Thread: 110 Bed and storage build (Pic HEAVY)

Hi all!

Firstly, thankyou to everyone who posts on this forum. It has been extremely helpful, and I have learned so much!
So in saying that, i thought i should give back a little incase it might help anyone.

Ive had a 110 TD5 for a few months now and have been meaning to build something in the back of the defender for camping, surf trips etc.
I didn't really know what I wanted, but I knew i wanted it to be usable for a bed incase i didn't want to get the swag out, or just wanted to sleep in the car.
Also, I didn't want to lose the 5 seater, or have to take in and out the seats if I could help it.
Im just over 6ft tall, so a platform which sat directly on the wheel arch's wouldn't have left me enough room to lay flat with the seats folded up, so I had to build something at a higher level which would sit over the seats to give myself an extra 75-100mm.

(The current cyclone off QLD was my motivator to get this done in 2 days so I can go and chase some swell, so if anyone is up byron to noosa way, let me know!)

I picked up 3 sheets of ply, (15mm), and really didn't have a plan, and I also don't have any professional skills, so I was battling against the tide, but I gave it a good crack. Its still a work in progress, and theres a little tidying up to so, but overall, its almost done.

Nothing is secured to the car, but its all wedged in there and isn't moving any time soon.
To start with, I placed timber on the bottom as a base, and built up from there working in compartments. I used a "Kreg-jig" which allowed me to work as i went, and could build it in situ. I made 3 seperate compartments, and a big drawer, and 3 little shelves at the back too.
The piece-de-resistance is the extra panel which completes the bed, and sits in nicely resting on the folded legs of the folded forward middle chairs. This panel is just resting (wedged in on a tight fit) on some supports at the back of the storage base, and the chair.
Once everything was built, I then used carpet to line all the exterior surfaces. I had to then trim a few mm's some of the removable top/lid panels because of the width of the carpet, but the carpet glued to the panels allows for a really snug fit, and nothing bounces around, and has made a HIGE difference to noise reduction inside the cab in normal driving conditions.

The drawer is great, but I need to work out a different system for the sliders. I was trying a variation on the Teflon style sliders and heard that poly plastic could be similar. So i tried with an electricians cable feeder strip, but it didn't really work very well - suggestions for materials for this please!

Total cost was pretty minimal. I think it was about $200-250 all up, borrowed a mates festool track saw which was a god-send and saved alot of time and heartache.

3 x 15mm non-structural plywood (2400x1200)
8sqm Econo utility carpet
1L KwikGrip glue
25mm screws and Kregjig (google it, made life very easy)

Any suggestions, questions or comments welcome, I hope this can be helpful to someone out there.

Also, if anyone has stored surfboards inside the cab up in the roof, please let me know!

(Sorry that I didnt take more detailed photos)

Not entirely sure on weight, 2 and a bit sheets worth of ply?

i added a second battery and full length rack today, and I’m not sure if she actually feels heavier or it’s just my paranoid thoughts?