Ryekir

My wife and I like to go camping, and we like to take our dogs with us (not just camping, but lots of places), and since cargo space is at a premium in a 2-door JK I decided to build something to help. I took out the rear seat (since we rarely ever use it anyway), and build a shelf that doubles as a dog bed. This setup lets the dogs sit comfortably and look out the windows, and allows us to place all of our camping gear, groceries or what-not underneath. And since this sits on the frame, it allows easy loading in and out of the back with just the tailgate open (there's very little need for me to unzip the rear window on the soft-top.

First, I got a sheet of plywood at Lowes, and had them cut it to the desired size (I don't remember the exact dimensions now, but I can measure it if anyone is curious). I then attached two strips of Sponge Window Seal (with self-adhesive) on either side to prevent scratching the paint as it rests on the body of the Jeep. I also drilled one hole on each side to bolt it in place using the holes designed for the hard top. I also put in a generic net I got from Amazon to prevent the dogs from jumping into the front seats.






Then I used some clamps and bolts I got at Lowes to attach the high-lift jack to the rear roll-cage bars (got this idea from another post)







This setup also allows me to still use my "saddle bag"




I then coated the shelf with flex seal to make it waterproof, look nicer, and it adds a nice rubbery texture.




Since it's only attached at each side, with both dogs on top, it bows in the middle, so I used a 2x4 with more Sponge Window Seal on each end and a couple of 1/4 inch dowels attached to serve as a support in the middle, but it's also very easily removed if needed. The dowels fit into the 1/4 inch holes I drilled in the shelf. I did notice after some use that the dowels have a tendency to break off if I'm not careful, so I'm now using it without gluing the dowels into the support.






I also attached a cargo net on the bottom of the shelf to store small items that I don't want rolling / flying around while driving.




At first, I was using temporary padding for the dogs to lay on (until they could prove that they wouldn't pee on it or anything). It's just a child's sleeping bag we got at the local thrift store.




And eventually I replaced that with some 1 inch thick padding on top and some soft, fuzzy fabric wrapped on top and stapled to the bottom.



This was a pretty inexpensive project, but has been a wonderful addition for every day use.