Access Cab Storage Organization

The trac mat I received was quite wide so I had to cut about 3" off. Picking up the Dewalt toolboxes at Home Depot later today to finalize it.

This pic shows the mat as is with a small amount cut for a flush fit on the center console. I soon realized I would need to cut off a lot more if I wanted the seats to move back to a comfortable position.



Edit: I added new pic of trac mat after being trimmed below in separate reply post.

 

You drive with the seat back as far as it goes? And 3" cut off allows the seat to go all the way back? I may not have to cut the full 3" off mine because I have no rear Munchkin seats. I need to do this to my Bedrug mat. Free it up from it's place in my closet. LOL!

 

I didn't cut mine at all. With the boxes in place, the seat only goes back as far as them. I would recommend against cutting it until you get them.

 

Ordered the trac mat and two Dewalt boxes today, simple and functional for my purposes.

 

I used 3/4 plywood with a 4X4 post on the drivers side along with a shortened 4X4 post for the center hump. Passenger side is supported by my shallow mount sub box loaded with a 10 inch JL Audio TW3. Added carpet padding and indoor/outdoor carpet. Supports my 100 lb. Rottie just fine.

 

This looks great. May I ask what the dimensions were before you carpeted it?

 

I don't drive with the seat all the way back but I did have to cut 3" off the trac mat to get it to where I wanted it. If I didn't cut that much off, the seat would stop at the trac mat instead of the tool box.

Pro tip for anyone who cuts the trac mat: carpet side up when cutting and singe the edges with a lighter once done so it doesn't fray. (if you don't plan on wrapping it with carpet).

 

Not in my experience. As you can see, I have the dewalt toolbox and the trac mat extended past the toolbox so if I did not trim it down, the seat would hit the trac mat first.

 

You know why? You kept your jump seats. I removed mine and the mat slides just up against my molle panel.

 

Sorry I didn't write down any measurements prior to install. I had 2 pieces of 24x24 3/4 plywood laying around after building shelves in my shed and just used them. I also used a 1x3 under the plywood on the back wall. I made sure to wrap all the edges tight to avoid any scratching of the interior plastic. If you want I can measure the finished product.

 

Sure, when you get a sec a measurement of your finished panel would be great. I am in process of measuring with a piece of cardboard right now. May use a piece of poly board or marine board, we'll see. Thanks.

 

Gus,

Here are the measurements as requested. 50" long X 21.5" wide. The 4x4 on the drivers side is 8.5 inches long. I had a scrap piece of wood from the packaging of a bay window i ordered approximately a 1x3 that i used on the underside of the platform against the back wall (see enclosed photo). You will probably be fine without the 1x3 but i needed the extra clearance for my sub box. All sharp edges were carpeted to avoid scratching the very "sensitive" plastic panels inside these trucks. Let me know if you need anything else.

 

Many thanks for this. I'll definitely attach some photos of mine as my building process continues!

 

Curious how you did this, what size bolts? Are there nuts behind the backrest plywood if so and how did you get them there? Also how did you deal with the angle at the top of the backrest plywood - is it ll one piece because it looks seamless?

 

Went the Dewalt cases and trac mat route, left the seats in for now. Works for my needs and was super easy. I used the Dewalt cases for air pump, 1st aid kit, recovery gear, binoculars, folding shovel and a few other items. Putting my tools in the plastic cases would probably rattle way too much. I already have a nice tool bag that I like and can just throw that in the back when needed.

 

I don't remember the bolt sizes, sorry, but I just took the existing Toyota bolts to Home Depot and matched the thread sizes and got them longer to account for the plywood thickness. It is three pieces, the seat, the back and then that top portion. There are lots of existing nut/bolt receivers on the metal frame behind the factory seats so I just threaded the bolts through those. The angle is already there from the factory frame, so I just bolted the top pieces down and beveled the edges so they plywood would sit flat. I drilled out insets for the bolts so the whole thing is smooth for gear. Then at the top where the plywood meeting the glass I drilled on two door thresholds to cover up the gaps. I also put a ton of sound deadener behind all this to deal with road noise.

Happy to explain anything further if you need!

 

Oh okay, the top is a separate piece and beveled that makes sense. I came across a Tacomaholic video about installing the steel molly panel and apparently it's am M6 bolt. I think I'm going to go for fiberglass wood back there. Thanks!

 

Hi everyone, glad to see that this topic has been kept alive! I finally took the time to build a platform and wanted to share my design.

Like many others, I first bought the Track Mat. It's nice but I wanted something less soft/flexible and decided it was either plywood or PVC board. Here's what I came up with:

I bought a 2x4' sheet of 1/4" PVC board vs plywood because I was concerned the wood may warp/twist with temperature changes inside the cab of the truck. This cost $21.94.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-4-in-x-24-in-x-4-ft-White-PVC-Trim-1506278/301230763

I already had two 24"x24" rubber-backed carpet squares on-hand and I figure if I had to buy them they would cost about $15-20 for a pair.

Bought

$44 TRIM-LOK - 1350B2X1/2-25 Trim-Lok Edge Trim – Fits 1/2” Edge, 19/32” Leg Length, 25’ Length, Black, Pebble Texture – Flexible PVC Edge Protector for Sharp/Rough Surfaces, Easy to Install

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CJRI9M2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8 which I used as a nice, neat border that sandwiched the carpet squares and PVC board.

For the underside I used 2 cheap doormats--I actually looked for 1/4" rubber runner but it was too expensive. These cost $15.96 for the pair.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mohawk-Hom...n-2-ft-x-3-ft-Actual-24-in-x-36-in/1000265879

To glue the carpet squares and the door mats I used rubber cement and Gorilla Glue spray adhesive. Doing it again I would just go with the Gorilla Glue adhesive.

Thanks to member @davidstacoma--I used his idea of the Hefty Storage Bins--they are pretty close in height making the platform almost level:

https://www.target.com/p/hefty-18qt-plastic-storage-bin-with-gray-hi-rise-stackable-lid/-/A-16644158?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000014779327&CPNG=PLA_Storage+Organization+Shopping_Brand&adgroup=SC_Storage+Organization&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=9007275&targetid=pla-300192947978&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1247068&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3duCBhCAARIsAJeFyPXH9XiSPZYWVZua3JSOwOhtNb4AvFgbSfDsxUZh4aXEH6bqLERO2XYaAs67EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

So, in the store the PVC sheet measured 23-ish by 48" and the finished platform ended up being 24" x 48 1/4" (also made a 6" wide by 1/4" deep cut in the center edge to make sure the finished piece would clear the truck's center cup holder). I glued the carpets squares to the 'top' of the panel, put weight on them, let them bond overnight. I then rounded the corners by placing a can on each corner and was easily able to cut the PVC and carpet with a sharp utility knife. After that, I wrapped the panel with the edge trim then flipped the piece over and glued the doormats--I glued the carpet-side to the PVC so the rubber-side would keep the panel from sliding. That's what I'm hoping for!) Put weight on the piece again and I put it in my truck today! I think it turned out pretty good and only time will tell how it holds up. I still smell a little rubber cement and I imagine that will dissipate. Attached are some photos. Would be happy to answer any questions. If I did it again I would sandwich the carpet tiles, the PVC and the door mats together and glue all at once and then trim the piece, add the edge trim (would need 3/4" trim for that set-up). Thanks to everyone here for their suggestions and ideas. I hope my design makes sense and again feel-free to ask me to clarify.

 

Man that’s some good work! Especially with the edge trim! Like how you can easily flip up to access the storage compartments as well!
Thanks for the details and photos

 

Thank you!