Tool Box

Land Rovers are not known for their security. Sliding windows and very simple door locks make them very easy to break into. I will be traveling with a satellite phone, computer, iPad and a pile of tools, all of which are primo targets for thieves. While having a computer stolen is always a bummer, having the computer in which you've stored all you field data stolen is a major issue. I have had a big locking tool chest for a number of years and have used it to store recovery gear and tools. Here's a picture.

The box is a big rectangle which fits nicely between the jack (left side of picture) and the support for my bed (right side of picture).

Land Rovers are essentially a big cube with windows and wheels. However, there is one curve running down the side of the truck at the "waistline" just below the windows where the truck bulges out about 3 inches. Interestingly this bulge is a major distinguishing feature between pre-1959 Land Rovers (Series I Rovers) and 1959 to later Land Rovers (Series II, IIa, III and Defenders). The rectangular box essentially sterilizes this storage space, wasting almost 5 inches of storage space on the wheel well. I'm already worried about fitting all my rocks and gear in Grover so this waste of space is unacceptable. I designed a tool box specifically to fit on top of the wheel well and to take advantage of this space but was quoted over $600 dollars to build it. This was unacceptable so I modified my current tool box to fit. I added a five inch bulge to the back by bending sheet metal to fit. Adding sides and riveting it together approximated what I had designed and cost about $50 dollars. Here's a picture of the back of the box, bulging out to take advantage of the extra space.

As you can see it adds significantly to the interior volume. Here's a shot of the inside.

I bolted the storage box to the wheel well and can fit all my tools, electronics and spares into it and it is just the right height so my hip doesn't rest on it when I lie in bed. Perfect and for less than one tenth the cost of a custom box!