One of my weekend projects.
We haven't been camping together for a couple years or more, since we started the cabin project with tree thinning. I've made a few solo trips and slept in the back of the Cherokee. For two the back of the Cherokee is too short, too narrow between the wheel wells. We have a December trip to the Mojave planned and wanted to be able to sleep in the back and to store things like the folding chairs, tent, tools where they weren't always in the way.
It's not completed yet, there are a few more details to be added such as an extension at the rear for feet support...
(https://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q305/djmbucket/vehicles/1P1030765mod.jpg)
(https://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q305/djmbucket/vehicles/1P1030763mod.jpg)
Here's the underside with two of the supports bolted on and the third waiting.
(https://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q305/djmbucket/vehicles/1P1030761mod.jpg)
Angle aluminum stock for lighter weight. 1.25 x 1.25 x 0.125 and 1 x 1 x .062 angle stock, bolted with 10-32 machine screws and nylock nuts. It would have been nice to weld it but I don't weld aluminum and I didn't want heavier steel. Got enough heavy steel in the Jeep.
Many years ago I built a similar thing for our Scout Traveler. It was much heavier, much more wood, had trap doors in the top for access to lockers below.
Don,
Your probably gonna want to cross brace those aluminum floor joists in case of wind shear. Do you plan on thru bolting them to the Jeep floor ? What kind of insulation are you planning on using? Have you decided what you are going to underpin it with? What about depth of mattress or do you just plan on a simple bed roll? ;D
Looks good. I used to sleep in the back of my suburban when I had it. I put a air mattress in the back and a sleeping bag and a pillow and it was almost as good as home.
Can you flip the front seats forward and put your feet up there? Or would that still be too short?
I admire your resilience. I slept a few times in the back of my truck and never got a good night's sleep.
I built something similar, except instead of aluminum I used 2x10. Some of those plastic rubbermaid containers slid under just right for camping gear, tools, etc.
Yours will be a lot lighter and easy to move around. Looks good.
Frank, we find Thermarest pads are the answer, especially when K uses two of them. :D
The seats don't tip far enough forward. I can sleep back there myself but for K it's a tad too short to be comfortable.
Shawn, yes my previous effort was all wood and heavy as all heck. It took the two of us to move it in and out.
I can remember back to the days when my wife and I actually WANTED to climb in the back together........ d*
very creative Don.