Fast forward to my prep for CM08. In Feb/March I started looking for something different. My searches turned up an old thread on MUD talking about custom made nets. This thread led me to Raigler and then to offroadconcepts.net, and ultimately to a gentleman by the name of Eddie.
After taking some pictures and measurements for Eddie, he determined that he already had a net that was being produced that should fit an 80 series. The only way to know for sure was for me to order one up and give it a go
I ordered the net along with 4 of the extra straps they sell. The night before we left for CM08, I installed the net. It did not fit real tight but it served its purpose well and sure beat the metal doggy barrier.
Upon getting back from CM08 I took some pictures of the net for Eddie and voiced my concerns about it not being as tight as I hoped. Now, keep in mind that technically speaking the nets are designed to be used in conjunction with footman loops to attach the net straps to the body of the vehicle. I had no desire to drill into the body of my rig to install the footman loops, and honestly the 80 series interior doesn't really lend itself to doing so in certain spots. So, I used the extra straps that I had purchased to aid in my net install and I figured that having a net that wasn't real tight was an acceptable compromise for me.
Well, Eddie took a look at the pictures and agreed that the net looked loose, but he felt that it this due to more than just me not using the footman loops. Come to find out, in my haste to get on the road bound for CM08, that I had installed the net upside down . I didn't even consider there would be a top and a bottom to the net . Eddie also sent me a back one of my pictures with some "additions" showing where he felt I should run the straps to in order to tighten up the net.
So, I flipped the net, and put to use some of Eddie's installation suggestions, modified slightly based on what the interior of the rig afforded me from an attachment standpoint. I was VERY pleased with the outcome. The net was much tighter now and fit well IMO, even without using the footman loops.
In the end I ended up with the following final installation method as you will see in the pictures:
(1) Attach the top most net rings to the 2nd row rear grab handle and to the 3rd row grab handle on each side of the rig. I attached the strap that comes pre-attached to the top rings to the 3rd row grab handle and then used one of the additional straps I purchased to loop through the ring and around the 2nd row rear grab handle. You can adjust the position of the top of the net to sit right behind the rear seat by simply adjusting the straps.
(2) Attach the second top net ring to the 3rd row grab handle using the strap that comes pre-attached to the net ring.
Detailed view of the top net attachments
(3) Attach the bottom net ring to the cargo tie down loop using the strap that comes pre-attached to the net ring.
(4) Attach the 2nd net ring up from the bottom to the 2nd row outside seat hinges. To accomplish this I again used a set of the additional straps I purchased to lenghten the straps that come pre-attached to the net rings. This allowed me to loop the lengthened strap around the seat hinge and back to the buckle on the pre-attached strap.
Detailed view of the bottom net attachments
Here are a couple more pictures showing the final installation of the net:
USING THE NET AS A FRONT BARRIER, BEHIND THE FRONT SEATS?
After finalizing the net installation for the rear, I started wondering whether the net could also be used behind the front seats . A fairly large contingent from the Rising Sun Club will be heading to the Rubithon event this year. Space will be at a premium for such a long event and keeping stuff from flying at us and hitting our noggins will be important.
As with the rear, my goal was to install the net without have to utilize any footman loops. So, I played around with the net and found, much to my pleasure, that the same net would work GREAT behind the front seats! A dual purpose net! I was stoked, and the install was super simple.
In the end I ended up with the following final installation method for using the net behind the front seats:
(1) Attach the two top net rings to the front 2nd row grab handle using the pre-attached straps. I installed the top strap high on the handle and the lower strap beneath it on the more horizontal part of the handle.
(2) Attach the bottom net ring strap to the underside of the outside front seat frame rail on each side of the vehicle. To accomplish this I used a set of the additional straps I purchased to lenghten the straps that come pre-attached to the net rings. This allowed me to loop the lengthened strap under the frame rail and back to the buckle on the pre-attached strap. For the net ring above the bottom ring I didn't attach it to anything (just looped it up for a clean install).
The end result is a tight fitting net that doesn't rattle, doesn't squeak, etc. The front seats can still be moved forward or back if need be and as you can see from the next couple of pictures there is very little room for anything to sneak around or above the net.
Now, for pictures of the net installed and the 2nd row seats in various positions...
Some additonal thoughts on the net and installation. First off, the net seems to be of very high quality. It is light years better than the metal doggy barrier I was using. It isn't cheap, but when compared to something like the Milford barrier it seems like a good compromise, especially for someone like me that may only use the net on 2-3 trips per year. Personally, I strap anything real heavy like recovery gear etc. to the cargo floor so I need the net to stop lighter stuff like sleeping bags, clothes, etc. I like the fact that I can install the net in just a few minutes and remove it even quicker.
As for the installation. As mentioned, IMO the 80 series interior doesn't really lend itself to using the footman loops, especially on the lower trim areas where the plastic trim becomes bulkier. I think if a person really wanted to have an ultra tight install attached to the body of the rig, that it would be better to fab up some brackets that could be installed using the grab handle bolts, seat belt mounting bolts, and the seat frame bolts. On one end of the bracket would be a bolt hole to secure the bracket to the body and on the other end of the bracket would be a slot for the strap to pass through for attachment. I don't see the necessity to go this far unless I planned a more permanent installation of the net. I saw no deflection in the grab handles when I installed the net so IMO they are plenty strong for this use.
I want to throw out kudos to Eddie at Raingler for working with me on this over the last 2-3 months. He has been great to work with, responsive to my questions, and very helpful.