Homemade rear door tray

After the Bristol and West SWMBO gave permish for me to hunt out a rear door table as she put it after seeing one on a Disco on the Disco owners club pitch.

After pootling about on the net and seeing the price of pre manufactured jobs and some of the rough stuff knocked up by people I kind of canned the idea.

Until... we were in Ikea the other night - I happened upon pikey corner as you do, you know the bit with all the odds and sods, returns and scabby display stuff they want shot of.

Turned up a Broder shelf for a bargain four quid - granted its quite a bit bigger than the shelves you normally see at 31" x 23.5" - more like a bloody dining table in fact!

Apparently they are about across the UK should you fancy one - galvanised and quite sturdy for 4 quid.

Then I happened across a D2 chequer plate rear in black brand shiny for 35 quid delivered.

Then a quick trip to Screwfix for some flush hinges, nuts and bolts and black chain and the job is just about starting.

I've riveted on the chain and hinges, now I'm pondering the height on the chequer plate for the shelf - on the current door card I've just rested it on the built in shelf - quite a nice height so that might be where it ends up.

Jobs to do now are...

1. Drill/Cut the hole for the door opening mech - or botch it so it'll fit in the pre cut D2 hole?!?

2. Drill/Screw the shelf to the chequer plate

3. Rivet the chequer plate to the door

4. Rivet the chain to the door and fit the catches so it doesn't flop about when driving.

5. Cut down the old tent flap stay to use as front supports just to make it a bit more secure.

Heres some pictures of it 'dry fitted' together to get some ideas







Any hints/tips/ideas or general ****taking gratefully received. Now as I'm a lazy office wallah the work has to be achievable without welding or using big tools, so this is a fair job.

Can't see the pics - sounds interesting.

Photos sorted

Finally photos at a tidy size and hosted.

Thats a big shelf how much of it do you see in the rear view mirror?

Funnily enough when I've been 'dry fitting' it ie resting it on the door pod - it comes across into the 'drop down on the glass by about 4-5 inches and upwards by about 3-4 inches - almost like a rectangular extension to the spare!

Its noticeable but not distracting, that said I do have a dog guard installed with strops, jump leads and bungees dangling off it so I'm used to seeing shed loads of crap in my rear view mirror.

Looking good, great little idea that.
Look forward to seeing it fitted.

So am I - can't wait to use it 'in anger' when in France and cook a meal on a beach or out in the middle of knowhere!

Should also come in handy when scouting - no need to bend for bbq's in the forestry when we're on night hikes etc

Might take me a few more weekends before its fully ready as the old social calendar is a bit full lately - so I'm literally potching with it when I come home from work in the lounge before SWMBO arrives home - the kids think its great using power tools in the lounge and spraying drill swarf everywhere!!

Our youngest (2) loves the riveter, he just sits there spinning the head around and pumping the handles - he's not yet mastered fully riveting something but not far off, just hasn't got the power for the final 'snap'!

How are you planning to keep it in the vertical position?

So far my thoughts are a few brass clippy things like we have to hold the boiler cupboard door shut. Known as double ball catches at toolstation.

They may or may not do the job, but they are to hand and are effectively free.

Just a little update.

Was pondering away in bed this morning when couldn't sleep and figured that the tent pole idea might be a non-starter if the ground is uneven....

so I'm now hunting down a pair of gate hinges that will suit the job of 'brackets' that swing out under the tray when its in use.

just an idea, but why not chains like the others...

or a fishing rod rest as ther are extendable and could easily be fabricated onto a bracket for un even ground

Paul,

I already have chains in place - my tray is more akin to a dining table at nearly 3 ft by about 2ft.

I'm just pondering extra support that can remain in situ - hadn't pondered rod rests, strange as I currently have 2 in the disco for securing my old roach pole aka scout group flag pole!!

Might be worth a little more ponderation. cheers for the idea.

no worries, anything telescopic would do the same clothes pole, paint roller extension bar to name but 2 lol

i saw chains after id posted :S

Job done... photos to follow when I get to me pc.

Hardest part was getting it to stay against the door on the side away from the disco.

Cable ties to the rescue.

Few things I would've done differently if I weren't tha guinea pig! Hindsight, eh!

First a little tale - if you go down a similar route don't mount the tray too close to the inner door edge - I had to grind a bit of the door surround on the main body to get the bloody door to shut.

Of course, this was realised after I'd rivetted the tray to the chequer plate. I'm blaming the sun as well as me being a div! :scratching_chin:

Right photos - yes I know the tray looks ****ed, thats because Ponty junior spent days driving his eleccy quad and other ride ons over the tray when it was on our not so flat floor! :Cry:

Looks good.

Cheers. My first attempt at landy modding.

Nicely done