Why remove a perfectly good tub liner?
Well, every millimeter matters in a tub with roller cover. Removing the liner added 90mm in length, 20-30mm between the arches and 20mm in height. You would think a liner would follow the tub base contour. But no, it sat on top of the highest part of the tub base and then added further ridges, creating a 20mm loss.
Tub liners make me nervous, beside the fact I needed the space for specific tub slide installation. Water gets places. You might think it won’t, or shouldn’t, but it does. The front drain is not sealed before a tub liner goes in, so a water crossing may allow water to get between the liner and tub. Water sitting in that space is a recipe for rust over time. Honestly, if I planned to use the tub as is, I would have still removed the liner and instead had it sprayed with Raptor coating to perform the job of not scratching or rusting when throwing things around the tub.
This tub however will have two slides installed from the Pod Trailer range. Ideally I want to install two medium slides with a width of 550mm (1100mm total) and between the arches width of 1110mm. I may have to settle with a wide and slim at 585mm and 500mm external respectively (1085mm total). It just depends on their specific requirements for installation buffer around the slide, as reaching out to Pod Trailer they state 1130mm is required between the arches for two medium slides, or 1115mm for a wide and slim. That leaves me to believe a 15mm buffer per slide is required.
Why this tub slide?
I’ve looked at plenty, and the problem with the majority is that they sit approximately 100mm plus off the base. That is a massive loss compared to 10mm of the base for Pod Trailer slides. If I used the majority, my fridge would have to be a drawer type. With Pod Trailer I can fit an assortment of brands in different sizes. Not all, but a much larger variety than a drawer only. Engle, Dometic and EvaKool all make varied sizes that will fit both width and more importantly, height, using Pod Trailer slides.
The space around the slides
Everything to the sides, outside of the slides, will fit my lithium, compressor, charger, DC-Hub, air hose, etc. I’ll have aluminum brackets made to fit my setup to derive an optimal system for use. When you drop the tailgate, I plan to have all the room efficiently utilised for my purpose. The roller cover will keep it all pretty much water tight, a dust seal on the tailgate should keep that issue minimised.
Overall, no requirement to fit a heavy, bulky, expensive canopy. I can fit a fridge, gear, water and diesel in the slides. A rack above the tub can hold other gear if needed, all whilst keeping everything below roof height, aerodynamic and simple. With an X3 in tow and long range tank, diesel and water in the tub will only be required on remote adventures, leaving the slides open to anything I want to load, or just keeping the vehicle light and capable offroad.