Back Seat Backrests Storage Compartment Cover Mod Ideas?

The 2 compartments behind the back seat backrests are nice and I have stored lots of things in them. But especially if you stuff those compartments with things they can come out if you later have to lay the backseats flat in order to transport something extra. So my question is what can be done about this problem. Below is a pics of how I currently have organized those compartments.



The one near the driver side I don't worry about overflowing. That is my frequent go to compartment for things like spare grocery bags or keep warm bag for my takeout orders. But the one next to the passenger side is more a long term storage the way I have it right now. It contains a jumper battery, road flares, fire starting kit, some backup clothes, fix a flat, mini sleeping bags, and various other things I don't think I'll be required to use often. I might have a video sometime about all the things I keep in my truck. I recently purchased it so I may wait until its better setup. Anyways, for that side of the compartments I like a professional solution that will keep the stuff in place if I ever have to lay the seats flat. I prefer a two piece solution rather than one piece, because as I mentioned the driver side I use frequently so I don't want to put a cover there that will get in the way.

One solution I guess is just to put a piece of cardboard over that spot, but I would like something nicer looking if possible. Another might be some kind of netting. While another might be hard plastic sheet of some kind with some slots cut out to fit over the latch or whatever that metal piece is called that is coming out of the back. I think there may also be lockable compartments you can purchase for those spots. Another idea might be to put those items inside cube bags, some of which I already used as you can see the turquoise bags at the bottom. Those help to keep things in place a bit, but I think stuff on the top will still fall out. And another possibility might be to find a large zipper cube style bag that fits near perfectly in that spot, and then inside it you can put the smaller bags and things. That way you don't need any extra cover to have to deal with and your stuff is still in place if you ever have to lay the seats flat. Any other ideas? Looking for a cheap but professional solution. Also looking to keep the stock configuration as much as possible. I know some have removed that compartment completely and put various mods in its place. Feel free to post pics of your compartment and what solutions you came up with.

 

a member on here sells custom Molle panels that replace the bins entirely. You can add pouches for some of your smaller items, rest can just sit in the floor space. Pricey though ($200+ and done in batches)

Option 2 is remove the bins and just use the larger floor space. The bins take up a lot of usable area.

Option 3 is make yourself some sort of door for the bins out of something like abs plastic sheet with hinges attached.

Option 4 is get yourself a cargo net and affix it however you want to keep all your stuff in place, honestly super easy to do.

That’s all I got.

 

I did a bit more thinking and research, and I think probably the best option for me, at least right now, is to go with a large packing cube or under bed storage. They come in various shapes and sizes, qualities, and materials. Here is an example of how they look like:



I measured the compartment on the passenger side to be about 26.5" x 18" x 6", so I think I need to find one of those storage cubes that is about that dimension, preferably with a mesh door so I can see what's inside and so it's breathable. The good thing with these are that not only should they keep the item in place without any major mods, but a lot of times they have handles on them and you can easily just pull the whole thing out, for whatever reason, let's say you want to put it on a table and take some things out of it, or replace it with another kit for different purposes, or you need to clear out your vehicle for some reason. Here are some I found on Amazon so far that are closer to those dimensions, they're not very expensive, still looking:

$34 storageLAB Under Bed Storage Containers, Closet Organizers and Storage Bins, 2 Pack Underbed Clothes Storage Organizer with Sturdy Handles for use Under the Bed, End of Bed, Bed Accessories, Comforter

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QXG65Q...&pd_rd_r=1be69905-a65c-11e9-b928-890269d88dbc

$30 Sorbus Storage Bags Closet & Underbed Organizer Set, Clear Cover, Foldable with Carry Handles, Great for, Clothes, Linens, Bedding, Closets, Bedrooms, and more (Closet Organizer, Gray)

https://www.amazon.com/Sorbus-Under...E4SE5TQXDWG&psc=1&refRID=RSYYKGPHDE4SE5TQXDWG

VEAMOR Underbed Storage clothing or shoes Boxes (grey)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PWCXR1S/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?pd_rd_i=B07K1XHQZQ&th=1

$17 iwill CREATE PRO Under Bed Storage Container, Underbed Shoe Storage Organizer Box with Lid,Dark Gray

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078WNL3R6/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B078WNL3R6

$26 Amazon Basics Under Bed Fabric Zipper Storage Container Bags with Window and Handles, 2-Pack, 30.2 x 20 x 5.7"es, Gray

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics...PPCA8KG6QF3&psc=1&refRID=SKQA8ZMYFPPCA8KG6QF3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073PRKWR7/ref=emc_b_5_t

DII Breathable Under-The-Bed Soft Storage Bag, Medium S/2, Black Linen

https://www.amazon.com/DII-Breathable-Storage-Viewing-Closure/dp/B01ENYSX8Y/ref=sr_1_150?keywords=zipper+underbed+storage&qid=1563125491&s=gateway&sr=8-150&th=1

 

DII Breathable Under-The-Bed Soft Storage Bag, Medium S/2, Black Linen

https://www.amazon.com/DII-Breathab...torage&qid=1563125491&s=gateway&sr=8-150&th=1

After some more research I decided to go with this item from Amazon, which is the same one in the picture in the previous post, came as a 2 pack, and cost about $18 after shipping. It's dimension 24 x 18 x 6" are very similar to that of the compartment, only about 2.5 inch difference in length. However, for some reason it seems to hold all the items and maybe even room to spare inside. I'm not sure why something smaller can hold as much or more, except maybe that the items are not free floating like before, but held together by the zipper, which might allow it to hold more items where before trying to do so would make the items fall out, see pic in first post in the thread for how the items used to be stored. Also, the zipper bag setup might allow the items to be able to be squished together more, increasing storage space. And extra 1 or 2 inches that are left can now be used for something else.







The good thing with this setup is that:

1. Seems to allow me to store more things in the same place as before.
2. If I have to lay the back seats flat, my items in that compartment won't easily fall out.
3. The bag with all the items can easily be taken out and placed on a table, to pack things inside or take things out. It can also easily be transported to another location, and can easily be switched out with another bag with different gear. Huge improvement over my previous setup.
4. Clear plastic, can see items inside.
5. Seems decent quality, the fabric seems thick and strong, and the plastic tougher than I thought.
6. Seat latches closed just fine in my setup, but if you fill it up a lot it might be though to close.
7. Relatively cheap mod.

The bad:

1. Zipper might not be good quality, some negative reviews about the zipper as well on Amazon.
2. The side that doesn't zipper open, by design, is the short side of the rectangle, see unzipped picture above, but doesn't seem a big deal because still can get to the stuff.

I just installed this today so it hasn't been tested much, but overall I'm very happy with it. It turned out better than I expected.