130 CSW Flatdog Cargo Cage & Seats

[PolarBlair]

Picked up two of the Flatdog Cargo cages and the separate shelf that goes over the top. Securing luggage is bit of a faff right now to stop the dogs being burried.

My 2year old loves "big brummy" the 130. Even though it's cold and there's nowhere to sit in the back apart from the hard tops of the wheelhouses, it's still where he wants to have his snacks if we're out and about.

The cargo cages don't run the length of the increased length in the back and are made to fit around the bulkhead delete bar which I don't have.

As stock they only come with one closed end and you can buy extra end pieces which normally would go in the middle as a divider.

Cut down the bulkhead bar end and used the extra pieces to close it off.

I've still got the inward facing seats out of my 90 so why not have the best of both worlds?

With no.2 boy now here, having the extra 2 seats should come in handy for their wee mates too.

Ignore the mess. Had to cut off a little over 3inches from the overall length of the cage to fit the seat in but it looks like it will work just fine and with the shelf I can afford to loose some storage space.

Luckily got two of the old style right angled brackets for £34 brand new. These will go along one side of either seat and provide one of the two required mounting points for the lap belts. At the moment thinking I'll mount the other end to the base of the rollcage in the corner of the tub. Not quite sure how yet though.

Plan is to make a top hinged picnic table to mount to the inside of the rear door. A couple of those silicone telescopic cup holders and it'll be done.

Also seriously considering the flat dog cargo shelf that goes along the top of the side panels. Could then blank the cab side off with a panel which would serve well as a place for speakers in the 2nd row. Maybe some storage cubbies or USB charge ports too.

[PolarBlair]

Made the cutout in the end of the cage for the seat bracket. This cuts away the mounting tab for the cage but I rivited it back in place on the end.

Air riviter for the win! It can handle steel rivets and these 6.4mm diameter closed end rivets too.

Just enough clearance so the fabric won't run and fray.

[PolarBlair]

Repurposed one of the wife's chopping boards. How many chopping boards does one woman need?! 😛

Just the right size to butt up against the step down in the tub without interfering with the grommets. 3 bits glued together ended up making the spacer the perfect thickness too. Gotta love it when a plan comes together. Think they might be Nylon?

If anyone is interested, that's the model number of the air riviter. Got it second hand for a song, used it quite heavily for my 90 puma tub conversion and it's been sat collecting dust in a damp shed ever since. 2 years unused and it's still working perfectly. Definitely recommend.

Have to resist the temptation of removing the catch cylinder from the end. There's somthing very satisfying about the M1 garand style "ping" when it ejects the pin.

Need to remember to engage safety squints. 😁

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by PolarBlair

[PolarBlair]

After seeing the massive holes left in the wheelhouses of my 90 caused by the same inward facing seats I'm now trying to fit to the 130, I'm not keen to re-create the same conditions. 

https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/products/m20-x-21-9-x-6l-x-37mm-nylon-shoulder-insulating-isolation-washer-grey

I though these isolation washers would be a good shout to prevent the dissimilar metal corrosion that plagues all defenders.

Sizing is nice and straightforward with an M8 bolt needing an M10 hole to allow for the sleeve on the washer. These should also work to sleeve the seatbelt bolt. That goes into the end of the galvanised bracket shown earlier.

I can't think of a single good reason for the bolts to be in direct contact with the aluminium of the tub.

There's nothing to be done about the rivets into the support bracket except for lashings of waxoil from below and maybe a pair of those fancy aftermarket wheel arch liners.

Tempted to fill the channel in the tub support bracket with something like potting compound before fitting too. The space between the bracket and tub on my 90 was filled with crud making corrosion worse.

So - thoughts on the isolation washers?

 

[PolarBlair]

We cooking with gas now!

Flat dog upper cargo shelf - I'm going to be able to carry ALL the things!

https://www.flatdoguk.com/defender-upper-cargo-shelf~2665

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by PolarBlair

[PolarBlair]

So turns out my original plan is no good. Managed to miss all the tub reinforcement ribs with the seat and cargo cage mounting points. However the bracket for the seatbelt wont fit. I have the narrow version and it doesn't fit over the ribs on the underside of the tub. Of course I have a rib in precisely the wrong place.

There is a wider version which does fit over the tub reinforcement, but from what I saw with my 90, I wouldn't fit them even if I had them. Guaranteed to trap crud with no good way to access for cleaning.

So plan B. The new lap belts came with captive nuts welded to spreader plates. I made sure this overlaps on to the flat edge of the tub reinforcement on the underside of the tub. The rivet hole also goes through the flange.

 

Bit of dynamat to avoid dissimilar metal corrosion. Does a good job filling little gaps when warmed up and clamped down.

Cut through the dynamat and bedliner so the rivet sits flush on the bare metal of the tub. I realised as soon as I did this that cutting a flap in the dynamat to stick back down over the rivet is a lot less work and makes more sense.

The original L bracket would have been nice for a bit more tub reinforcement but is probably unnecessary. If I was hauling heavy loads I might have tracked down the wider version, but for luggage and camping gear, this will be fine.

The aftermarket seatbelt mounting points have a smaller surface area and so won't spread a load as well as the OEM bracket.

But we are talking about 2 extra seats for very occasional use on short journeys. They're really meant for the kids to sit and have a snack out of the elements after a day in the hills. I may not have bothered with seatbelts at all but it's still nice to have the option.

[PolarBlair]

Nearly there. 6 rolls of Dodo Mat Pro Barrier MLV are enough to do both wheelhouses with a little left over. I'm leaving 5-10mm between sheets to fill with tigerseal. The sheets don't have a sticky back so spray contact adhesive it is! Bit of a faff but you do get some positioning time if you stick it on just before both faces being bonded get tacky. Downside is having to hold it in place to cure which takes a lot longer.

Once the tigerseal cures I'm going to cover the gap with this stuff:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B087P7GYQ6/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_45E2PGR7G0D1A2WF49GH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Happy coincidence - the tape pretty much the same colour and material as the vinyl top layer on the dodomat.

The tape has two separate adhesive strips which makes fitting it easier. Thinner and flexible in the middle which makes it easier to shape over outside and inside corners.

Not sure how well it will hold. Worst case I can always use contact adhesive in the future to stick it down again.

[PolarBlair]

Cargo cages came in handy in the last trip. Bungee net was enough to hold luggage on the shelf in place. Big improvement over the last trip but will be even better when I get the high level shelf installed.

Contemplating window guards to the inside so I can put taller items into the lower cages and not have to worry about smashed windows.

Before the high level shelf goes in I need to finish the sound deadening, insulation and headliner.

[PolarBlair]

It's growing arms and legs.

I wanted some rear illumination eventually but applying the sound deadening made me stop and think. Now seems to be the best time before foam and the headliner get in the way.

So pause the cargo shelf install and time for a bit of illumination.

Decided on two Scenelite Si9 above the rear door. Long term plan is to install a ladder and I didn't want lights to get kicked or cast shadows through the ladder.

Also leaves the other outer edge free for a work lamp in the future.

Plan is to wire them to come on with the reverse light and allow for manually turning on and off from the dash.

[PolarBlair]

Getting even more diverted. Harvested the aux fusebox out of the 90 that's waiting on a galv chassis. Seemed neater to have the new lights wired to a more central location in the car just behind the 2nd row. Better for wiring of future accessories/ lighting in the back.

 

 

The old batteries out of the 90 got completely neglected for two years (left unconnected) but are still in great shape. Bad form on my part but looks like I got away with it. 

Further down the rabbit hole, now would surely be a good time to sound deaden the battery box no? 🤔 

Might as well rustproof at same time....

 

Blocked up the holes in the bottom of box with blank grommets. Left the main drainage slots open.

[PolarBlair]

Today was a good day - Happy Birthday to me!

 

 

Went for one step up from the cheapest model after seeing all the mixed reviews and very happy with both. Wee lad is also well chuffed 😊

The Autel Powerscan PS100 appears to be the OEM version of the Sealey unit from what I can tell and was on offer so half the price. Shipped from UK too so no 3month wait from china.

The crimper arrived bone dry with no leaks and has been working well.

 

 

Half way there. Battery hooked up again so I can lock the car properly - bonus.

There was a hole in the front of the battery box from previous owner. Assuming it was for a circuit breaker. Seems like a good idea so put one in. Aux fuse panel can now be switched off from the front.

 

 

40A inline fuse to aux fusebox can be swapped out for something higher rated in future.

16mm2 cable should in theory let me run the max 100A the Blue Sea Systems aux fuseblock can support.

Edited February 13, 2022 by PolarBlair

[PolarBlair]

Well that didn't last! The cheapie VSR that was working fine in the 90 kept blowing 30A fuses on startup in the 130. I thought it was my poor elec-chicken work but the system works exactly as its supposed to if the fuse is inserted once the engine is running.

I didn't do the original install, but looking at the spec sheet, the old VSR was supposed to have a 16A fuse.

It was an open PCB design with absolutely no waterproofing whatsoever and the gauge of cable used seemed a tad thin to me.

£68 for a 5m 16mm² kit with a durite 140A VSR seemed like good value with everything that was included:

 

The durite VSR is also completely sealed except for the contact terminals.

 

 

Looks a bit messy but the extra diagonal run of cable over top of the batteries goes to the isolator in the from of the battery box. This lets me completely cut off the blue sea fuse box in the rear.

 

 

This is on the inside face of the cargo cage on the wheelhouse just behind the 2nd row seats passenger side:

 

 

Just getting cable runs in place then going to cover everything with split conduit and hold down with P-clips.

 

 

I know there will be mixed feelings about this, but I'm going to run the trunking from the middle of the second row seat box to the the back of the cubby.

Yes I know I'm putting a bump in my flat floor but I just can't bring myself to put holes in my tub in the rear and run the conduit under the vehicle. Its also currently the route that all the existing speaker wires take. Hopefully won't be noticeable once I cut a recess in the 20mm heavy duty rubber floor mats and put the carpet over top.

 

 

Cable run also takes care of this guy fed from the new fuseblock. Monitors battery voltage for the leisure battery and will do power for the kids tablets on the back of the front seat headrests when they eventually get old enough to flip the car seats to face forwards. Cutout is circled in orange in the image above.

[Arjan]

Inspiring !
Looking good and VERY tidy.
Would you mind posting a picture of the whole vehicle please ?

You seem to have a cage - always interesting...

[Bowie69]

Those Durite VSRs are very good....

[PolarBlair]

11 hours ago, Bowie69 said:

Those Durite VSRs are very good....

Very satisfying clunk when it switched on 😁

[PolarBlair]

12 hours ago, Arjan said:

Inspiring !
Looking good and VERY tidy.
Would you mind posting a picture of the whole vehicle please ?

You seem to have a cage - always interesting...

Thank you 😊 

Had to go quite a way back in my phone to find a pic. Seems I only take pictures of sound deadening and wiring!

Taken on Skye:

 

[Arjan]

Oohh.......

Bery, very nice !

[PolarBlair]

Progress feels non-existant at times especially with 2 kids. On the weekend it feels like 4 hours disappear, and all I managed was some cable routing.

I have at least finally got the work lights wired up with the relay, installed the switch in the dash, and started sleeving all the cables.

 

Not using the P-clips until I'm 100% everything is where it needs to be.

 

 

Should have positioned the holes in the seat box slightly lower to be closer to the floor but good enough.

 

 

Durite VSR doing what it should. The voltage readout is for the leisure battery and goes back to the new fuseblock.

I'm not going to do it now, but while working in the cramped footwell I had a thought.

 

 

The blue sea panel sits under the metal support bracket (in green).

I could potentially cut back the cubby to follow the outline of the bracket (area in orange) and gain a lot more footroom. The conduit just gets screwed in place, and the blue sea panel moves up. Then I just need a blank panel.

That can wait though. I grabbed a few interior trim panels that escaped the Landrover tax on eBay:

 

 

My tub isn't stepped but you can just cut the bottom off flat. I wanted usb and 12V for the load space passengers, and switches for the work lights, interior load space lights, with room for expansion. Going to mount this panel where the speaker blank goes.

 

 

[PolarBlair]

Can't unsee it. I'm already there so now seems like the time to do it. From work light to hacking into my centre console. 

 

 

Upon closer inspection there's a lot more to be gained. The lower support bracket also protrudes further than it needs to.

There should be enough space to reposition the 12V panel and still allow the lid to open fully.

 

 

Downside is I'll need to cut a hole into the support bracket. 

 

 

Bit of a faff but will keep the blue sea panel out of kicking range and be easier to reach in general. Also the plastic that hangs below the bracket is unsupported and a bit flimsy. This should be a much more solid install.

[PolarBlair]

Glad I took the time. Cables a mess, panel had open holes, dirt everywhere.

 

 

Much better!

 

 

Took the opportunity to sort some exposed wires in the heated seat loom. I'll get the sense line for the Bin Owl spliced in while I'm here. Better than having it hanging out of the plug.

Seat box is cut. Probably going to leave it exposed for now. I'll 3D print a cover later. I'd like to build in air vents for the rear footwell but seems like too much effort right now. 

 

[PolarBlair]

Definitely worth it. More footroom and the blue sea panel has a solid mount through the support bracket. 

 

Plenty of space for the wiring without the tray causing issues.

 

 

Lid opens flat. You can see just how much space is available for some footwell vents below.

Rather than cutting into the air box and ducting through the cubby, I'm considering one of these:

Need to check sizes but I think it may even be easier to fit - just needs bulkhead barb fittings to go through the middle seat panel, run under body and T into the pipes at the heater core. Anyone used one of these?

 

[PolarBlair]

 

Keep chipping away at it. Front headliner is off and I started insulating the back while I wait for more killmat to arrive. 20mm adhesive backed insulation sits reasonably flush with the reinforcement ribs. Then aluminium tape over any joins for a bit more hold.

Right at the back you can just see the closed cell foil insulation that then goes over top of everything as the ribs are sound deadened but not insulated.

Finally got round to mocking up the cargo shelf. Stock installation has it sat too low. Rather than undermounting the support brackets either side, I'm going to have them sit on top of the roof channel. It strikes me that should be how it's installed, although the fixing hardware supplied doesn't make sense if so. I'll get some more pictures to explain once the brackets are in.

For now, a storage box and some floorboards let me mock it up.

Contemplating shortening the support brackets either side to raise it up further. Seems like the standard height has it sat lower than it should be. Too much room above, not enough between underside and shelf below. Barely enough for a storage box!

Edit:

I'm a dummy. Looking at the flat dog website, there's no way this is right. It should pretty much sit in line with the top of the side panels. I'll look again tomorrow when I've had a bit more sleep.

Edited March 20, 2022 by PolarBlair

[PolarBlair]

So, had a look but still not happy.

Ideally I would like the bottom edge of the cage to line up with the top edge of the side windows. Better rear visibility while driving and let's it sit slightly further forward instead of to the back of the headrests.

but looks like I'll have to cut a chunk out and weld back together. Shame about the powder coating.

The bracket is sitting on top of the gutter/rail and should be bolted to the underside. May have to remove 1-2 inches from the side of the bracket.

Definitely not going to be used for heavy stuff either. I'm sure there's a good reason for designing it this way - just seems to me that a simplified solution should have been possible. 

Support bracket c iturrently resting on the flange at the front of the shelf. Should be hard up against the underside.

The written instructions leave much to be desired. I also don't know if it's due to my 130 being converted, but I'm going to have to drill new holes. Probably going to modify the bracket rather than try to move the position of the bolts.

[PolarBlair]

Not giving you close ups of my welds  Neighbour let me use his mig after my stick kept blowing through.

I used the 30mm cut outs as reinforcement patches over the butt welds. Would have been much faster and easier to make a single cut and overlap.

Turns out the shelf has other uses too 😊

Less useful as a sleeping platform now that it's raised up but much better visibility out the side windows. The whole shelf can sit further forwards and take up less space in the load area too.

[Bowie69]

I'm fairly certain you'd now get away with child smuggling quite easily.