Undercarriage container

Claim 1

In a van-type motor vehicle having a side door and a floor and having a lower side member as its outermost member and an elongate undercarriage chassis member spaced inwardly from said side member, each running lengthwise of said vehicle, the improvement forming a container for said vehicle, comprising: a rear support elongate member extending the length of said container; means for connecting said rear suport member to said chassis member; a bottom panel pivotally connected to said rear support member, spaced downwardly from said vehicle floor and extending toward said side member, said bottom panel having upstanding panel members at each end thereof and located parallel to and on the outside of end panels in the closed position thereof; end panels on opposite sides of said bottom panel, extending from said chassis member to said side member, said end panels being vertical and fixed relative to said chassis member and said side member; the floor of said vehicle constituting a top panel for said container; and a face panel extending from said bottom panel at said side member and means for releasably securing said face panel to said side member to close said container, said face panel being fixed to, and extending upwardly from, the outer edge of said bottom panel in its closed position; the outermost portion of said container being below and in vertical alignment with the door of said vehicle; and said chassis member, said end panels and said lower side member constituting four fixed walls of said container.