HOW TO DESIGN
ODYSSEY CABINET SYSTEMS
Instructions on designing and pricing Odyssey Cabinet Systems.
The following information will help you to determine what cabinet system will best suit the
vehicle and the customer’s requirements. Use this information and contact our sales
department with any questions.
DESIGN CRITERIA:
Function: First determine the function of the service as EMS, Chief, Command, law
enforcement, tactical, HazMat, Decon, etc. Compile a list of equipment that will be stored in the
vehicle and the importance or priority of its use. Concentrate on the larger, heavier and longer
pieces first. Compare with one of the existing Odyssey Cabinet Systems in the catalog and
determine which cabinet will best suit their needs. Using available options custom tailor the
cabinet by adding or deleting components as required personalizing the cabinet package.
Visibility: Determine the importance of rear visibility and choose the base cabinet. Seat height
varies by vehicle but a 24” cabinet is usually up to the back seat’s headrest. If the customer is
looking for a partition behind the rear seat you can use a dual access Odyssey cabinet and select
the safety screen option so they can access equipment by folding the rear seats.
Seating capacity: Determine how many passengers the vehicle needs to seat. All passengers
must be seated in OEM seating to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Reversing
seats does not comply and swivel seats are not available for sport utility vehicles.
Weight concerns: The next Odyssey cabinet catalog will include the weight of each cabinet
and option. The maximum payload of the vehicle is calculated by the number of passengers the
vehicle is designed to carry at 175 pounds each and 50 pounds for each person’s luggage.
Deduct for each seat passenger position that the cabinet will occupy vs. the cabinet and
equipment to be carried. i.e.: A 2002 Suburban 2500 (3/4 ton) has a payload of 2724 pounds. If
the vehicle has bucket seats and no third rear seat we can deduct 3 seating positions and 8
luggage units leaving the available payload. These vehicles are designed so the family can fill up
the vehicle and still tow their boast or RV on vacation.
Installation: Depending on the vehicle cabinets are directly bolted through the floor with the
supplied hardware or mounting platform is required since the rear third row seats fold into the
floor and do not leave a flat floor. The installation platform includes steel brackets which utilize
factory seat bolt locations then the cabinet bolts to the platform. Platforms are required for the
Expedition, Expedition EL, Explorer and Durango. If a platform is not used a liability issue may
arise.
Electronics & equipment installations: Do not mount any equipment under the floor or
behind any side trim panels. Once the cabinet is installed these areas will be inaccessible for
service or modifications.
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Dimensions: Measurements, clearances and obstructions vary per vehicle. As a rule a full size
SUV like the Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition and Excursion accept 48” wide cabinets. Late model
Explorers and Durangos require a 44” wide cabinet and older units only have 38” to 41” of
available width. Many of our cabinets can be designed to fit almost any vehicle but consult with
or sales and design professionals for exact sizes and details.
CABINET SYSTEM:
Base cabinet: Start with an existing base cabinet design close to the need of the customer.
Determine the specialty options i.e.: extra shelves, dividers, drawers, pull out trays, doors, locks,
vents, command boards, SCBA and Oxygen brackets and other modifications.
Long items: On Sport Utility Vehicles a rear seat may be removed for cabinetry to extend to
the back of the driver or passenger seat for as backboard, shelter or other long equipment. If a
seat is to be removed we suggest the 70% street side seat leaving a passenger to exit curb side
and visibility out the blind spot of the vehicle. These cabinets will be listed with a -70 or -90 in
the part number.
Backboards: On smaller sport utilities removing the 70% rear seat will allow the cabinetry to
extend to the rear of the driver’s seat. This yields storage accessible from the street side rear
door. Iron Duck offers a folding plastic backboard with optional back pack that can fit in almost
any cabinet.
New original design: The best way is to list the equipment and purpose of the unit, sketch out a
quick drawing and send it to the Odyssey sales department. The sketch puts us all on the same
page as we discuss the cabinet and guide you through the design process to accommodate the
needs of the customer. A CAD drawing will be created and submitted for approval when the
order is placed prior to construction.
Tail gate units: On vehicles with a drop down tailgate or a sunken rear floor like a Caravan or
Cherokee a riser may be required if a command board or drawer is positioned at the bottom
of the cabinet. This will raise the cabinet so be careful of the height.
Wide, tall and long cabinets: Remember that the sides and rear of all vehicles curve in and
foreword. If a design is to extend beyond the slide in clearance of the vehicle sides and faces
will require angles. Be careful not to position drawers and doors close to the sides where they
will interfere with doors that do not open fully. A long item at floor level may clear the rear seat
but the top of the seat slopes rearward and the clearance is less as you go up.
Side door Access: When a cabinet extends towards the front seats remember that the side doors
do not open at 90 degrees. Large equipment may interfere with the angle of the door. Drawers
also may not work well at this location.
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Spare tire: Most spare tires are now under the vehicle. If the spare tire stores inside and the
customer wishes to keep it on the vehicle it may be relocated within the cabinetry or the cabinet
can be designed to accommodate it. The Durango, Explorer, Expedition and Expedition EL
have their access in the rear of the floor for the spare tire lowering mechanism. This requires
An access hole positioned in the base of the cabinet which may adjust the overall design of the
cabinet. Some departments choose to delete the spare from the vehicle so this would not apply.
A longer or special spare lowering tool is not included.
COMPONENTS
Standard shelves: Shelves are constructed from wood covered with carpet, laminate or
fiberglass with PVC bumper strip on the exposed edge and are adjustable via shelf supports
into holes in the cabinet walls.
Heavy duty shelves: For large and heavy equipment shelves can be constructed from 3/4”
laminated plywood with an aluminum angle on the edge or aluminum shelves with heavy duty
adjustable tracks like that found in emergency apparatus.
Wood drawers: Constructed from laminated plywood with PVC bumper strip or aluminum
runners on the top edges. The standard slides are 1/2” wide each, rated at 100 to 150 pounds and
are available up to 28” deep. Any drawer that is deeper requires the heavy duty slides rated at
200 to 500 pounds. When using the heavy duty slides watch your width because they are 3/4”
wide each which will reduce your drawer size by 1/2”. The heavy duty slides are available in
specific increments up to 60” long.
Aluminum drawers: For heavy tools and equipment, security or to squeeze extra width,
drawers are available in 1/8” and 3/16” aluminum and conform to most of the criteria of the
wood drawers. Available for any length.
Doors: Standard doors are manufactured from 1/2” and 3/4” HDP composite material and
include stainless steel piano hinge, marine or high quality hinges and positive latches.
MATERIALS:
Wood: The special MDO Medium Density Overlay plywood used in Odyssey cabinets is the
highest quality and one of the most expensive plywood on the market. MDO plywood is
superior to marine plywood due to that it is designed for the high quality cabinet industry and for
accepting the laminating process the best.
Laminate: Formica and other laminates are used and FRP Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic is used
where high durability is required. The inside of out temperature controlled cabinets are lined
with FRP, available in white only
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Marine carpet: Used for boats, outdoor decks and patios this material is waterproof and wears
very well. You will find it on most interior compartments and on the exterior of the cabinets to
resist wear and eliminate chipped laminate.
Edging: Heavy duty 1/8” thick PVC bumper strip is installed into a machine slotted edge of the
wood.
Rubber mat: We offer a black or gray coin style solid rubber mat for areas where carpet or
laminate is not desired.
Flooring: Lonseal brand ambulance flooring is extremely durable and is a good surface for
other high wear areas and areas where carpet can not be used.
HDP: High Density Polyurethane composite is unbreakable, can be machined to a nice edge that
will not split and offer a durable finish for many years of operation.
TERMS AND DETAILS
Cabinets: Custom built to order cabinets can not be canceled once in production and are non
returnable. Any authorized return is subject to a 25% restocking charge after the product has
been returned and inspected in good condition ready to resell. A Return Authorization must be
obtained in advance and the product must arrive back to Odyssey freight prepaid and in good
condition. Odyssey assumes no responsibility for damage incurred in transit or is responsible for
any liabilities if not installed correctly to installation instructions with supplied or required
hardware. Past due accounts will be charged 2% per month interest. Pricing is subject to change
but all quotations will be valid for 60 days. FOB-NJ
Applicable Law: The terms and provisions of this Contract and any dispute arising hereunder
shall be governed and principles of law applied by the laws of the State of New Jersey. The
courts of New Jersey shall have the sole and exclusive jurisdiction in any case or controversy
arising under this Contract. Each party to this Contract, inclusive of its successors or assigns
hereby submits and consents to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey and
within which all such actions, unless otherwise provided for the arbitration of said disputes, shall
be the proper venue for any such action.
Warranty: Odyssey cabinetry includes a 5 year limited warranty against defects in material and
workmanship.
Production time: The standard time for production is 2 to 4 weeks once the order is in house
and all plans are approved. Some sophisticated custom designs may take longer and stock
designs may be in stock and read to ship.
Packaging: Odyssey cabinet systems are crated and come to you via truck with hardware and
instructions.
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Odyssey has been building and designing custom cabinets for the emergency services for
almost 30 years and has gained considerable experience making systems to fit all customer
applications and expectations. When faced with a request that seems very unusual don’t
walk away, we pride ourselves in being flexible, adaptable and achieving good customer
relations and offering the highest quality product and service in this industry.
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