|
text by Vicki Sign up here to join our weekly email newsletter!
Sometimes the solution to a problem takes time to become apparent. With the seats down in the back of Steph's 2012 MINI Cooper Clubman, the area was not flat. It was a challenge to slide things in and out, as well as provide a comfortable space for the dog.
Steph had a lightbulb moment and realized she could DIY a custom flat surface for the back of the car as the solution to her problem. Follow along as we share how we problem solved this solution. Materials/Tools:
This is the back with the seats down. Where the seats fold is a gap which is easy for greyhound legs to become stuck. Also, the space to the sides and in front of the seats also present a hazard for the dog.
The first step was to gather measurements. We measured at the narrowest part of the back for the width and then from the back of the front seats to the lip of the back for the length.
We didn't purchase plywood as we found what we needed in our scrap pile. We cut it to size with a track saw.
We used a low tech method to find the curve at the back of the car. We simply laid down a piece of paper and made an indentation. We transferred this to the plywood and cut the curve with a jig saw.
This is the cut curve as it sits at the back of the car. It was a good fit.
We are using a dog car seat protector as our fabric to upholster the surface. It's waterproof and cleans easily since it is designed for pet use.
We cut the fabric to size and used a DeWalt staple gun to attach it to the wood. We highly recommend this staple gun. It's very lightweight and doesn't require a lot of hand strength to use.
To make the rigid liner easy to store, we used a continuous hinge to attach the two parts so it will fold.
We marked the screw holes in the hinge and then use a center punch to break through the fabric into the wood to make it easier to install the screws.
Moment of truth! Will it fit?
Here Steph is placing the liner into the car. It fit as it was supposed to and slid into place very easily.
With the liner in place, we needed to address the open spaces on either side of the car. Each side was just a little bit different so we used a jig saw to cut the two pieces.
To aide in keeping the piece in place we added a small strip of wood. This will sit on top of the liner to give this smaller piece more structure and support.
These inserts were spray painted with a rubber spray and then we used the hook side of Velcro to cushion the edges to protect the sides of the car.
Once the inserts were in place, there was still a movement problem. We solved this by adding a PVC cap to the underside and cutting a piece of PVC pipe to fit. When installed, this supports the front end of the insert and keeps it from tipping.
This is the underneath side.
Here is the liner with the two side inserts in place. All the spaces where skinny greyhound legs can get stuck are now addressed!
Kayaking gear slides in easily as does camping equipment.
It is greyhound approved!
This has been a great addition to the Mini Cooper Clubman. It makes it so much easier to stow gear and provides a comfortable, safe space for the dog. If the back of the car was just a bit bigger, it would also make a great car camping space.
Please note: This is not a sponsored post. FYI: We are not professionals, and we don't claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first! FYI: Affiliate links are being used on this page. Purchasing via these links help support MDP. Related Projects
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Mother Daughter Projects
|
