Rear Swing Gate Upgrade
In a never ending hunt for more storage in a very small space, we determined that by adding a few more inches of depth to the swing gate frame, there would be enough thickness to store our recovery gear there. By doing this, we would free up space inside the cargo area for other things, as well as place the recovery gear outside of the vehicle where it is easily accessible.
At the same time, we decided to replace the four steel jerry can holders that we bought in the early days of the build, with a single aluminum brake shape. This would remove about thirty pounds of unwanted weight at the back of the vehicle.
You can look at the photos below individually with the descriptions, or open a "picture only" slideshow here.
The start of the process is to bend up the new jerry can holder. Since we don't have a brake press, we had to have a local fabrication shop bend this for us. It won't have any partitions between the cans, which reduces weight. The tray will have a closure panel on each end.
The fussy part was the layout and cutting of the various tangs on the rear edge of the tray. These are for the jerry can securing straps, and the round bump in the middle is where the back up camera will be mounted.
On the top edge of the tray, there are four rectangular slots cut in to receive the upper end of the securing straps.
The straps hook in at the top and then slide over the tang on the bottom rear edge. Then a clevis pin is inserted in a hole to prevent the strap from coming off.
The extra storage we created inside the tailgate frame was accomplished by bending up a 2.5" deep pan that is hinged on the outboard side of the frame.
The challenge was laying out the equipment in order to get it all in. We had to make special posts with swivel locks to hold everything in place.
When the new brake shapes were powder coated and installed, they make a smooth vertical face that just clears the back of the body when the swing gate is closed.
Even when there are no jerry cans in place, the securing straps can be held in place. So we don't have to worry about what to do with them when not carrying jerry cans.
All of the necessary trail tools are neatly stored on the panel that was attached to the swing gate frame, behind the tire, when the swing gate was first built.
The straps, air hoses, pressure gauges, recovery straps, throw rope and jumper cables are all stored in the closure pan.
Everything needed for trail repair and recovery can all be accessed without having to open up the back of the truck.
With the drop down rear tailgate on the Defender, we even have a nice work bench if needed.
The new jerry can rack securing straps are each held in place with a clevis pin. To prevent anyone from stealing the jerry cans, a steel tube cross rail is locked in place.