KARGA extra tie down location for Ranger?

[John E Davies]

EDIT - see post 3 for the install.

I just got these, I quite like their ingenious design and 30 second installation/ removal, and their very light weight (and they are made in Idaho!), but they do hop around without a load on top. The rear legs snap securely to the existing Ford child seat anchors, but the front legs rely on gravity…. Plus they are resting on rubber feet and also a rubber floor mat, which makes it a little unsteady.

I was thinking about adding a tie down in FRONT of each one, down low on the steel seat support structure. Then I can add a 1” web strap at each location to steady the front legs. Has anybody done this mod, and can you suggest a better alternative? I was going to use a pair of (insanely strong) Mac’s Tiedowns Versatie removable anchors that I already have.

Each platform is rated at 75 pounds, but I would feel a LOT happier about driving on washboard roads or being in a collision if they were anchored directly to the steel floor up front!

KARGA storage platforms

Thanks,
John Davies
Spokane WA USA

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[John E Davies]

By the way, that fridge is 20 pounds
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082SKVVBD?ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details&th=1

and the power supply is about 26 pounds.
Ecoflow DELTA 3 Classic 1024 watt hours

if you were going to fill the cooler with beer, the power supply should go on the floor, where it fits perfectly, to lighten the dynamic load on the KARGA..

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[John E Davies]

The bumpy road test, the empty tray went "click click" whenever I drove over a small hole, the loaded tray went "clunk clunk" over larger ones. This fixed the click click noise, but it is not elegant.

Remove the two plastic cubby liners, you will destroy the six push pins, so buy some of these reusable ones from NAPA:

There is room for this little mount in the center, barely. Positioning is not critical. Make sure you vacuum out all the metal shavings first!

The Mac's Tiedowns VersaTie Anchor Plate Assembly - 1" Fastener work great here, mine were the slim versions, but these regular ones will be fine too.

Any 1" nylon webbing cam lock tie downs will work, do not use ratchet straps!!! I like the Raingler ones, you will need a 72" one for each tray. I bought a bunch of 120 inch ones and cut them to the correct length. These have a little stretch to them, about 5%, so you can reef down really tight on them and they will not loosen afterwards.

https://raingler.com/products/rtd-7-tie-down-strap?variant=12305775001690

Continued....

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[John E Davies]

Here is my 18" seatbelt extension, so I can secure a small dog carrier:

These are rock solid now. Too bad the Ranger needed special anchors, an SUV with fold and tumble seats has accessible front hinges that you can loop your straps around, so I have read....

FINALLY, remove your OEM jack and the tool roll that goes with it, you will not be able to access them with the trays loaded.

EDIT see Post 9 for some more important info.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[midnight270]

Awesome pictures and explanations.

I have one of these for my fridge currently. I plan on adding another with the second level to hold more gear. I’m definitely going to follow your mounting procedure to secure them down better.

 

[bigb]

I like it, did not know those shelves existed. I'm going to have to get at least one, maybe 2. I have the Alpicool IR42 which I love. Weighs 30 lbs empty. Are you running yours off a power station so it can stay on when parked?

Are your Kargas the 40% or 50%? I would want to be able to move the front seats all the way back.

Also, if you don't mind, what trash can is that? I'm using one of those slinky like collapsible ones but it's not ideal.

Oh and thanks for helping me spend my money!

 

[John E Davies]

I like it, did not know those shelves existed. I'm going to have to get at least one, maybe 2. I have the Alpicool IR42 which I love. Weighs 30 lbs empty. Are you running yours off a power station so it can stay on when parked?

Are your Kargas the 40% or 50%? I would want to be able to move the front seats all the way back.

Also, if you don't mind, what trash can is that? I'm using one of those slinky like collapsible ones but it's not ideal.

Oh and thanks for helping me spend my money!

Any small power station that will fit beside the fridge, or better yet, on the floor will work, the bigger the better. The one pictured is 1024 watt hours, it is barely "adequate", but am upgrading my charging setup - see this thread, Post 7:

https://www.ranger6g.com/forum/thre...aults-with-handheld-tester.29978/#post-435676

These are the 50% size, they leave about 2 inches space at each door if the trays are touching each other. You can move the seats all the way back unless your fridge is positioned fore and aft, in that case the top edge might hit your seat back. Plus you may not be able to put the power supply on the floor, a skinnier one would be better than a cube. You can compare your fridge dimensions to mine: Alpicool K18 (18 liter): 23"L x 13.2"W x 11.4"T. The location of your lid latch(es) and hinges location might be a factor.

Here is the trash receptacle, I think it is available from other sources.
High Road TrashStand Leakproof Weighted Car Trash Bin - Compact Size (1.25 gal)

Anything else you need me to help you buy? Cars or guns? Thanks for the kind words.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

 

[bigb]

Any small power station that will fit beside the fridge, or better yet, on the floor will work, the bigger the better. The one pictured is 1024 watt hours, it is "adequate", but am upgrading my charging setup - see this thread, Post 7:

https://www.ranger6g.com/forum/thre...aults-with-handheld-tester.29978/#post-435676

These are the 50% size, they leave about 2 inches space at each door if the trays are touching each other. You can move the seats all the way back unless your fridge is positioned fore and aft, in that case the top edge might hit your seat back. Plus you may not be able to put the power supply on the floor, a skinnier one would be better than a cube. You can compare your fridge dimensions to mine: Alpicool K18 (18 liter): 23"L x 13.2"W x 11.4"T. The location of your lid latch(es) and hinges location might be a factor.

Here is the trash receptacle, I think it is available from other sources.
High Road TrashStand Leakproof Weighted Car Trash Bin - Compact Size (1.25 gal)

Anything else you need me to help you buy? Cars or guns? Thanks for the kind words.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Thank John!

I'm going to get them, and some Mac's as well. I had given up on using that sppace as even with the seat folded down it was not great.

I would like the option of putting the cooler inside the cab in hot weather, right now I keep it in back inside my A.R.E. topper. BTW I unplugged the LED light on my Alpicool, I don't need a light and it stays on all the time lid open or closed and I don't want the heat gain or extra battery drain although it's tiny, every bit counts. My Alpicool IR42 has a reversible lid and measures approximately 26" x 15" x 16.8" so a bit larger than yours. I have thought about getting another smaller one but so far the 42 quart one has been needed.

I've debated a power station for awhile but keep coming back to just a 100ah LiFeP04, they make pretty small ones now and I could fix one up in a plastic box for 12 volt power, I don't really need 120 VAC power so it wouldn't make much sense for me to convert 12V to 120V to power a 12V fridge.
When I first got my IR42 I ran it for 5 days off a 100ah LiFeP04 that I borrowed from my MH just to test it, and I only used 1/2 of the 100ah. (Granted it was in the garage where it never got over 70F)

BTW in case you're looking to dump some excess cash have you checked out the Oyster cooler? I did some testing on that as well and it is amazing. They have an "oops" program where you can get one for $100 off. I use mine for shopping in hot weather, shorter motel road trips and day trips, and when I have to work on a rental or something all day. (I'll be using it today as I help my brother install a metal gate for my water and lunch.)
https://oystercooler.com/?tw_source...mpaign=22491446535&tw_kwdid=kwd-2418464198305

 

[John E Davies]

Update, I forgot this part. The Ranger child seat anchors may be hidden from view, you must tuck the little flaps underneath for easy access. Also, I added two 6 mm flat washers under the rear mount screw heads so that there are no exposed threads sticking up.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

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