Custom Tundra Bed Storage: Phase 1

[cwvandy]

For years and many miles I happily drove a Tacoma that was built for serious off road exploring. I loved the rig for the same strengths that have made this truck so popular. For a couple of reasons I decided to sell last year and sold it to an Expo friend.
(See: http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...pedition-ready-TacomaTRD-23K-Factory-Warranty)

The two issues that drove my decision to try something else were towing capacity and small internal volume of the truck bed. I am a huge Toyota fan so I opted for a then-new 2013 Tundra.

I have decided to share my experience building out the bed of the truck. In other sections of the forum I will share suspension (Icon), armor (Bud Built), bumpers (front & rear, Expedition One)), custom swing out tire carrier, etc.

To provide the ultimate versatility and ease of use I had several goals for the bed storage:
1. Easy access. I was tired of climbing into the back of the truck to retrieve gear that was inevitably out of reach. I wanted it secure and easy to get to.
2. Large water capacity for extended desert trips and a happy showered spouse.
3. Second electrical system that was easy to maintain, monitor (amps in/out, voltage), marine grade circuit breakers, air compressor, bomb proof wiring
4. A slide out kitchen that provided easy access to stove, frig, storage, and running water
5. Storage for tools (axe, shovel, hi-lift jack, fire extinguisher, etc), retrieval gear that did not require unpacking to truck to access, location for folding table that was out of the way but easy to access.

I will relate my build in several phases:
Phase 1: Access solution
Phase 2: Running water and 38gal water storage
Phase 3: Electrical system (wiring, 2nd battery, control center, compressor)
Phase 4: Kitchen
Phase 5: Final storage solutions

PHASE !

To deal with the access issue I decided to install a totally bomber slide out bed. Although heavy (about 200 lbs.) the system I installed had the ability to extend out 100% and a fully extended load capacity of a whopping 1000 lbs (each). I designed a two-slide system that was fastened to the bed bolts and frame by way of a custom bracket. The frames are steel and the bed slides are aluminum. Typically these types of slides are used industrially for gen sets, welding gear and heavy tools.

Each slide was sized specifically to perform two tasks. One was to hold a Kanz Kitchen box, Nat'l Luna fridge, sink and have some work room. The other was designed in the rear to hold two large Zargas boxes side by side and two high, misc gear and in the front to have two Adventure Trailer drawers and propane storage. Room was left to bolt on Mac's Custom Tie Downs Versa Tie track for securing all the loads to the slides. Below are photos of the installed slides and how gear can be stored on the gear-side slide (kitchen details later). Wiring and some plumbing was started at this time as a bed cap was installed after the interior was done. As soon as I can post up some info and pictures I will share Phase 2.

 

[cwvandy]

Phase 2

We often pull and Adventure Trailer with two, 18 gal water tanks. Having 36 gallons of fresh water has allowed us to stay remotely in the desert for weeks at a time and have the luxury of showers, clean dishes and water to drink. When using the truck without the trailer we wanted to have a similar capacity. We often tow a small trailer with dirt bikes and sleep in a rooftop tent. In this flying formation and when not towing the Adventure trailer we wanted to have about 38-40 gallons.

To address this I did some very precise measurements and a drawing of the tank (below). I sent this to Adventure Trailers and they built me a beautiful tank that precisely hit my detail specs. I wanted to mount the tank in the front of the bed and have external fill and venting through the bed cap. I also wanted to install a water pump to access water at the rear of the vehicle in the “kitchen” area that attaches via a brass quick release so I can attach a hose or kitchen sprayer.

To help avoid freezing I wrapped the tank in ¾” thick closed cell foam and secured with contact cement. I also foam wrapped all the water lines. The water pump is a marine grade pressure water system pump. The wires on the top of the tank are a sending unit that will allow me to keep track of the water level in a gauge that will be shown later. The aluminum box at the front of the bed is the second battery which will be detailed later as well.

 

[cwvandy]

Phase 3

PHASE 3: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Having spent nearly 25 years living and sailing on boats, I am familiar with 12volt systems. When installing a second battery, wiring and monitoring equipment, I used only high end, marine grade products. I solder and heat-shrink every connection (no crimp connections!), used only tinned wire, go up one gauge of wire size (as indicated in wire-size charts) where long runs of high amperage draw is occurring and use Blue Seas electrical components. Where I run higher capacity wires---those between batteries for example---I run them in bombproof conduit to avoid any possibility of abrasion, corrosion or short circuits. This all costs more in the front end, but results in far fewer problems and less grief later.

When I bought my second battery I bought identical batteries for the start battery in my truck and the batteries in my Adventure Trailer (which connects via a 175 amp Anderson connector and 0 gauge wire to my second battery system). All the batteries are now the same make, age and size. (Odyssey PC1500). The 2nd system in the truck bed is connected to the alternator and start battery via a National Luna dual battery isolator in the engine compartment. The battery is mounted in an aluminum box at the front at the bed (as many know, there is literally no room in the Tundra engine compartment for a second battery).

To monitor and control all this I constructed an aluminum box that houses gauges, Blue Seas breakers, Amp hour and volt meter (including 12 volt shunt), water level gauge and 2-12volt outlets. The box also contains the electrics and solenoid for my on board compressor which is also mounted in the bed. Inside this box are two 150 fuses. One is between the National Luna isolator and the second battery, the second between the second battery and the cable to the Adventure Trailer Anderson connector. Removing two screws on the box lid easily accesses all of this stuff.

The compressor is wired to the control box and the high-temp hose runs through the bed and to air hose attachments on the front and rear bumpers.

 

[cwvandy]

PHASE 4

PHASE 4: KITCHEN

Once the bed slides, water and electrical systems were in place it was easy to install the kitchen components. A Kanz Kitchen Box, National Luna frig and sink from my Adventure trailer set up made up the core. With the water quick-connect nearby it is easy to have a sprayer in the sink for clean up. We first tested the system at Three Forks in the Owyhee area. Worked like a champ! Photos in action later...

 

[cwvandy]

Phase 5

PHASE 5: FINAL STORAGE SOLUTIONS

After testing out the project on trips to the Owyhee Canyonlands and Death Valley, a couple of final additions were made. The first was installing a drop down shelf in the roof of the bed cap. I had made an internal tube structure in the roof to support the load created by the rooftop tent. It was simple to then add a drop down shelf that was supported by hydraulic struts. The shelf unit is big enough to hold two fold up tables and a small additional awning. It pulls down easily and the struts make it easy to close even when loaded. There are two spring loaded latches that catch when the shelf is raised and are released by pulling on a rope section between them.

The other addition was a tool storage rack on the inside of the bed. The rack holds an axe, a shovel, my Hi-lift Jack and a Council Tool Pulaski Axe.

The photos show the bed cap upside down with the internal tube structure being fitted. This through-bolts to the roof and supports the rack my RTT is mounted on.

 

[washington taco]

Wow! You put a lot of thought and effort into your set up! Fantastic job!

 

[Haggis]

Nicely done.

 

[alaska101]

Very nice... love the details... could I see a under side shot of that pull out tray system you have.

 

[cwvandy]

Alaska
Sure. By "tray" do you mean the pull-down roof storage or the slide outs on the bed?

 

[TRUIZ]

That is bad***!!!

 

[otis24]

Probably the most bad *** set up I've seen. Well done!

 

[TheViking]

That is truly amazing and I like it very much!

 

[cwvandy]

Thanks

Thanks for all the kind words. Much of what I built into the rig was based on what I have learned from others on the forum.
For fun, a couple more photos of the truck in the Owyhee Canyonlands area.

 

[toyotech]

Wow. $$$


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[cwvandy]

Yeah, not an inexpensive build. I learned the hard way in our years of sailing adventures that it almost always pays off to buy better gear and use better materials whenever possible. It took over 18 months to do this build, I used a lot of parts that I already had from previous projects and saved a ton by doing much of the work myself. But you are right. All of this is a good sized investment.