Rear door rack: ideas

[dfriedman]

When we're packing up to hit the road in our RSA, the couch is up (so the dogs have their spots) and I throw last minute stuff behind the seat: a folded camp ground mat, a couple of privacy screens (for the dogs), our bug screen for the side sliding door and two collapsible camp chairs. Then there's the awing pole and rafters, a long handled squeegee and a small rake... It just adds up.

Problem 1: I'm tired of stuff falling out every time I open the back doors. Problem 2: Wife and dogs insist that the window space be free from obstruction, so nothing can be piled higher than the seat back. I had put some velcro strips on the wooden panel above the window to stow the awning poles, but given our usual 80+% humidity here, they came off within a month or so.

By now at least someone has the solution: Don't open the rear doors.

But I'd like to. So I'm thinking of building a rack that would fit up against the seat back, be wide enough to hold all this miscellany and yet clear the door, be somehow tied into place and yet removable, be light-weight yet strong enough to maybe even hold a spare water hose or electrical cable. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Dan F.

 

[g1g]

On some pickup trucks, they have a net that goes accross the back so it will hold things in with the tailgate down. I think some vans/mini vans have them too. So in the same manor you can try draping a sheet or something at the right level. Unless you buy one of those nets.

 

[dfriedman]

Finally figured this one out! The base is clamped to the structural support for the motorized bed. The sides are hinged to the base, so the unit can fold flat. The top is held with hex bolts. Both the top and bottom are cut to match the profile of the rear doors; the sides are cut to match the slope of the rear seat when its upright.

A smattering of screw eyes allows the cargo net to hold stuff in place. Bungees do the rest. Doors open, nothing falls out!

I also put holders for the awning poles, etc in that dead space at the top.