Base for 2017 Tacoma Short Bed Storage

[Overlandllama]

For this build, I'm attempting to avoid unnecessary modifications to the truck so will start with 3/4" base of plywood bolted to the bed using the bed bolts. H2O tank, aux battery, fridge slide and custom drawers would all be installed/attached to the base. Will need to account for 3/8" gap since base will sit on the high points of bed ridges in addition to thickness of the plywood. That means the bed bolts are about 1" to 1 1/8" too short. Can make up some of that if I counter sink the bolt heads into the plywood. For the space between bed and plywood I could simply stack 3 large galvanized washers and find bushings or washers to install through the plywood, keeping it from crushing when tightened and prevent loosening of the bolts. I've begun looking to source new bolts but haven't found any yet. If anyone has done something like this or has ideas, I'd be interested in your thoughts. Cheers.

 

[Overlandllama]

For this build, I'm attempting to avoid unnecessary modifications to the truck so will start with 3/4" base of plywood bolted to the bed using the bed bolts. H2O tank, aux battery, fridge slide and custom drawers would all be installed/attached to the base. Will need to account for 3/8" gap since base will sit on the high points of bed ridges in addition to thickness of the plywood. That means the bed bolts are about 1" to 1 1/8" too short. Can make up some of that if I counter sink the bolt heads into the plywood. For the space between bed and plywood I could simply stack 3 large galvanized washers and find bushings or washers to install through the plywood, keeping it from crushing when tightened and prevent loosening of the bolts. I've begun looking to source new bolts but haven't found any yet. If anyone has done something like this or has ideas, I'd be interested in your thoughts. Cheers.

Update: I've decided to not simply bolt-down the sheet to the bed. Instead I'm going to use square steel tubing to build a frame and use welded on tabs to secure the frame to the bed with the bed bolts. That way, I can have options for bolting different drawer configurations to that frame. It should also allow me to box-in the H2O tank directly behind the cab. I'll probably cover all of this with a future build thread over the next few months in preparation for Newfoundland trip in August. Cheers