I originally purchased and installed one of those factory-style Add-A-Trunks.  I got it from J.C. Whitney, for nearly half of what the dealer was selling them for (only difference was that the J.C. Whitney unit had a fixed lid versus the factory unit's hinged lid).  Then I installed the Tuffy security drawer under the rear seat (see below), and the add-a-trunk I purchased no longer fit.  So, I built my own add-a-trunk, with a hinged lid, out of 1/8" steel (twice as strong as the factory unit).  It was a "project" at the basic welding class I took at my local community college.  That's why it was so inexpensive; most of the materials were freebies from the shop!  It works great; installs/removes in about 5 minutes with 4 bolts (although I never seem to ever remove it), and I've received numerous compliments on my handiwork!  Note the change in location of the cargo net.  After having stuff fall out of the back and into the mud when I opened my tailgate while stalled on a hill during a trail ride, I drilled four holes in the tailgate frame and repositioned my cargo net!  It's much more useful in this position.

I originally had my little tool kit and numerous other miscellaneous things stored in my add-a-trunk.  But then I didn't have any room for anything else back there.  I wanted secure storage for all those little things that I rarely needed to get to, so I chose the Tuffy under-the-rear-seat security drawer.  The drawer dimensions are 16"x 28"x 3.25".  You can install it with facing either forward or to the rear.   I installed it with the drawer facing forward, since my add-a-trunk was in the rear.  It was a booger to install, but the fit, finish, and (most importantly) function are all outstanding!  One problem is; you can't use it in conjunction with the Mopar Add-A-Trunk (see above).  Another possible problem, is that it raises the rear seat approximately 3.5 inches.  This could cause a "tall" passenger to bang their head on the sound bar during adverse situations (on bumpy trails or in a traffic collision).   However, the only person who usually sits in my rear seat is my 5-foot tall son, Stephen.  The extra height is actually a benefit to him; he now has a much better view of the trail.  The picture on the left (below) shows the drawer completely closed.  By the way, the seat will still fold and tumble with the Tuffy security drawer installed.  But if the drawer is facing forward, you won't be able to access it with the seat folded.  In the picture on the right (below), you can see all the stuff the drawer will hold.  In addition to my tool kit, owner's manual, and Cobra CB (when I'm not using it), I still have lots of space for all kinds of little things in there.

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I've heard about several Jeep stereos that have been stolen, including one from a member of the club that I belonged to in Ohio.  I figured that a Tuffy stereo console would cost me about as much as a new stereo.  So I went ahead and purchased one now, rather than waiting 'til my stereo got stolen, then having to purchase a Tuffy and a new stereo! Well actually, I did buy a new stereo as well.  The factory unit started eating my cassette tapes after about a year.  After having it replace twice under warranty, I decided just to purchase an aftermarket one.  The factory radio won't fit into the Tuffy Stereo Console anyway.  Just like my other Tuffy product, the stereo console was a pain in the butt to install.   But more than that, Tuffy's stereo console has several annoying design and fitment deficiencies. 

First, there's no place to run the stereo wires from the dash to the stereo compartment.  So I cut a couple of notches in the bottom of the Tuffy to keep the wires from getting pinched between the console and the floor of the Jeep. Next, the holes in the bottom of the console didn't line up with the holes on the floor of the Jeep!  I ended up drilling two more holes in the floor of the Jeep.  Then, after I got installed, I discovered two more problems. The stereo console has a dual cup holder that mounts to the back. I quickly learned that I couldn't open my Tuffy security drawer all the way because the cup holder is about an inch too low!!  So I had to drill two more new holes (in the console), to raise the cup holder.  Didn't do any good, however.  Although I can now open the drawer all the way, I still can't get my tool box out of the security drawer with the cup holder installed.  So now I have 4 holes in the back of the console, and still no cup holder!  Finally, I found out that when I try to open or close the stereo compartment lid, it hits the gear shift lever whenever I'm in 2nd or 4th gear!  Unfortunately, Tuffy is the only company I know of who makes products such as these.  Therefore, you either have to deal with the flaws or do without!  Having said that, I am totally satisfied with the finish and (most importantly) function of this product!

Well, I'm too stubborn just to accept any flaws, and I wasn't willing to do without.   So I sort of compromised.  First, using a "steel" blade on my circular saw, I cut the stereo compartment off of the console!  Then I tack-welded the drink holder in its place.  Now the console looks just like the basic Tuffy TJ console, without the stereo compartment.  Next I went to work on the stereo compartment.  Read on . . .

Since the Tuffy Stereo Console didn't meet with my high standards of fit and function (see the write-up immediately above this one), I made it better!  After cutting the stereo compartment off of the Tuffy console, I modified it so that it would fit into the original stereo compartment in the dash.   After lots of welding & grinding, fitting & trimming (of the dash center trim panel), and priming & painting, I was finally happy with the outcome.   First, the steel stereo box is mounted into the dash and bolted to the firewall from the inside of the box.  Next, the stereo is installed and secured through the front of the box.  There are no visible attachment points (that's my secret), but the fit is as tight as a glove and solid as a rock.  A Tuffy barrel lock on the door of the box completes the installation.  By purchasing a lock with the same key number as my other Tuffy products, I have access to all of the locks with one-key convenience.  Below are a couple of pictures of the finished product.

My Add-A-Trunk seemed to be filling up with too much stuff again (mainly all my winch equipment this time; which I use infrequently, but still want to have with me at all times just in case I need it).  I also wanted to free up the space in my Add-A-Trunk for temporary storage.  So I started looking for a secure place to permanently store my winch stuff.  Tuffy again comes to my rescue with their recently developed TJ Speaker & Storage Lockbox Set, which mount to the two rear fender wells, on each side of the rear seat.  Some drilling is required (two holes in the top of each fender well) for installation.  Warning: Tuffy's advertised dimensions (25.6" L x 4.5" W x 9.5" H) are extremely misleading.  The actual usable storage space inside is only 4" x 4" x 16.5".  If you convert the speaker section to storage, as I did (see below), you'll get another few triangular-shaped inches of space at the front of each box.  However, having said that, I was able to fit most of my winch equipment inside, which was my goal.  The two boxes together store my 10-foot choke chain, 2 shackles, the winch remote, a pair of gloves, a tube of Goop hand cleaner, a couple of shop rags, a magnetic-mount CB antenna for my portable loaner CB radio, and other miscellaneous pieces and parts.  The Warn pulley block (snatch block) was a little too big, so I stored it in my under-the-rear-seat security drawer.  It's unfortunate that the TJ soft top frame folds all the way down onto the fender wells.  Otherwise Tuffy could have made these boxes another 2½-inches wider! Since I am not mounting any speakers (the boxes will accomodate a pair of 4-inch'ers), I gained a bit of extra room at the front end of the boxes.  But not before I did some minor modifications (of course!).  The boxes come with a small bolt-in panel to separate the speaker compartment from the storage compartment.  Instead of using these panels, I used some 22-gauge sheet metal (which I painted to match) to make a pair of covers for the slots that form the speaker grills in the front of the boxes, and to extend the "floor" all the way to the front of the boxes.  

One of the last vulnerable places in my Jeep was the glovebox.  That is, until I added yet another one of Tuffy's security products--their new TJ glovebox.  It supposedly only comes in black, but they told me that they could custom paint it at no extra charge.  The black would have stuck out like a sore thumb, but the light gray looks like it came from the factory.  Unlike most of the other Tuffy products I have, their glovebox was a piece of cake to install.  

As for the size, it looks quite close to the stock glovebox.  But because it has square corners (as opposed to the rounded shape of the stock glovebox), I think it has just a little more room that the stock glovebox.  Here are a couple of shots of the stock glovebox versus the Tuffy unit.  Pretty close match, don't you think?

Note: Despite my critical comments regarding the various Tuffy security/storage products I own (not to mention my uncontrollable urge to modify stuff in general), I realize that I simply couldn't live without them!  In my otherwise vulnerable Jeep, I feel totally confident toting around several hundreds of dollars worth of stereo, winching equipment, CB radio, my GPS, tools, and a myriad of other things!

For more information about Tuffy's complete line of secure storage devices, visit their web site at www.tuffyproducts.com

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As I am writing this piece, I can't help but notice above how much effort I've spent on storage for my Jeep.  That's because there's so much to carry (tools, recovery equipment, personal items, etc) and such limited space, especially in a Wrangler.  Well, our son is almost 17 years old now, he has this own transportation, and would much rather spend his free time with his friends than his parents (I can't blame him for that).  Therefore, I pulled out the rear seat for good and built my ultimate storage system.  I did away with the Tuffy under-seat storage box and the speaker boxes, my Add-A-Trunk, and even the trail rack on my rear bumper/tire carrier.  Instead, I've converted the entire rear tub into a comprehensive storage system.  Not only does it hold all of my tools, spare parts & fluids, recovery equipment, ice chest, maps, personal items, there's even a compartment for my soft doors!  The whole thing is make out of 5/8" plywood, primed with a wood sealer, and finished with a high-quality exterior latex paint.  It should stand up to the elements quite well.  I've been asked how much weight it adds to my Jeep.  It doesn't; it weights a lot less than the conglomeration of separate storage boxes I use to have, the trail rack, the rear seat, and my very grown-up son!  Here are a few pics.

           

           

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