SUV Gun Box/Vault

Dakotazeb

Dakotazeb

Well-known member
I'm thinking of building a gun box/vault to fit in the back of my Ford Expedition. The commercial ones available are quite expensive and I don't see one that has the exact measurements for the back of my vehicle. 48"W x 46"D x 6-7"H. I want to be able to put my dog kennels (Intermediate size) on top of the box. Seems it should be a relatively easy project. Anyone built something like this? Looking for plans, suggestions, etc.
 
Zeb,

A few years back I built a subfloor in the back of my truck that has a Gun Safe that is built under the sub floor on the right side. It is about 22" wide 10" tall and 60" long. I made it out of 1/4" aluminum Diamond plate. The safe is completely hidden when tailgate is shut. I also installed a tailgate lock. I have some plans I think on PowerPoint I think at work.

I made a change and added 1/2" plate steel on the end facing the cab in the event someone forgot to unload a gun and it goes kaboom.


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In the picture above don’t confuse with the external water tank that connects to the 2” receiver hitch. It holds about 18 gallons of water.
 
Thanks OKIE, but I probably shouldn't have called it a vault as I don't need to lock it. Mainly looking for a place store guns, ammo & misc. Problem is the depth is less than 48" thus guns would have to lie crossways in the drawer. I'm assuming a single drawer but then that creates a potential problem. Will the top support two kennels without sagging, or do I need a support piece down the middle?
 
I used 2x12's on end to get the height that I wanted. Mainly to get above the wheel wells. I did put one in the center because I built a cage divider system that also has some top storage. So I needed the center support piece to anchor my cage system. My decking is 3/4" treated plywood with carpet pad and outdoor carpet.

You may want to make two draws. One draw being 1/3 and the other being 2/3 the overall width of the area and should not sag. That should allow guns on an angle in one draw and another for storage for collars ammo and such.
 
Dakotazeb said:
Problem is the depth is less than 48" thus guns would have to lie crossways in the drawer. ?
Click to expand...

Oklahoma Quail hunters use shorter smoke poles........get out the hack saw:D:D:D
 
OKIEGunner said:
Oklahoma Quail hunters use shorter smoke poles........get out the hack saw:D:D:D
Click to expand...

Actually all my guns are quite short. The autos have 24" & 26" barrels and my O/U is 26". So it's not a huge problem. I think I have an idea for a storage box under the kennels. I'll have to try and put in on paper.
 
A little advice.........Measure twice, cut once .....before you drink beer:D:D:D
 
Zeb-

I built a drawer for my Suburban with almost those exact dimensions. I will try and take a pic tomorrow to show you.

I used 2 x 6s on the sides and then bought the most heavy duty drawer glides that Home Depot had. They were about $26 for the pair. The drawer is made of 1 x 6s ripped down to 5 inches and 1/2 inch plywood. I have a latch that keeps the drawer closed. It holds a ton of stuff. It can take the weight of a lot of ammo, but I try not to put too much in there. I also made a couple of wood dividers in the front for small stuff.

You will have problems with the top sagging if you do one drawer unless you get some high quality plywood. I used a special plywood made for outdoor signs that my dad had left over. Regular plywood did not work put the sign type did. That plywood might cost you a bit more but you save $26 on a pair of glides.

The main complaint I have about mine is weight. I can't really load it myself without risking a back injury. I would see if the sides could be made of 1 x 6s instead.
 
jeffstally said:
Zeb-

I built a drawer for my Suburban with almost those exact dimensions. I will try and take a pic tomorrow to show you.

I used 2 x 6s on the sides and then bought the most heavy duty drawer glides that Home Depot had. They were about $26 for the pair. The drawer is made of 1 x 6s ripped down to 5 inches and 1/2 inch plywood. I have a latch that keeps the drawer closed. It holds a ton of stuff. It can take the weight of a lot of ammo, but I try not to put too much in there. I also made a couple of wood dividers in the front for small stuff.

You will have problems with the top sagging if you do one drawer unless you get some high quality plywood. I used a special plywood made for outdoor signs that my dad had left over. Regular plywood did not work put the sign type did. That plywood might cost you a bit more but you save $26 on a pair of glides.

The main complaint I have about mine is weight. I can't really load it myself without risking a back injury. I would see if the sides could be made of 1 x 6s instead.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking of using 1 x 4's for the sides. It won't be a deep but still deep enough. How thick is the plywood you used for the top? The plywood on the bottom could be thinner as well as the plywood on the bottom of the drawer.

I've thought about bracing it in the middle and having one drawer and one open hole to slide my cased guns into.
 
With 1 x 4s for the sides, it may not be tall enough for a box of shell to stand up after you factor in the drawer height. The top is made out of 1/2 inch plywood, but again, it is not regular plywood because that warped.
 
DakotaZeb,
Several years ago I built a sub floor for the back of our '97 Toyota Landcruiser that rests on top of the wheel wells on the sides and has two ribs in the middle for support (two furthest rear seats removed). I don't know what the "landscape" of your suburban is but I found out quickly that a solid piece would not fit inside the vehicle as one piece when countoured to fit snugly. I used cardboard as a template to get the contours for the sides to match up "exactly" with the interior. The center two ribs created its own compartment and the wings were the top surface. The wings have a piano hinge to the center compartment so that I can fold it upward to move in and out of the vehicle. There is no drawer, you just slide your guns into a soft case or when moving from spot to spot. The Toyota has a tail gate with a upper window that hinges on the top so similar to a pickup. It really works great for the trip to Kansas from North Carolina; you can store guns and all sorts of stuff under it and the dog has a nice space along with other items. Also keeps the valuables out of sight. I would take a picture but it is not in the vehicle at this time. If you use 3/4" cabnet grade plywood it is very sturdy/stable. The vertical supports only need to be 1/2" thick since it can not rock side to side with it trapped inside on the sides. If you are interested I can take a photo of the rig outside the vehicle.
Best of luck on your project,
Wolf
 
Had this up before. But it is 2x8 center support, 1x face frame, 1x8 sides and back, plywood top and bottom, oak 3/4 by3/4" slide stripsinside for drawers to slide nice on, both sides of drawers and one below the middle of the drawers as well. Drawers are clear pine built cabinet style, blind nailed. even has a water tank if desired. All covered with spray on bed liner and drawer locks. Aluminum drip edge and ruber seal on drawer fronts. Dust and water free. Can be in rain and also washed off easy. I will some time install dividers for guns and shells in one. Holds 32" guns in a 6' box. Tank is about 18" wide if you take that out it could be shortened for a SUV. You would just have to install firing strips on the bottom to raise it up for drawer clearance out the SUV door jamb. Works great. Now in my f150.

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