OK, so you turn up to the latest military vehicle event in your jeep, park up, then need to find the toilets ( it was a cold journey after all! ). You don't really want to take your video camera to the toilets with you, that's the kind of thing you get arrested for! but what are you going to do with it? Nobody else has arrived yet and you don't have anywhere safe to leave it. Well it isn't just cameras you might want to lock away, there's tools, a jack, replica weapons and anything else difficult or expensive to replace.

This field modification comes from Lt R.H.D. Todd of the Canadian Army, and was published in their Army maintenance magazine. A couple of hours work is all that is needed to complete the work and it only cost me £21.00 for the steel, clasp and padlock.

Field Modification diagram courtesy of http://www.42fordgpw.com

The original design, shown above, called for the front steel plate to be bent to match the curve at the edges of the seat. While I could have done this, the amount of work involved just simply wasn't worth it. As can be seen in the picture to the left, I simplified this to flat plate at 45 degrees.

The parts list is as follows, 'though the precise size will have to be tailored to each jeep. All steel is 3/16 thick.

1 off - 33 inches by 4 1/4 inches ( rear wall )
1 off - 27 inches by 4 1/4 inches ( front wall )
2 off - 3 1/2 by 4 1/4 inches
1 off - Small clasp and staple
1 off - Padlock

The space created is approximately 12 inches by 33 inches and it is about 4 1/4 inches deep. The rear wall must be mounted just ahead of the seat pivot since a portion of the seat lowers behind the hinge line when the seat is opened.

I've got tools, a jack, oil, unleaded fuel additive, rags, spare bulbs and radiator top up water in there. It really is amazing how much can fit in the space. Even with the tyre pump fitted to the bottom of the seat, there is still a significant amount of useable space.

Clasp and staple mounted to the front edge of the seat frame and front plate of the box


Seat in closed position.	Opening...........

Fully open.	Empty locker showing acres of space.