Safe Stowage

I

Inspector-Gadget

New member
The recent threads regarding the necessity of carrying self-extraction gear while off-roading and the use of a hi-lift jack beg another question: how to safely stow all those jacks, jack stands, come-alongs, chains, straps, blocks and tackle and misc. tools in an open, short-wheelbase Jeep?

There is a second reason I bring up this question. A friend was recently involved in a LOW-speed head-on collision while driving his small car. A metal tool box stored in the trunk of that car went airborne because of the collision. The toolbox burst through the rear seat backrest. (A fold-down, split backrest rear seat that allows storing long objects in a small car.) The toolbox then hit the back of the driver's seat headrest and bent the headrest forward. My friend got LUCKY! He survived the impact of a toolbox literally gone ballistic.

I suspect that most Jeepers must travel the highways on their ways to and from off-roading excursions. So the question is...How do you safely stow your off-roading tools and misc. hardware?

Gadget
 

Guilty! My wife rolled her XJ last year. The only injury was a hammer I left in the back, hit my son in the head.
Saw a neat idea the other day. Guy made a piece of thick sheet steel that just fit in the rim on the spare. He had jumper cables, tow straps all sorts of junk packed in there and A big Jeep painted on the cover. Got rid of some of the junk anyway. Long bolt and a butterfly nut running through the center. Probably could have used a bigger bolt, drilled a hole in it and put a small lock on there, to secure his junk and his spare.
Same thing would probably work for the inside spare on an XJ. Project 942.
 
Hello MudderChuck,

Great idea on the spare tire cover!

HHHhhhhmmmm....If I put a full deep-dish hubcap on the CJ spare tire, I wonder how much stuff I could stow in the space between the wheel and the hubcap?

Regards,

The pondering Gadget
 
I'll be interested in these answers since I was wondering the same before I buy all my recovery gear.

I did see one post about someone installing hi lift across the back of the jeep trunk. It looked handy, but don't know where that was.

I have nil ideas since this is my first Jeep! Sorry :roll:
 

You can remove the "bumperettes" and HiLift makes a bracket to mount in place of a rear bumper (can probably rig it up yourself).
 
Negative arch!!!

I simply got a couple of long 3/8's bolts, sleeve's (off old shocks) and drilled them in the rear fender walls of my CJ. The Hi-lift lays across the rear cargo area securely behind the roll bar. A couple of bungies hold the handle and foot from rattling my brain. This also keeps my canvas duffel bag with spot light, tow strap, & 2 large D-rings, Plus my plastic tool box from exiting the cargo area. They will not fit (exit) unless the rear seat back fails. My tools in the box are a Dodge dakota lug wrench set up, oil filter and oil.(oils filters can hit the motor mount on really hard bounces.........yea it sucked!!) Oil wrench. gloves, bungies, and plenty of sockets,wrenches, first aid kit, binocs, jumper cables, and and and.
 

We actually have a couple of brackets we bolted to the top of the swing away tire carrier on our Scrambler to pad lock the high lift jack to. As for the other tools, spare parts and gear, we have those in large locked tool boxes in the back of the Scrambler and behind the back seat of my CJ-7. The easiest way to keep them from going anywhere is to bolt them to the bed of the Jeep.
 
MudderChuck,
LadyJeepFreak,
TwistedCopper,
BakedAlaskan,
south442,
StockJeepCJ,

Thanks for your posts! All contained good ideas!

I have been toying with the idea of a large diameter white plastic (PVC?) drainage pipe, with screw-in end plugs, spanning the Jeep side to side, mounted into the upside-down "Vee" formed by the roll bar verticals and rear support tubes -- after the fashion of the plastic piping one often sees mounted fore and aft on the roof racks of service vans used by plumbers and electricians.

Plenty of waterproof, easily accessed storage space, and the whole thing easily removed as a unit when unneeded.

I'll work on that idea.

I know what you are thinking. A second large diameter pipe, filled with "Corona" beer and equipped with a tap: like a keg worn by a Saint Bernard when rescuing a lost skier.

HHHhhhmmmmm...the ultimate off-road rescue vehicle? You are stuck, but don't care?

:mrgreen:

Gadget
 
Corona is carbonated. Pack it with crushed ice and margraritta mix and viola!!! Turn on a little Jimmy Buffet and life is gooooooood!!!


I used those pvc tubes in plumbing, they work great. I like the idea for extra storage in the back. I have thought of one for the "V" on the roll bar, but I plan on using old Ammo boxes for the rear wheelwells. (infinite sizes) A Machette in a sheath mount on the front cross bar, Glock w/Fobus holster between the seat and console. Mag light attatched to the floor next to the shifter. Bow saw and Shovel rubber bungied to the HI-lift in the back as well. Plus I am in the process of designing a snorkle system. I am going to use one large 8-10 inch pipe and rig it up under the hood. This will house the filter and seperate the intake from throttlebody intake air. It's similar to a Shop vac set up. Or one LARGE Bong depending on what you have in mind. :p
 

Super Swamper LTBs?

I mounted my high lift on the front bumper. There were holes all ready drilled for lights that were not there anymore. I just took a piece of pipe I use for a cheater bar and cut 1" off to lift the jack up so it did not bent. Then ran some bolts with fender washer through. Since I have tools in my jeep I didn't have to use wing nuts but they would work well also.
 
hello

OK XJ drivers lets hear some ideas. I´ve been thinking about cutting out he recess in the right rear fender well cover and putting a door over it. Probably room for some rain gear and a couple of cans of oil in there. And like I mentioned before, a cover for the spare, to store stuff inside the rim. I´m gonna look for a skinny tall tool box and figure out some way to fasten it to the floor, so it can be removed for loading stuff.
Also saw a dog screen, that goes behind the rear seat, to help keep Fido from becoming a projectile.
 
More good ideas!

Thanks all!

Uuuuummmm...BakedAlaskan...Ammo boxes? Machete? Glock? Are you going off-road or are you really a soldier of fortune getting ready to put down an insurrection? (Joke :lol: )

BTW, Keith, Tug asked about snorkels some time ago. I would bet that he and others would be interested in pictures of your final snorkel set-up.

Anyway...great ideas! Keep them coming.

Gadget
 

HEHEHEHE, SOLDIER OF FORTUNE!! That's funny!!

Not really me, mainly more like a boy scout. Always prepared. All the things in the jeep are needed when you out 4xing. The Glock, well you never want to use it. But it is worse to not have one when you need it.

After all I wheel in the back country of Arkansas.............. :shock:
Not to mention motorcycling. I always had a 12 gauge loaded with 3 inch slugs when 4 wheeling (ATV's mainly) in the woods of Alaska. Being "NOT" the highest thing on the food chain makes one a bit parinoid. And never owned a pistol up there, but here, I don't own a shotgun either. All about location, location, location.

I will most certainly post the out come of my snorkle set up. I;ll be too proud not to. :)
 
I have my highlift mounted on the rear bumber.And when ever I go wheeling I take a tool box,I fold up my rear seat.Then Pack my 1.Tool box,
2.Towbar,3.Cooler,4.And a heavy blanket just in case it gets cold or you need to get under the jeep to fix something.
 

79 cj ball joints

Hello All,

It looks like this thread has run its course, but I wanted to append my gratitude to everyone who took time to contribute.

There were 228 "views" as this was written. Apparently the topic was of some interest.

Thank you,

Gadget
 
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