[madcratebuilder]

I've had Chris's platform for 6-7 years, still as new. It is very sturdy, I can keep a 30qt frig on it along with a 1k watt power station. In or out in under a minute.

 

[Cparcell]

I'm interested in one if you can pm me. Being a new member I cannot pm you. I wonder if you could make or hinged to fold up against the back of the front seats if you need to have a passenger in the rear without fully removing it.

 

[GH1618]

I should probably get one of these while they are still available. I've always thought it curious that there isn't a GM accessory to put a platform in the back of an extended cab Colorado. I never use the back for a passenger. What I do now is keep a couple of totes with lids on the seats, to keep my gear out of sight and off the floor. A platform would make it a little neater.

Since my truck is sited in Clatsop County, Oregon, I would probably want to drive to Yakima to pick it up. Shipping UPS to hold for pickup would work, though. I don't have an Oregon address any more.

In any case, it will be awhile before I will be able to do it. I will be in Oregon soon, but won't have time for this. I'm wondering if there are any options besides the cutouts for greater seat motion. I'll look through the thread to see.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I should probably get one of these while they are still available. I've always thought it curious that there isn't a GM accessory to put a platform in the back of an extended cab Colorado. I never use the back for a passenger. What I do now is keep a couple of totes with lids on the seats, to keep my gear out of sight and off the floor. A platform would make it a little neater.

Since my truck is sited in Clatsop County, Oregon, I would probably want to drive to Yakima to pick it up. Shipping UPS to hold for pickup would work, though. I don't have an Oregon address any more.

In any case, it will be awhile before I will be able to do it. I will be in Oregon soon, but won't have time for this. I'm wondering if there are any options besides the cutouts for greater seat motion. I'll look through the thread to see.

If you need a Orygun address LMK, I'm in SE PDX.

 

[djm326]

Update for October 2023 - I have relocated to Yakima WA - can still build and ship in a couple of days. Costs and shipping is up - price is now $250 shipped.
Just post or PM if you have any questions or requests. Yes, LOTS of them sold over the years. And I'm still using my original prototype one!

Update June 2021 - Yes, still making these for X-cab owners around the country. The new ZR-2 has been popular with the extended cab - evidently it's the only way you can get a x-cab with a diesel. In any case, this platform has become even more popular - the inside configuration and dimensions remains the same going back to 2015.

For taller drivers we notch the top back behind the seat, and for the passenger side as well if desired. There are pics of this along about page 5-6 or so. If you're interested in getting one just let me know your height and pants length and I'll size the top accordingly.

Cost for a finished platform is $200, plus pack and ship UPS Ground to continental US for $35 - Total $235

Thanks for all the interest! PM for more details or to place an order.

**
Now to the original story from early 2015....

Well, we had a lengthy discussion, the wife and I on cab configuration when we were shopping. The crew-cab 4-door is a really nice layout, but for me the bed was way too short for hauling motorbikes and there was no way I was buying the long wheelbase truck as a 4x4. So it kind of got down to the point where it was a go or no-go on even getting a truck as it had to be the extended cab. She looked at the back seats and said no way is this going to work, I can't even fit in there. I told her to think of it as a 2-seater with space for the dogs. We've had pickup trucks going back more than 40 years and a truck seat used to seat 3 in a pinch and that was all there ever was. We just won't have any passengers, or maybe just one in a pinch. The extended cab is really too small for an adult anyway. They'll have to bring their own car, or we'll take two.

So once we settled that, then there was the dogs - our 3 Pomeranians (no we didn't CHOOSE to have 3 dogs - we inherited the third LOL), they are 8-12lbs so there's plenty of space for them and one usually rides on a lap. But that back seat configuration doesn't work for dogs. There's the cup holders and the cubby for seat belts to sit in. And the seat bases are really short with a big gap behind the front seats. Even hauling groceries and such is a PITA with the way it is as built.

I got to looking at it and thought the seat cushions are easily removed - there is a bolt on each side that also holds the seatbelts. And the backs are similarly easily removed. But now we have those two stupid little plastic storage bins and the cubby and drink holder in the middle. My thought was to build a platform in place of the seat bases. But then there would be no way to ever use the seats even if you really wanted to. I wanted to keep that option if possible should the need arise.

Next idea was to build a plywood platform that sits above the seat pads and leave everything the factory put in there intact. This also preserves the two storage bins, granted they're small, but at least you can throw some emergency things and stuff like that in them.

I got a basic design going in my head and some measurements and walked thru my local Lowe's home center store for some supplies. Here is my parts list:

Half sheet of 1/2" birch-faced cabinet plywood - $25 (EDIT 6-25-2021 - I just had to pay $80 for maple-faced plywood, everything is sold out and what's left has doubled in price)
3M spray adhesive for carpet - $9
A 4' Piano hinge - $10
Pack of #8x1/14" wood screws - $1.25
One 8' stick of 1x2 milled pine wood strip - $5

I had a bottle of wood glue, and I have all kinds of woodworking tools. I have built cabinets and boats and houses and such. Definitely makes it easy when you have what you need on hand.

Lowe's didn't have any carpeting that looked automotive, and no black, so I went down the street to Pep Boys auto parts and got a 3x6' piece of black auto carpet. $15

First step was to cut the top to size. Fortunately the width from side to side is perfect at 4'. Front to back is 18" from the center console to the jack cover. Easy. Next was to get a feel for height and level - I matched the levelness to the box so when the truck is level the platform will be level.

Birch-faced cabinet plywood is really nice to work with. It mills easy and is perfectly flat and square. Cost is about 20% more than plain fir CDX but so much nicer to build with. CDX or even AC panels are common plywood, like you put on the sides or roof of your house or floor. But it always has some twist 'till you nail it down. Plus it picks up moisture quickly and warps, not what I wanted to deal with for this project. I didn't want OSB or particle board either - and wanted to keep it lightweight.
Weight is about 34lbs for a full sheet, so there's about 12lbs of material here, plus the 1x2 pine strip. Very easy to handle for installing and removing the finished platform.

It turns out that the seatbelt retractors make a perfect support for the back at the height of a 1x2.






Next I break out my cabinet tools, countersink bits and glue and screw the back support to the platform top. I set it back from the edge about an inch so it rides square on the seatbelt caps without digging into them. Carpet will add a lot of cushion to everywhere the assembly touches the truck.




Took a bevel from the floor to the driveline hump, centered it, and cut out the front of the platform support. I used a 3/4" radius to the lower edges, the hump cut out, and the front of the platform top. Then rounded over all the exposed edges with a wood plane.









Next I can trial fit everything and figure out where the piano hinge is going to go. By setting it back against the bins and with the floor hump cut out, the whole thing locks into place. It cannot move forward or back, or left or right, it fits perfectly into the space.






I'm going to break this into a couple of posts so it doesn't get so long...


Hey Chris,

The platform arrived safely...nice packing job! Fit is excellent, glad I went with the extra space behind the seats, and yes it makes the back seat area much more useful...

Thanks again for the awesome build, great job!

Update for October 2023 - I have relocated to Yakima WA - can still build and ship in a couple of days. Costs and shipping is up - price is now $250 shipped.
Just post or PM if you have any questions or requests. Yes, LOTS of them sold over the years. And I'm still using my original prototype one!

Update June 2021 - Yes, still making these for X-cab owners around the country. The new ZR-2 has been popular with the extended cab - evidently it's the only way you can get a x-cab with a diesel. In any case, this platform has become even more popular - the inside configuration and dimensions remains the same going back to 2015.

For taller drivers we notch the top back behind the seat, and for the passenger side as well if desired. There are pics of this along about page 5-6 or so. If you're interested in getting one just let me know your height and pants length and I'll size the top accordingly.

Cost for a finished platform is $200, plus pack and ship UPS Ground to continental US for $35 - Total $235

Thanks for all the interest! PM for more details or to place an order.

**
Now to the original story from early 2015....

Well, we had a lengthy discussion, the wife and I on cab configuration when we were shopping. The crew-cab 4-door is a really nice layout, but for me the bed was way too short for hauling motorbikes and there was no way I was buying the long wheelbase truck as a 4x4. So it kind of got down to the point where it was a go or no-go on even getting a truck as it had to be the extended cab. She looked at the back seats and said no way is this going to work, I can't even fit in there. I told her to think of it as a 2-seater with space for the dogs. We've had pickup trucks going back more than 40 years and a truck seat used to seat 3 in a pinch and that was all there ever was. We just won't have any passengers, or maybe just one in a pinch. The extended cab is really too small for an adult anyway. They'll have to bring their own car, or we'll take two.

So once we settled that, then there was the dogs - our 3 Pomeranians (no we didn't CHOOSE to have 3 dogs - we inherited the third LOL), they are 8-12lbs so there's plenty of space for them and one usually rides on a lap. But that back seat configuration doesn't work for dogs. There's the cup holders and the cubby for seat belts to sit in. And the seat bases are really short with a big gap behind the front seats. Even hauling groceries and such is a PITA with the way it is as built.

I got to looking at it and thought the seat cushions are easily removed - there is a bolt on each side that also holds the seatbelts. And the backs are similarly easily removed. But now we have those two stupid little plastic storage bins and the cubby and drink holder in the middle. My thought was to build a platform in place of the seat bases. But then there would be no way to ever use the seats even if you really wanted to. I wanted to keep that option if possible should the need arise.

Next idea was to build a plywood platform that sits above the seat pads and leave everything the factory put in there intact. This also preserves the two storage bins, granted they're small, but at least you can throw some emergency things and stuff like that in them.

I got a basic design going in my head and some measurements and walked thru my local Lowe's home center store for some supplies. Here is my parts list:

Half sheet of 1/2" birch-faced cabinet plywood - $25 (EDIT 6-25-2021 - I just had to pay $80 for maple-faced plywood, everything is sold out and what's left has doubled in price)
3M spray adhesive for carpet - $9
A 4' Piano hinge - $10
Pack of #8x1/14" wood screws - $1.25
One 8' stick of 1x2 milled pine wood strip - $5

I had a bottle of wood glue, and I have all kinds of woodworking tools. I have built cabinets and boats and houses and such. Definitely makes it easy when you have what you need on hand.

Lowe's didn't have any carpeting that looked automotive, and no black, so I went down the street to Pep Boys auto parts and got a 3x6' piece of black auto carpet. $15

First step was to cut the top to size. Fortunately the width from side to side is perfect at 4'. Front to back is 18" from the center console to the jack cover. Easy. Next was to get a feel for height and level - I matched the levelness to the box so when the truck is level the platform will be level.

Birch-faced cabinet plywood is really nice to work with. It mills easy and is perfectly flat and square. Cost is about 20% more than plain fir CDX but so much nicer to build with. CDX or even AC panels are common plywood, like you put on the sides or roof of your house or floor. But it always has some twist 'till you nail it down. Plus it picks up moisture quickly and warps, not what I wanted to deal with for this project. I didn't want OSB or particle board either - and wanted to keep it lightweight.
Weight is about 34lbs for a full sheet, so there's about 12lbs of material here, plus the 1x2 pine strip. Very easy to handle for installing and removing the finished platform.

It turns out that the seatbelt retractors make a perfect support for the back at the height of a 1x2.






Next I break out my cabinet tools, countersink bits and glue and screw the back support to the platform top. I set it back from the edge about an inch so it rides square on the seatbelt caps without digging into them. Carpet will add a lot of cushion to everywhere the assembly touches the truck.




Took a bevel from the floor to the driveline hump, centered it, and cut out the front of the platform support. I used a 3/4" radius to the lower edges, the hump cut out, and the front of the platform top. Then rounded over all the exposed edges with a wood plane.









Next I can trial fit everything and figure out where the piano hinge is going to go. By setting it back against the bins and with the floor hump cut out, the whole thing locks into place. It cannot move forward or back, or left or right, it fits perfectly into the space.






I'm going to break this into a couple of posts so it doesn't get so long...

Hey Chris,

The platform arrived safely...nice packing job! Fit is excellent, glad I went with the extra space behind the seats, and yes it makes the back seat area much more useful...

Thanks again for the awesome build, great job!

 

[Browneye]

I'm interested in one if you can pm me. Being a new member I cannot pm you. I wonder if you could make or hinged to fold up against the back of the front seats if you need to have a passenger in the rear without fully removing it.

I guess I don't logon too often...just shipped one to Iowa.
You can email me at chrisbrown77 at att dot net
They are also on ebay, albiet the cost is more to cover the selling fee.

The front support panel sits on the floor - is cut out in the center to go over the driveline hump. The platform top butts up to the center console just below the usb/lighter ports. There isn't a way to hinge it to th front seats - they have a soft uphostered back. If you don't need it in the cab you can toss it in the bed/box.
You can't fit a passenger in the backseat unless it's a child or a VERY small adult, especially not with the cargo platform. Mywife is 5-7, rode back there for a 200 mile road trip, and will never do that again. LOL

Can ship one out in a couple of days - yes still making them and sending them out all over the country.

I should probably get one of these while they are still available. I've always thought it curious that there isn't a GM accessory to put a platform in the back of an extended cab Colorado. I never use the back for a passenger. What I do now is keep a couple of totes with lids on the seats, to keep my gear out of sight and off the floor. A platform would make it a little neater.

Since my truck is sited in Clatsop County, Oregon, I would probably want to drive to Yakima to pick it up. Shipping UPS to hold for pickup would work, though. I don't have an Oregon address any more.

In any case, it will be awhile before I will be able to do it. I will be in Oregon soon, but won't have time for this. I'm wondering if there are any options besides the cutouts for greater seat motion. I'll look through the thread to see.

When I created this thing it was for my own use - with three dogs you get creative. I never dreamed so many people would want them. I hindsight I probly should have started a company and made them for all makes of trucks. But alas, I just make one up when someone with one of these trucks wants one. Interestingly, as the original owners resell them the new owners go looking for options and I get a lot of new buyers of trucks wanting one. I intend to keep making them as long as owners keep buying them.

And yes, you can easily pick it up here in eastern WA. Happy to have one ready, or can UPS it to you - it's included in the price.

Send me a PM for more details if you want one.

Sorry for the late replies.

 

[Crackle]

I purchased one of Chris Brown’s dog platforms for an extended cab colorado. It’s well made and fit perfectly. He’ll even modify them for your height judging how far you’ll push the seat back, though in my case it wasn’t really an issue. I didn’t see a need for a crew cab and wanted the longer truck bed. But the two mini back seats are kind of useless. The platform turns that into usable space. See picture of happy dog. Bill M