Sgt_Lobo's Shelf Modification

This is an idea I came up with on a long road trip to Texas. When I was packing the Xterra, I realized I just didn't have enough storage space for the tools, flares, and everything else I carry with me everyday. So when I got to Texas I told my friends I wanted some sort of shelf in the back of the X. After about a 6 pack, we came up with the idea for this:



The shelf and drawer I purchased at a place called The Container Store in San Antonio.

I attached the shelf by pulling out the tiedowns in the roof. Up front I used a long bolt and two large washers with a nut above the top washer to keep it tight. In the rear, I fashioned two brackets from some steel I purchased at home depot. You will also notice that I had to remove some material from the corners of the shelf in order to get a good fit and prevent it from hanging too low.





Here are some more pics:




And a shot from the rear view mirror:


As you can see, the drawer cuts out a little bit of my view from the rear view, but not too much. I have also since made some other modifications. I placed some clear tubing around the rods that support the drawer so now I don't need the bungy straps to keep the drawer from sliding. I also put the same clear tubing around the sections of shelf I cut to help protect the X from being scratched.

Well, that's about it. I hope you all enjoy.

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Sgt_Lobo
2000 4X4, SE, White
http://www.cableone.net/sgtlobo/xterra.htm

Great Idea Stg!!
Is that an amp I see up there on the rack? I thought about doing something like that too. I was going to build an amp rack since I do not want audio amps taking up cargo space.

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No amp, mine is under my passanger front seat. But that isn't to say you couldn't put one up there if you wanted.

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Sgt_Lobo
2000 4X4, SE, White
http://www.cableone.net/sgtlobo/xterra.htm

Dang...you stole my idea! I was thinking of putting something up there too just to hold small light things. Of course your version is much better looking than what I might have come up with! The only suggestion I would have is that you enclose the front facing side better so stuff won't fly forward in the event of an accident. hopefully you won't have to worry about that, but better safe than sorry! Looks great man!



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ChuckH
2000 SE 4x4, Aztec Red

That is a wicked idea! Are you concerned about the amount of weight being supported? I've done a similar temporary mod with a cargo net, but nothing quite like that. Good job.

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SOXC Member
www.soxc.org

Should be interesting to see what you guys come up with after a twelve pack!

Damn, that's nice man. Clean install, nicely done and serves a very useful purpose. Props!

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01 SE 6cyl 5spd Solar Yellow

Nice job, I guessing you load the shelf from the front of the shelf, within the X and not from the rear. Do you think it could be hinged, so it drops down, load, and clip back up ?

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member of http://www.soxc.org
http://www.geocities.com/x_canuk

Thanks for the comments..

Yes, you load it from the front (the back seat area). The drawer however pulls out towards the back of the X.

I never really though about using a hinge system. I've never had any problems loading or onloading it.

As far as things flying off of it, nothing has yet. It has a rim around it that stands a little over an inch high which keeps everything in there nice and secure. Nothing slides around and nothing falls off. I've had it off-roading several times and have also made several hard stops and nothing has shifted. I still keep the bungy coard hooked on the handle of my toolkit just to make sure it is secure.

As far as supporting the weight, those tie-downs are pretty beefy and nothing has loosened up on me so far (I've had this shelf in for about 7 months now).

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Sgt_Lobo
2000 4X4, SE, White
http://www.cableone.net/sgtlobo/xterra.htm

...and you're just telling us now?

You holdin' out on us, sarge?

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01 SE 6cyl 5spd Solar Yellow

I've been uh, ummm, busy. That's it... Actually it's been a combination of laziness and problems loading web pages to my server that finally got resolved...

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Sgt_Lobo
2000 4X4, SE, White
http://www.cableone.net/sgtlobo/xterra.htm

He must have been busy feeding the homeless and finding the hungry a place to live



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Carl
2000 Silver Ice SE 4x4
Florida Xtreme Xterras

that is a truly cool Mod. I may be attempting this later this summer.

Matt

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I've been hacked by PoizonBOX.

I made one last Feb for a VCR. The four (existing) mount points are not overly strong so be cautious about weight if you design your own.





[This message has been edited by *paul (edited 06-04-2001).]

A VCR? Do I really wanna know?

They do make 12v, miniaturized VCRs that might be more compact. There are also a variety of LCD screens that you can use with them, but I'm assuming you already have such a setup?

Nice stash box, though.

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01 SE 6cyl 5spd Solar Yellow

No, you don't

I wanted a 27" TV so I wouldn't have to squint while I'm driving

Thanks, I had the sheet metal bent up by a local shop directly from a CAD model.

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[This message has been edited by *paul (edited 05-18-2001).]

Another very cool mod. Nice work Lobo.

Thanks
I just finished mine. i love it.

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Allen Powell
Gator Saver
2000 Blue SE 4x2
Florida Xtreme Xterras
------------
Real Men Wear Kilts

Sarge,

Nicely done! I've been trying to figure out a similar setup to stow stuff like my life jacket, bike stuff, etc. You know, the crap that just gets in the way but you don't want to leave it home either. Any idea if a bike will still fit under there? I have an interior rack so saddle clearance might be a problem for me.

Thanks to you and *paul for posting these. Now I have a few ideas to work from.

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Rob
"not all those who wander are lost" -J.R.R. Tolkien

Care to elaborate? Details, pictures..

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Mike.
01 XE Auto - Solar Yellow

Sorry, I'm not sure if a bike will fit or not. I carry mine on a hitch mounted rack.


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Sgt_Lobo
2000 4X4, SE, White
http://www.cableone.net/sgtlobo/xterra.htm

Here's a picture of how I did my rack. 4'x16" shelving from Home Depot. Same as what onemadfool used, but I mounted mine with the lower front bar of the rack in the roof tiedowns, which results in it being closer to the roof.

[img]http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?src=/photoloft/asset16/2001/06/04/6976/6976495_0_9567.fpx,0,0,1,1,640,480,FFFFFF[/img]

You can see in the left corner how it sits into the tiedown. I used a bungee on the back, that way I can pull the back down and get stuff out of there without having to detach/unfasten/unhook anything.

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Mike.
01 XE Auto - Solar Yellow

[This message has been edited by Walrus (edited 06-04-2001).]

Um, I can't see...



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Mindie - AIM: mindiejoynt "I believe in what I see, I believe in what I hear. I believe that what I'm feeling changes how the world appears."

Try it again.

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Mike.
01 XE Auto - Solar Yellow

[This message has been edited by Walrus (edited 06-04-2001).]

Walrus,
the picture shows up fine; Mindie I believe is trying to say the the picture is not close-up enough to show how the shelf is mounted to the forward tie down--and I agree .


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What exactly is the shelf made of? What's the approx weight? That's a great idea and it turned out really good. Congrats!

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--Boyd

I'll post a closer picture. But before I edited the message, I had the picture on a site that wouldn't let it show up here, and I fixed that.

The shelf is metal. Most new houses have them as a shelf in closets, or on an angle with shoes on them. Do you have a Home Depot catalog? Look under shelving or storage and you'll see them.. or go to the store itself.

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Mike.
01 XE Auto - Solar Yellow

Gotcha. It's like that coated metal. Cool.

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--Boyd

Here:

[img]http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?src=/photoloft/asset16/2001/06/04/6978/6978860_0_9997.fpx,0,0,1,1,640,480,FFFFFF[/img]

I have too much spare time...

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Mike.
01 XE Auto - Solar Yellow

I can see the light! (Ok, it works now, thanks)


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Mindie - AIM: mindiejoynt "I believe in what I see, I believe in what I hear. I believe that what I'm feeling changes how the world appears."

Hey, Walrus - that looks really nice! Good thinking on the bar in the front, and the easily removed bungee cord holding it up is sweet.

Does it rattle at all? I guess the bungee and contents of the shelf keep enough tension on it...

What size was the shelf piece?

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01 SE 6cyl 5spd Solar Yellow

Well, new guy, if you read a few posts back, I stated the size.. ;') (Couldn't resist)

4'x16". At Home Depot they also have 12" wide, but the 16" is perfect. The tools I have in the tool box rattle a bit over bumps, so I put some carpet underpad I had laying around into the bottom of the box and its pretty quiet now. Without the box, its absolutely silent. I was considering putting the hitch receiver up there, but its a little heavy and dangerous. I don't know if you can see in the picture, but I have my 4D maglite attached to the front of the shelf.. although there it would probably fly through the windshield in an accident (or the back of my head).

Oh yeah.. the shelf was white, I immediately painted it black. Now I just have to find a yellow bungee.

If you look at that last picture, you can see the metal left where I cut off bars to make it fit. If you wanted more room above the shelf, you could use the upper bar (which I cut) to mount into the tiedowns. My way worked perfect for the box, there is no way it will come out the front.

Another oh yeah... look at my last post under the 'no more hot air from the vents'. I posted pictures of the microswitch that you move to bypass the A/C on for defog.. and how I tested the water + holes in the windshield cowl.

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Mike.
01 XE Auto - Solar Yellow



[This message has been edited by Walrus (edited 06-04-2001).]

Heheh. Missed it...

I got yellow bungees. Found 'em at Target! It was a three-pack for cheap. That would be a nice touch.

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01 SE 6cyl 5spd Solar Yellow

Wow I love the XOC I just did the "lobo MOD" "Walrus style". It turned out great I got it done in about an hour including the trip to Lowes. I found some shelving designed for garages that had a bit of a thicker coating on the metal and that was grey so it matched my interior. I went with the bungee idea as well although I am not too happy with the color but heck I will find a black one later with black hardware. Thank you all again I am very happy with it and it looks like it is gonna be very usefull.

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'01 super black XE 4x4
name: VADER

Ha.. I like the sound of that.

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Mike.
01 XE Auto - Solar Yellow

Walrus's bungee gave me an idea.
A Lobo Shelf easily releasable from the back with the front end solidly fastened but able to rotate could possibly swing down and somehow fasten it to those holes that are supposed to be used for the front cargo cover to serve as a pet barrier. Dual purpose shelving. I'll give it a look next time I'm at the hardware store, that could be a while though so some of you folks with more time on your hands if you get a chance to try this let me know how/if it works.

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2001solaryellowXE3pk4x4

Imac, Please post pictures of your shelf, I want to get some more ideas before I make mine. Also for those of you who have painted the white rack to black , doesn't the paint chip off with normal use?

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=========================
'01 Alpine Green SE
"Screw milk, got Xterra?"

Well I did pretty much the exact same thing as walrus look at his pics I am gonna make one little modification and will post the pics when I do it.

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'01 super black XE 4x4
name: VADER

Man... You guys are GREAT!! Now I've got a
great place to put my PS2 or VCR... I'll
post pics when I'm done with the mod! Thanks
ya'll!

- Air B

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Xterra 2001 SE 4x2
Air Butchie Productions
Is that an Xterra in your pocket or are you just glad to see me!!

Before you know it I'll have a place to put my whole audio system rack units, my 32" TV and my entire CD collection in the back. Hell I can soon just live in my X with all the comforts of home. Got to get that leather lazy chair too. I'm sure there is a mod for that right gang?

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'01 Alpine Green SE
"Screw milk, got Xterra?"

Don't forget the microwave and fridge,
satrider... All the creature comforts
of home...

- Air B

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Xterra 2001 SE 4x2
Air Butchie Productions
Is that an Xterra in your pocket or are you just glad to see me!!

I was all set to start planning out my shelf mod when I realized something that didn't hit me reading and looking at these shelf mods. By putting any kind of shelf up there I will no longer be able to have passangers in the back seat. Seems like any shelf will make for backseat people crouch there heads a good bit. That is if I use the tie downs closer to the front.

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=========================
'01 Alpine Green SE
"Screw milk, got Xterra?"

Actually satrider if you use the tiedowns in the windows of the rear cargo area it is no problem at all for the passengers. Here is my little addition to this mod hope you all like it. I added some straps with clips mounted inside the rear tiedowns to hold the shelf while open so you can load it without having to hold it.







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'01 super black XE 4x4
name: VADER

OK...id love to do this mod. ONly one problem, I looked at my tie down clips and they are rotatedd 90 degrees from the ones in the pics. In other words, the ones above the rear seat have openings on the fron and back instead of the side, therefore making in impossible to slide the end of the sheld into. I havent tried taking it off so forgive me if Im missing the obvious here. Thanks,
John

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Silver Ice 4x4 Manual SE
"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools"- Ernest Hemingway

Hey UT I thought the exact same thing for about 3 seconds before I took one of them off and rotated it. They are square based so you can easily turn them and reinstall them. You actually will need to remove them and screw them in after you put the ends through them in order to avoid the rack sliding sideways on you.

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'01 super black XE 4x4
name: VADER

that would make sense! Thanks,
John

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Silver Ice 4x4 Manual SE
"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools"- Ernest Hemingway

Just did mine over the weekend... All held
by bungee cords I got at Target... I'll take
pics after works and post them... It looks
hella cool... A place to put my PS2... Yeah,
baby!

- Air B

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Xterra 2001 SE 4x2
Air Butchie Productions
Is that an Xterra in your pocket or are you just glad to see me!!

Did mine today as well. I do have to paint it still. Going to try to find some Grey to match the interior.

I must say, this is probably the most useful mod I've seen so far! Granted I have been here very long...

Thanks Sgt!

-Tim

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'00, Alpine Green, 4x4, XE 3pk

"I know... Everybody's funny... now you funny too!"

Okay... Here's my Sgt Lobo shelf mod:

This is what it looks like from the front:



This is what it look like from the back:



Here are some of the pics on how it's hooked
up:

Rear Side Right:



Rear Side Left:



The front is held by a 3' bungee cord, which
is connected at each end of the ceiling
hooks. The rear bungees are 2' bungee cord,
in a criss-cross pattern for better security!
As you can see, I've placed my PS2 there for
weight testing... It seems to hold up very
well... Weight capacity runs between 10-15
pounds (estimated).

Again, thanks Sgt Lobo, Paul, & Walrus for
your pics and info... This is one of the
great mods I've done for my X... Thanks
again... If anyone needs for info, send me
an email and I'll be more specific... Lates!

- Air Butchie

[ 01-19-2002: Message edited by: airbutchie ]

Hey Beanik,

Depending on how you mount the rack in the front (closest to the passenger seats), it can easily swing down into a pet barrier. That's the way I'm using it right now. However, the bottom of the 'shelf' does not attach to anything. The way I cut the shelf you need something to secure it in the down posistion. It works best if you have a medium to large size dog however. But then, what self respecting XTerra owner would have a Taco Bell dog!?!!?

I cut the shelf up so it kinda follows the contour of the roof, and used the bottom rung of the shelf to mount into the cargo hooks (a.k.a. 'Walrus Style' ), although I'm sure it would work either way. You just need some way to strap it down (I'm using a bungee cord hooked to the metal square shaped brackets that the seats latch to when the seats are in the up posistion).

I'll post pics of this later on.

-Tim

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'00, Alpine Green, 4x4, XE 3pk

"I know... Everybody's funny... now you funny too!"

[This message has been edited by Mtik (edited 06-12-2001).]

Alright I guess I'll have to do something like this. I wanted more crap storage space, this would be as good as any. Let's see what I can come up with here...

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'01 SE Silver Ice 4X4

I just picked up my shelf for the mod from Home Depot. It looks like everybody only found white. Our Home Depot in Green Bay has gray as well.

It matches pretty well - a lot better than white would, anyway.

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2001 Salsa XE
V6 3-Pak Auto 4x4

I went with the gray it has a bit of a thicker rubber coat on it and the gray is close to the interior color.

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'01 super black XE 4x4
name: VADER

Before every one goes crazy with this mod, I found a storage case that 1 is hinged for fold down access, 2 has those shock thingies that opens the lid for you and keep it from folding all the way over, 3 is black plastic diamond plate so it looks really tuff, 4 measures 29" x 19" x 4" so it'll fit right up there in the overhead of the cargo space, 5 is only $50 for two. I bought a set and I'm working on a mount, give me time (about a week) to finish this, my spare time this week is scarce, and should be spent with my pregnant wife. If any one in the Houston area is interested, I'll sell you the other box. It comes with all the hardware, except mounting of course, that has to be totally custom. Pics will be posted.

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Do or do not, there is no try.
'01 XE 4X4
Silver Ice
3 pack

Where did you find this 'super' storage box?

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'01 XE Silver Ice

I found it at K-Mart. I'll post part #'s and prices along with the pics when I finish. I should be done tomorrow. The paint on the mounts has to dry over night, and allow another day to post all the pics with install instructions. So far it's going better (and easier) than I expected. Ya'll are goin' to be jealous!! J/K The offer is still up for any Houston / Texas X owners to buy the second box that came in the set.

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Do or do not, there is no try.
'01 XE 4X4
Silver Ice
3 pack

I did the "standard" shelf mod this last weekend also. Very easy. I even added a couple of the matching "baskets" under each side for all my electronic stuff (CB, FRS, GPS, etc.) I'll post pics tomorrow, but since I already filled it up with stuff, you won't be able to see much!

Thanks again to all for posting about this - works like a charm!

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- Grumpy Tom
http://www.grumpytom.com
Unbreakable toys are useful for breaking other toys...

How about posting close up pics of the mounts before they are installed, so if others want to do this, they have an easier time seeing how to do it. I'd prefer a box up there instead of the rack.. do they still have Kmart here in Canada?

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Mike.
01 XE Auto - Solar Yellow

All K-marts were replaced by Walmart, on this side of the border anyway. I'm curious about this "box" as well. Dogs and Fur have kept me away from the metal wire shelf.
The box sounds like (guessing) the steelhorse model, they are meant to anchor to the inside of the tailgate on pick-ups, I was thinking of one for the roof basket.

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member of http://www.soxc.org
http://www.geocities.com/x_canuk

Ok, here's my take on this shelf mod:





Just bought the normal 4ft wide shelf and the two baskets, then fit it in. I had to cut three of the small bars off each side to get the bigger bar into the tie-down. The baskets are held by zip-ties on the window side, and a lock on the inside (still trying to figure out a better way to attach this). I went with a normal strap on the very rear, because the bungie cords were not holding it firmly enough. The shirts are in the baskets just to prevent everything from banging around and to stop people from seeing what's in there. If anyone needs different pictures, let me know, and I'll do what I can.

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- Grumpy Tom
http://www.grumpytom.com
Unbreakable toys are useful for breaking other toys...

[This message has been edited by nukem (edited 06-19-2001).]

Dang, Nukem... Ya sure gotta lotta sh!t up
there... Way to go man... I'm glad it's
holding up nice ang tight...

- Air B

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Xterra 2001 SE 4x2
Air Butchie Productions
Is that an Xterra in your pocket or are you just glad to see me!!

Wow, I can't believe this many people are doing my shelf modification. I guess I should have put the information out here sooner. And I think it's great all of the variations that are popping up. Great job everyone.

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Sgt_Lobo
2000 4X4, SE, White
http://www.cableone.net/sgtlobo/xterra.htm

Yeah, I know. My friends keep telling me I just need a port-a-potty now to make it into a full RV

But really, just the essentials are up there - jumper cables, tow strap, cooler, knife, lamps, and rags. And it's plenty strong - doesn't bow at all.

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- Grumpy Tom
http://www.grumpytom.com
"Unbreakable toys are useful for breaking other toys..."

[This message has been edited by nukem (edited 06-19-2001).]

IT'S DONE!!!

Look for the thread in parts and accessories about storage solution.

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Do or do not, there is no try.
'01 XE 4X4
Silver Ice
3 pack

[This message has been edited by Ben Dawson (edited 06-20-2001).]

Thank-YOU for your inspiration!

I did my shelf-mod last night - about 15 minutes (mostly goofing around) and $5.

I re-oriented the two roof-tie-downs 90-deg, so the rack "rail" could simply poke through and serve as a hinge. The back is simply held up with two shorty bungees.

I found that a 4-foot length of 16" wide wire shelving needed only slight shortening.

On the rack: I have a 30' snatch-strap, a tree-saver, booster-cables (in zippered pouch), and a snow-brush. It cleaned up the floor area beautifully.

I can see, in winter, hanging mitts / hats / socks etc from this rack, to dry on the way back from playing in the snow.

Thanks for the great idea, pictures, and to everyone else for sharing their variations!

-GordP

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