Access Cab Dog Platform UDPATE (pics)

I was getting a fair amount of requests for dims on my platform, and I've been slacking on getting this up, but here are two scale pdfs, one is laid out on a sheet of 4x8 ply and one just has dims, there are a few other parts to cut and fit and things to figure out, but this should get y'all started, its for my 2011 AC I removed the seats, headrests and rear center console before fitting. Hope this helps! posting with the understanding that this is for DIY personal use.

 

Oh but this would have been so helpful LAST week. Oh well. It’s all good.

 

haha, many apologies! But I was finally getting to enjoy the truck on the sandy beaches of OBX last week! Back in the shop and found it in the robots brain, next time ill be sure to label the file name correctly! The process of figuring it out is the funnest part

 

AND the OBX is an amazing place!!!

 

It's OK. Your blueprints wouldn't have worked exactly. You built yours to cover the rear seatbelt mounts and I needed those to anchor the dog harnesses. My top deck was 52" x 19.5", and the side panels were 6" high exactly. Cardboard templates help so much!

OBX = 'Outer Banks'? I've been there once, in 2003 just after Hurricane Isabel. I'm a photographer and wanted to photograph Hatteras lighthouse at sunset.

 

Agreed!

 

Yup, been going the past couple years with a group of friends, beautiful beaches, feels like your own personal beach when you can set up shop with multiple vehicles and all the supplies you need.

 

They let you drive on the beach?
The only place you can do that in CA is Pismo Beach and it’s a mad house!!

 

Yeah Yeah buddy...

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is Federal Land...


Runs from just north of the Hatteras area all the way down and onto Ocracoke Island.

Personally we love Ocracoke...

Second pic is our shell houl from an ATV trip over to Portsmough Island.... We highly recommend the ATV tour if your staying on Ocracoke Island!




Permit is purchased before you go and taped into your windshield...

https://www.nps.gov/caha/index.htm

 

But it gets better if you book a private ferry to Portsmouth Island or to Cape Lookout

You can camp w/out a permit on either island for up to 14-days.

The NPS runs some cabin rentals if you want to try that... otherwise tent next to but not on the dunes and drive where you want on about 25 or so miles of beach with nothing to stop ya.


These are pics of a friends trip there a couple years ago!

 

This is what I’m trying to do next year! I read about a trip down there and that’s what sparked the interest in OBX to begin with. We’ve been staying in Corolla, last year rented a house in the 4x4 area, this year stayed more inland but got our sun and sand on the 4x4 beach pretty much every day

 

FWIW I am heading to Lowes tonight for a 2x3 to see about making my platform hinged but possibly in two halves...

Staying on topic! Ha!

 

You cannot … I repeat CANNOT have enough clamps ….

 

The bar clamps helped a lot!!

 

Made some progress today,

Got my four legs on, outers are 7.5” inners are 7 3/8”

Ended up using large nylon spacer washers and large rubber grommets under the board to let it flex a bit. But it’s still good and tightened down. Also had to source the 2” long bolts to replace the seat belt bolts from Ace, they are a large fine thread that’s actually not metric! I learned this while hunting a set of bolts for the Land Cruiser months ago. Went to three places and no one could figure it out.

Turns out searching MUD that the US regulates that imports still use a Standard thread on belt buckles and webbing reels. Who knew? I didn’t, lol...

I’m going to run this for a while and see if I want to cut it in half and install a couple of 2x3s I have cut to 22” for each side and put a 12” piano hinge onto each one. Or I may decide to trim around the front edge and support it better to cut some doors but hinge them close to the seat back, that way you can get into them w/out having to adjust the seat angles.

Not sure yet, as it sits now it’s just a solid flat floor, remove two bolts and it’s out.

Eventually I may cover it too.

Not going to lie, I thought about taking it to the Line-X guy and getting all creative with some 80/20 for the legs.

 

Looks nice! Carpeting will help a lot, especially to make it non slip.

Our four doxies love the new platform. Just back from a weekend camping trip to Carmel and Santa Cruz.

 

So after getting my Herculiner on my board I realized a huge mistake!!!

Finally read the warnings, none of the bedliner stuff is meant to be inside the vehicle! It’s toxic! It does smell terrible, thought about leave it outside for four-dive days cause I haven’t put it in the truck yet.

The most upsetting part is no one at Lowes or HD asked about where it was being applied even after I mentioned it being used inside the truck, lol...


So I’m going to recut another board, but I think I want to make a little bit better. Looking at medium density fiber board? Half-inch or three-quarter or what do I need?

Then this one will get carpet, hahaha

 

Bummer. Best to read fine print before you apply. Not surprised with the lack of warnings from the salespeople. Most of them are only interested in making a sale.

 

I went from a little dog (RIP) to a big dog this summer...And the new dog was not happy in the back of the access cab..so a platform became a must!
I checked out this thread front to back and had enough scraps to do this for $25...$11 for a scrap carpet from Home Depot and a pack of carpet nails and $10 for the camping pad at Ocean State Job Lot...

I decided to place a 2x3 across the base on top of the seats about 3 inches in...It's a natural resting place for the board and I left enough length so it just fits behind the bump in storage bins on the access cab doors. That keeps the platform from sliding left, right, forward or backward. It's nestled in there perfectly with maybe 1/8" play in any direction. It rests on the center console lid and 2 2x3" legs...
The 3/4" plywood is cut 18.5x45. This lets me still put my seat all the way back and by leaving it short of going all the way across I could slip my seat forward and give the dog a spot to jump up into and out of the truck.
The shag carpet gives the dog tons of grip for braking and cornering and she loves just laying on it...

 

Final revision! Maybe, lol...

Turns out Herculiner is TOXIC and you don’t want it in your car. Outside yes, inside no! See prior post!


So onto revision three, I ended up trying a 1/2” piece of board sold at Home Depot as a “Craft” or “Project” board. They are 24x48 MDF. I had them rip it down to 22” because that’s what I knew would fit for me and let me keep the seat where I needed it. I’m 6’4”.

I decided to spray this one in Flex Seal, actually came out not to bad. Flex Seal is non toxic but once I finished Rev-4 with carpet I wish I had carpeted it all along. Just thankful this version is my keeper.

Here is the best part, seeing as I have a Utility Cab, I had seen before if you leave the factory cubby covers in place they are a level surface. Now your sacrificing the area under them but I have made up for it with my Hefty bins sourced at Wal-Mart three years ago when I got the truck.

If you remove the cubby “doors” the floor wants to slant downward towards the front of the truck which is why my first trial needed those legs.

So I thought to myself I wonder if I put two holes in towards the rear and made a spacer of sorts of washers between the carpet and the board the bolts hold the board very securely and the board sits perfectly level WITHOUT having to use legs on the front.

See the majority of any weight is kept towards the rear anyways, wether it be my cooler of luggage. Which means the weight is very evenly distributed over both of the covers and across the width. I was onto something.



Rev-4...

After seeing the 48” width was just a tad to short for my OCDness, I knew I wanted to make the jump to 3/4” MDF, I purchased it a few days ago at Lowe’s and had them cut me two identical 22x52 pieces.

Drilled my holes, test fitted and then removed it today and added the carpet.

It’s awesome!

However I may be doing one more as the 52” width actually barely touches the back doors when closed. If it weren’t covered it would be fine. So if I can hear it squeak or anything in the coming week I’ll have them rip the other piece down to 51 then I’ll be done.

Oh I also though about adding some trick aluminum edging but I’m not sure. If I did do that I’d need the 51” version anyways.

Pics of the progress and it bolted into place.

In the first two pics you can see my Hefty totes that slide under the “shelf” perfectly.

I’m going to Wal-Mart as I found this smaller Stay Holds SUV tens for u def 4 bucks each. I’m going to get a few of those to keep my windscreen from rolling around back there.