgate.

I like these wheel well side boxes. They utilize the odd shaped space behind the wheel wells and leave the floor open.

http://www.undertonneaucover.com/Ram-Swing-Case-Tool-Box-p/sc-ram.htm

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_automotive+truck-boxes+wheel-well-boxes
Click to expand...

Oh I hate the idea of it being inside the truck too BUT without custom making something (ive no time for it or fab skills) I also dont have 1500$ for a swing out tire carrier. So its the cheapest option right now. I dont drive the truck daily and its really just a "for fun" truck so. I would just throw a toolbox back there and call it a day but I like things being secured and I really dont want to drill into the floor for tie down points. So I guess that leaves me a little stuck.
Since I have to do those interior side panels anyhow I figure I could probably just combine the wheel well box into the side panel as a starting point. I do think you might be right about keeping the center at least the same height as the tailgate...
 
I like the idea of a sliding tray or drawers. Esp when the truck is lifted. My short ass doesn't reach very far past the tailgate. I've seen several interesting homebuilds using plywood and rollers of various kinds. Was going to build something like that for mine. Was also thinking of a fliptop so when the bench is folded flat I've got a long flat floor.
 
Thats why I liked these drawers. Ive got a ton of them and they dont use rollers or anything and are nice and deep. Perfect for lots of gear. Im just trying to figure out a way to keep it all in the truck safely. I dont like the idea of stuff flying about the cab if I rolled or something, ya know?
 
I built an interior mount to fit a 35-37" spare and was thinking of using the framing to build mounts for Rubbermaid Action Packer totes. I'm not there yet, but I've seen it done really well in some of the magazines. One of my requirements was to be able to transfer the gear between the K5 and the Jeep. I really like these canvas "parachute" bags as a lazy substitute for now:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Parachute-Cargo-Bag-19/dp/B000E94SD2

Stuff always packs more efficiently in soft side things, and even if they aren't mounted, they aren't inclined to move around unless something serious is going on (crash, rollover, major whoops). Those parachute bags are about the right size that you can still carry them if they are packed full of tools and heavy stuff.
 
I did a quick and dirty storage solution by putting two "under-the-bed" bins under a platform in the back. With carpet, they slide in and out easily and since they work, I never got around to figuring out something better. That's because I only want them there sometimes - so ease of removal is key and there are no holes in the truck. So in the meantime, don't shy away from something like action-packers, bins or bags. Sometimes being able to grab it entirely out of the truck for searching or loading is actually a key feature. You can always focus the build on tie-down points and quick connect/release fasteners.
 
I've got a platform in the back of my Suburban that gives me a huge flat floor and storage underneath it. I'll be taking it out and modifying it a bit though. We've been sleeping in the suburban when camping and we've found that that low ceiling height makes it kind of a pain in the ass. Also, the compartments under the platform are 64" deep, I've lost things under there and couldn't reach them. It's going to get chopped in half and I'll build drawers for it. The hi-lift and air bottle are getting mounted on the rear bumper so I won't need as much storage inside.
I'm rambling, here are some pics.

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image.jpeg

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Ammo boxes in Burb doors work really well.

Burbs and Blazers have tons of space above the wheel wells behind the the panels in a Blazer and the steel on a Burb
 
When I had my '72 K5 I never had the rear seat in it--99% of the time it was just me in it,or one passenger..
I liked going to tractor pulls and drag strips far from home,and camped out in it quite a bit..
I ended up making a raised plywood platform similar to Muddysub's for it..used 3/4" plywood,with some bed frame angle iron braces bolted in spots that needed extra beef to prevent flexing..
It could be removed quickly if it wasn't needed..

,I made it in 3 sections ,running across from side to side,hinged with piano type hinges I got off a P-30 step van's rear door at a boneyard..200 or so rivets had to be ground or chiseled off,but they were nice thick aluminum ones,and 5 bucks a pair!..

That allowed me to lift up the rear or front section of the bed to get at items stored underneath...the center section had a divider underneath (a piece of 2x12") to support my weight and keep things from sliding all the way forward you placed near the tail gate..

I made it so it went all the way from the back of the front seats to the tailgate,and just wide enough to clear the side panels..
I could put my Camping stove,sleeping bags,food,etc all under the platform and still have nothing cluttering up the "bed" above..

I used 4 metal milk crates at the corners of the platform ,to raise the "bed" up high enough to let a stock sized spare to slide under it,those also gave me a spot to store my bottle jack,jumper cables,some quarts of oil,gallon of anti-freeze,etc,things you wouldn't be needing that often,but easy to access if you did..
I put foam pipe insulation on the crates so the plywood wouldn't rattle on it and drive you nuts..

I also had a spare tire on a rack on the tailgate similar to the ones shown above...I like having more than one spare,it has saved my butt more than once...like the day a plank lying in the road I ran over with nails in it,and punctured both my right side tires..:doah:..

I put some of the closed cell foam mats sold for camping on the plywood with contact cement,then put indoor-outdoor carpet on top of that with some adhesive...it was very firm,but with a sleeping bag or air mattress,it was OK for sleeping...being 6'5" tall,I did find the lack of headroom a real pain though,litteraly--I had to remember NOT to sit up all the way,or my forehead would get gashed open by the sharp textured coating on the fiberglass roof...

I like my van much better for camping,at least you cant whack your skull if you sit up on the "bed" I made for it..still cant stand upright in it though,and a few days hunched over like that will put you in agony for days...
I made the "bed" for the van in such a way it folds up into a pair of "bench seats" running lengthwise from front to rear with an open area in the center for your legs...
 
I have 3 little girls so the backseat is staying in. Im half tempted to put a bench seat up front. :D
This whole concept of the truck is a SHTF vehicle. If I need to get from a to b it will get there. Im just doing things slowly and working on all the maintenence stuff first and a few fun projects as I go.
I agree, I think they wheel wells have lots of space there. I think that is where I am going to start. I need to get those side panels printed out, cut and build some boxes into them as a start. I could build from that I suppose. But it will be one project down. Another cool thought I had was putting this kind of thing on the sides of those panels and it would open up a ton of options that way.
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muddysub said:
I've got a platform in the back of my Suburban that gives me a huge flat floor and storage underneath it. I'll be taking it out and modifying it a bit though. We've been sleeping in the suburban when camping and we've found that that low ceiling height makes it kind of a pain in the ass.
Click to expand...

 
That's a good idea. Kind of a metal version of MOLLE gear. Attach anything on the sides w/ loops or velcro tabs.
 
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