Securing large heavy cargo in the back

[martin_95037]

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to secure large very preice of cargo in the back of an expedition? The seats are put down and I have a full sheet of plywood down in the back. There are no tie down points in the back. When I say heavy I mean 1 peice that weights 800+ pounds.

 

[Yupster Dog]

There is nothing in the vehicle meant to hold that much weight.
Instead of tearing something up, how about making tie-downs on the plywood itself?

 

[martin_95037]

The plywood would have to be a whole lot thicker. Maybe 2 or 3 sheets of 3/4 inch. And drill some holes in it.

Half backed though on the way back from Reno this morning was to start popping panels and see where could weld a grab hook.

 

[JamaicaJoe]

I had an E350 I outfitted as a basic overlander once. I put a heavy sheet of plywood in back and bolted via (removed) rear seat bolts. Through the plywood I used T nuts and above were 1/4 inch eye bolts, fender washers and nuts. This to tye down bikes and camping gear. With 800 lbs of live load, you are going to need to use stronger tie points or many of them laced with cable or cord. If this is a permanent install, versus get that thing home, you are going to want to find bolt holes under the rear deck to mount to the frame. Last thing you want is 800 lbs sliding forward.

 

[Mmart]

I don’t want to come off like a smart a$$, but wouldn’t it be easier to rent a trailer vs putting a lot of work into the truck?
The last post gave me a flash back to a job I had in 1999. Another guy and I were installing backup power supplies for telecom systems prepping for the big Y2K panic. Each weighed just shy of a 100lbs and I had to jam the brakes with six of them in a 94 Explorer. I wasn’t going fast and they still pushed the front seats with us in them into the dash. Nobody hurt, but it was hard to pull over and it took us a minute to push them back enough to get out of the truck.

 

[JasonH]

Just because it can fit in the hatch doesn't mean you should put it back there. Rent a vehicle or a trailer for a day, if possible. Safety first!

 

[Ed Fogle]

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to secure large very preice of cargo in the back of an expedition? The seats are put down and I have a full sheet of plywood down in the back. There are no tie down points in the back. When I say heavy I mean 1 peice that weights 800+ pounds.

I carry a 300+ lb. mini— golf cart in the Expy while towing it behind my motorhome. Am very concerned about hard stops mainly particularly if we drive the car before unloading the cart. Have been disappointed Ford didn’t make any accommodations for tie downs. I lifted the plastic that sits crosswise under the rear hatch and was able to mount a couple of removable D-rings there but the metal is not very large gauge so it’s subject to bending and failure under loads. Plus I have to leave the piece of plastic out when using the D-rings. I think I’d have to go a long way through the frame and risk severing wires to do anything better.

For now I have a 3/4” sheet of plywood under the cart and secure it from rolling forward by attaching the cart to a J hook in the plywood with a ratchet strap. To protect the front seats and console I put a floatie slit down the middle across the front edge if the plywood. It’s not the best but better than nothing.

 

[GlennSullivan]

Rather than screw around with the interior of the vehicle, I would do what is suggested above and rent a trailer. If whatever you are moving needs to remain clean and dry, I would rent an enclosed trailer. Small trailer can't be much to rent.

 

[JasonH]

I carry a 300+ lb. mini— golf cart in the Expy while towing it behind my motorhome.

I'd like to see a photograph of the cart.

The lack of tie-downs and even a lip in the reach hatch is another miss by Ford. Every time I open the hatch when loaded I have to open the glass first to ensure nothing drops out. This would have been easily remedied with a small, flip-up panel or at least a raised lip at the rear of the cargo area. I don't understand why Ford hasn't done this.

 

[Tom Phair]

I have a 2009 Expy that I carry 500-700 lbs in. I constructed a platform out of alum diamond plate and then constructed a frame out of 1" square alum tube to beef up the plate on all sides plus cross-members to carry heavy loads. I used adjustable modular tie-down bars on the sides so that I can adjust where I want the tide-down rings to go. And lastly nylon ratchet straps to tie the load to the plate. This system has worked for me and I've had my share of hard breaking situations. I must admit that I don't always put the second row seats down but I have on occasion. Unfortunately there's no way of tying this assembly down to the floor of the vehicle.