Wood strips successfully added to cargo area!

Just in case anyone is wondering if you can add the wood strips to a base (not optional deluxe) cargo area, the answer appears to be "yes".

The 04 SSR I bought happened not to have the deluxe cargo area option, and I was glad, because I did not want fixed in place carpeting for 2 reasons (1) weight, and (2) susceptibility to moisture problems. But, I really like the look of the wood strips.

Teri on this forum ran an ad recently in whic she offered to sell her set of wood strips, and I bought them.

The 2 outer strips install easilyin any SSR that does not have side saddlebags, by simple insertion into the left and right guide strips on the floor. They remove simply by deflecting a spring holder, and sliding them out.

The 7 inner strips each come with 7 velcro 1" x 1" patches with velcro "hooks" on their backsides, which evidently hook onto mating Velcro "loop" patches sowed onto the factory carpeting.

Since my SSR does not have that factory carpeting, I had to provide those "missing" velcro loop patches, and have them correctly positioned. here is how I did that:

- I bought a 2" x 49" strip of Velcro hook and matching loop "self-adhesive tape" material at my local OfficeMax. Note that I specifically went looking for the "Industrial Strength" part number of velcro, not the "ordinary" grade. The difference is not in the velcro loops, but rather in the adhesive. The "INdustrial strength" part number uses a MUCH stronger adhesive designed for heavy duty use. I figured I need that to be able to bond reliably, under loads, to the slick plastic bedliner material.

Note that the industrial strength type velcro only comes in 2" wide strips versus the 1" I needed, so I simply cut the strip lengthwise to get a strip 1" wide. Then, I cut the resulting strips into 1" x 1" patches.

Note also that this velcro hook material comes with a plastic backing material that keeps the adhesive protected from air until you actually peel the backing material off and apply the velcro strip to a surface. Tenm the adhesive glues the velcro strip to the surface, and cures to maximum (industrial!) strength in 24 hours.

- I cleaned the bedliner surface using isopropyl alcohol that I bought at the grocery store. This was intended to ensure that all dirt, grease, and remaining mold release was removed prior to attempting gluing the patches into place.

- Then, I pushed a 1" x 1" loop patch onto each of the 7 hook patches on the back of one of the wood strips, still leaving the removable backing material in place on the loop patches. This meant that I now had a male hook and female loop in absolutely correct alignment on the back of the wood strip, but with the backing material sitll in place

- Then, I took several minutes to carefully fold back one corner of the backing material square on each of the 7 loop patches. I did this because it is HARD to peel the backing material off of each 1" x 1" patch, and I didn't want the adhesive curing before I had actually APPLIED the patches to the bedliner!

- When all 7 patches had a corner of the backing material folded back, I quickly whipped all 7 backing mayerial pieces off, and carefully laid the wood strip into proper position in the bed. I then put hand pressure on the wood strip to ensure that each of the 7 velcro loop pataches had "good contact" with the bedliner. Then, I let go (the adhesive used is VERY elastic, so once contact is made, no enduring pressure is needed).

- I repeated for each of the other 6 wood strips, being careful to keep the ends of the wood strips aligned with each other (If I did it again, I would have thought of using a strip of masking tape as a highly visible, reliable, and easily removable guideline)

Today, aftere 24 hours, I checked the results. The bond appears strong. I was able to remove one of the wood strips by pulling straight up to release the velcro, without hurting the apparent bond of the loop patches with the bedliner!

The resulting look is VERY nice. You have the lightweight plastic, non-moisture sensitive bedliner being accented by the beautifully finished wood strips. Looks fabulous.

If you need to remove the strips temporarily for any reason, you can simply tear off each strip vertically thus releasing the velcro. When you want to reinstall, just place into position and press down to engage the velcro.

I THINK this setup will not result in the wood strips being deflected off their velcro mount points UNLESS you place an object with protrusions in its bottom surface onto the wood strips (like say a heavy toolbox with protruding "feet"). I suspect that under dynamic driving conditions, an object with protrusions WILL likely successfully deflect a wood strip off its velcro mounts if it is heavy enough. But, suitcases, boxes, and bags without small sharp protrusions should be just fine.

I also have a custom-made serged carpet peice that just covers the bed of my SSR, and that can still be placed over the wood strips whenever I want a carpeted floor for appearance, to protect luggage, or to protect the wood strips.

In addition, the back of the carpeting can be also be rolled "under" instead of fully extended, so that objects placed at the back of the bed, where they can conveniently be reached from the back of the tailgate, can be kept from slidng forward by the obstructive action of the underturned carpet!

When I need FULL control of MANY items, some of them heavy, I can still place my collection of pre-fitted "Container Store" clear lidded containers on TOP of the carpeting (carpeting protects the wood strips against the containers moving around a bit). Since the plastic containers are only about 6 inches high, ad have lids, I can lay large objects on top of them.

I figure I have close to the ideally flexible cargo area now. I may still buy a cargo net or set of side saddlebags to give me the ultimate in flexibility "for any reasonably foreseeable cargo carrying needs".

When I want just plain beauty, I'll take out everyhting but the wood strips!

Thanks, Teri. The wood strips worked out well!

Jim G