Back seat Replacment Hound Platform for Xterra?

Thinking of building a platform to replace the back seats for a hound platform. Since 95% of the time the hound comes along I'm more concerned with his comfort than bringing along passengers. Although I am thinking about making it modular with the 60/40 split so I could have one seat in at a time. I would also like to take advantage of the dead space behind the front seats for storage. Currently I have the seats folded forward and his dog bed wedged in place and recently Ive been using an 11L Really Useful Box in the small footwell behind the seat to create a flat area for his bed. Its all just a little haphazard. Ideally I would love drawer that pull out from the sides and are low enough to still allow the rear seats to fold down. Ill try and add some pic today.

Any Ideas or examples?
 

stioc

Expedition Leader
Depends on the size of the dog. In my case I have a kid too so I can't give up the interior space and even with a full roof rack I have to maximize the rear cargo space. So I built a storage platform that the doggy bed goes on top of. It's been really useful.

IMG_2499Small.jpg


He's 55lbs btw, Akita and Australian cattle dog mix.

I have more pics on page 3-5 of my build thread.
 

RonapRhys

Adventurer
I've built a modular platform set up for my Xterra that runs from the back gate to the back of the front seats. One long piece goes on the passenger side that I sleep on (I put a 4" foam pad on top of it). In the front it's got my dining under a hinged lid, in the back it's got a slot for camp chairs. The other side has two boxes - one with a hinged lid. That holds the camp stove and camp kitchen. The front has no lid and I put my toolboxes, cooler, jack stands, and the like there. Works well for me, but I tend to wheel solo.

One thing to think of when you're building something that covers those footwells - getting a box out from under there will be difficult as the doors only open up to a certain angle. I use that lower space for small stuff like shoes, my hi-lift, shovel, ax, etc. I wish I had some pics, but I don't.

The last bit of advice would be to take care to ensure that whatever you build leaves no spaces for the pooch to get their paw caught in - especially not when you're wheeling. That could easily lead to broken bones, lacerations, or the like.
 

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