Tales of the Grey Mouser...

[Mr. D]

bigjerm, thanks that is it.

[Haggis]

Great thread, and nice looking rig, too!
- Andy

Hey thanks man, much appreciated.

[Haggis]

For those tuning in for the sleep platform...I got some better photos of the project and all the measurements as I found some time today. I'm going to work up a rough drawing, post it up here while sending a copy down to Matt for a more polished presentation.

Thanks Matt for the offer! You're going on a float trip with us this year I hope!

[12husky]

For those tuning in for the sleep platform...I got some better photos of the project and all the measurements as i found somw time today. I'm going to work up a rough drawing, post it up here while send ing a copy down to Matt for a more polished presentation.

Thanks Matt for the offer! You're going on a float trip with us this year I hope!

No problem on the drafting. I certainly hope to make it on a float or two this year. I have a little more vacation time this year so I should be able to fit in a few trips. I am doing a short backpack (3 day) this weekend to start the year off right.

How are your tires holding up? My BF AT's are almost at the end of their useful life and I haven't picked a successor.

[Haggis]

I've got about 36,000 miles on them and can probably get another 10,000 or so more miles out of them. That being said Cooper Tire isn't making the SXTs any more. Supposedly they bringing a new replacement tire out soon based on the new Cooper ST Maxx carcass. Speaking of which I just put the ST Maxxs on the Tundra and think they might be the best tire I've ever run.

BTW we are definitely looking forward to sharing a campfire with you again, hopefully we get a chance to meet your kinfolk.

[Haggis]

Here’s the rough plan for the sleeping platform. Since mine was originally made from bits and pieces I had laying around the shop I made this plan based on a single sheet of 3/4" 4'x 8' plywood. The only thing that is missing is the piece for the bulkhead. That can be source as either a piece of scrap ¾ plywood or a piece of scrap lumber.



Here's the view from the top…



And here is the back and side views…



To attach the sleeping extensions and their supports use 3/4" piano hinges piano. The supports for the sleeping extensions should be mounted so that they are flush with top of the sides; this allows the supports to swing easily over the Jeep’s floor and keeps the extensions level when deployed. I would suggest that you dado the top sheet to situate the sides. For non-woodworkers a dado is a groove machined into the material to help center and hold whatever piece is being attached to the original. This can be accomplished with a router or a dado blade on a table saw. For ¾ materials a 3/16” to ¼” dado will do just fine. You can just flush mount the sides to the top if you choose but in either case be sure to glue and screw them together. I like to use outdoor style adhesive or an outdoor wood glue when I’m building stuff like this.

The bulkhead serves two purposes: it adds extra support and weight bearing to the top and keeps the sides from racking while under use and when the Jeep’s bouncing down the trail. I made the bulkhead 4” wide so that I can slide long items under it like my camp table. I dadoed the inside of both side pieces to help center the bulkhead and then glued and screwed it all together. Again you can choose to just flush mount the pieces and forgo the dadoes if you don’t have the tools. I also used outdoor deck screws for all the fastener other than the piano hinges so as to avoid any rusting of the fasteners being that they’re in a semi-outdoor environment. Here’s a shot of the bulkhead joinery...



And a shot of the underside of the platform...



Okay…here’s a few shots of how the extension supports deploy…





Though there have been times when I didn’t bother and just used whatever was in my dry bag to hold up the sleeping extension.

Well I hope that helps everybody visualize the project and answers everyone’s question. Be sure to let me know how yours turns out and whatever tweaks or improvements you do to the design. I’ve already for a few ideas for when I build a finished version of my current build on the run design.

[AmericaOverland]

Thanks, Mark!!! I will be building this one when it warms up again! If I were building a solo platform (for myself only), I would be using the passenger side only and building a cabinet set on top of the left side, secured to it with latches or something so that I can take that out before taking out the platform after the trip. That would be holding drawers or shelves for clothes, books, supplies so that I would not have to open the Jeep while camped inside bad weather. For now, this is great! Again, thank you!

[AmericaOverland]

Mark, in the drawing of the extension support where you have it labeled "12X12," shouldn't the length of the vertical side be 13"?

[Haggis]

No, the supports should be less than 13" so the supports don't drag on the floor of the Jeep.

[treadstone]

New to the forum. Really enjoyed reading your thread Haggis. A Google search lead me to your LJ bed kit, and the forum. I like your idea, and I will start my bed kit build for my LJ this weekend!IMG_0181.jpg