To unlock more cargo decks in SAND: Raiders of Sophie, open the Tech Tree from the main lobby, go to Kaiser’s Friends, buy the framed Cargo Deck upgrade for 1,400 Crowns, then install the new storage module in the Blueprint Builder.
Every Trampler starts with basic unframed cargo decks, and they carry two real limitations once your loot routes get serious. The fix lives in the Kaiser’s Friends branch of the Tech Tree, where a single 1,400 Crown unlock swaps you onto framed decks you can actually build around. From there, Cargo Holds and Cargo Bays open up as your Crowns and materials grow. Here is the exact path and what each later upgrade asks for.
- What framed cargo decks change on your Trampler
- How to unlock more cargo decks in SAND: Raiders of Sophie
- Later storage upgrades and their Crown costs
- Crowns and materials to gather before upgrading
- Mistakes that waste Crowns and materials
- Chassis and engine upgrades to target next
- Frequently Asked Questions
What framed cargo decks change on your Trampler
The starter unframed cargo decks get the job done early, but they hold you back in two ways: they have no supporting frames, so you can’t build anything on top of them, and they have no walls, so your cargo sits completely exposed. That is fine for a first Trampler and painful for a hauler.
The framed Cargo Deck adds structural supports, which means you can stack additional compartments and decks above it. Later modules go further. Cargo Holds and Cargo Bays are enclosed storage with proper walls for protection, and they give you much more flexibility when you design your Trampler layout. The trade is simple: higher tiers cost more Crowns and rarer materials.
How to unlock more cargo decks in SAND: Raiders of Sophie
The whole procedure runs through the Kaiser’s Friends Tech Tree and finishes back in the Blueprint Builder, so keep enough Crowns banked before you start.
STEP 1/6
Return to the main lobby
Head back out to the main lobby, where the Tech Tree is available between runs.
STEP 2/6
Open the Tech Tree
Bring up the Tech Tree screen so you can browse the faction branches.
STEP 3/6
Select the Kaiser’s Friends branch
Move to the orange branch, which holds the cargo, cannon, and chassis upgrades.
STEP 4/6
Unlock the framed Cargo Deck
This first storage upgrade costs 1,400 Crowns with no materials required and adds the supports that let you build above it.
STEP 5/6
Keep progressing for Cargo Holds
Push deeper into the branch to reach Cargo Holds and other enclosed storage compartments, which need more Crowns and rarer materials.
STEP 6/6
Return to the Blueprint Builder
Open the Blueprint Builder and replace your old storage sections with the upgraded versions to actually gain the space.
Buy the framed Cargo Deck first. At 1,400 Crowns with no materials, it is the cheapest upgrade that lets you build upward, so grab it before you sink Crowns into pricier Holds and Bays.
Video help
Later storage upgrades and their Crown costs
| Upgrade | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cargo Deck I | 1,400 Crowns |
| Cargo Hold II | 3,500 Crowns |
| Cargo Hold III | 6,000 Crowns |
| Cargo Bay II | 6,000 Crowns |
KEY!Once the framed Cargo Deck is yours, the natural path is Cargo Deck → Cargo Hold → Cargo Bay. Take the cheap early deck first, then move into Holds and Bays only when you have the Crowns, the materials, and the Trampler space to justify them.
The material bills climb fast. Cargo Hold II adds 15 Weird Coral, 1 Canned Sea Deer XL, 475 Threads, and 1 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay on top of its Crowns, while Cargo Hold III wants 2 Crates of 1889 Chardonnay, 360 Metal Rods, 30 Weird Coral, and 2 Canned Sea Deer XL. Among the Cargo Bay II variants, one set asks for 300 Leviathan Skin, 1 Canned Sea Deer XL, and 500 Fabric Scraps; another lists 300 Metal Rods, 500 Threads, and 1 Crate of 1889 Chardonnay, though that second set may not be the full requirement, so check the node in-game before you commit. If you want the top end, Cargo Bay IV variants run 9,000 Crowns and lean on rarer items like Crystal, Leviathan Meat, and Reinforced Leather Strips.
Crowns and materials to gather before upgrading
The whole system runs on Crowns, which you build up through raids and successful extractions, so hit named locations, crack valuables safes, and sell your trade goods between runs. Everything past the first deck also needs materials: Threads, Weird Coral, Leviathan Skin, Fabric Scraps, Metal Rods, Canned Sea Deer XL, and Crates of 1889 Chardonnay.
Threads show up in food crates marked with a cow icon inside larger points of interest, and they only count once you extract them home safely. The rarer materials come from general looting and combat rather than fixed spawns, so treat the best routes for items like Weird Coral, Leviathan Skin, Canned Sea Deer XL, and Crates of 1889 Chardonnay as repeat-farm targets rather than guaranteed drops.
Mistakes that waste Crowns and materials
The most common slip is confusing two separate systems. The upgrade button in the inventory panel raises your personal and base storage, and while that is useful, it does not add any decks to your Trampler. Cargo modules only come from the Tech Tree and get placed in the Blueprint Builder, so spending there expecting more Trampler space is wasted Crowns.
The other trap is scale. Buying a big Cargo Bay before your Trampler has the chassis and build space to mount it burns rare materials on room you can’t use yet. Match each purchase to your current layout, expand build space first when you need it — Wooden Decks run just 600 Crowns with no materials — and don’t underestimate how much Threads a single Cargo Hold quietly demands.
Chassis and engine upgrades to target next
Once your storage plan is set, the upgrades that make it usable sit nearby in the same faction. A bigger deck stack needs a bigger frame, so look at Small Chassis and then Middling Chassis for larger builds, and pick up the Motor-Reactor so the Trampler can actually haul the extra weight. These are adjacent goals for a heavier cargo Trampler, not steps in the cargo deck unlock itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Cargo Deck upgrade in the Tech Tree?
It sits in the orange Kaiser’s Friends branch, the faction that controls cargo, cannon, and chassis upgrades. If the framed Cargo Deck looks blocked in your UI, check the adjacent Kaiser’s Friends nodes, such as Wooden Decks, in case one needs to be bought first.
How much does the first framed Cargo Deck cost?
1,400 Crowns, with no materials required. It is a Tier I upgrade, which makes it the cheapest way onto framed storage you can build above.
Do inventory storage upgrades add more Trampler cargo decks?
No. The inventory panel’s upgrade button increases your personal and base storage only. Extra Trampler decks come exclusively from the Tech Tree modules you place in the Blueprint Builder.
What comes after Cargo Deck?
Cargo Hold next, then Cargo Bay. Holds and Bays are enclosed, walled storage with more capacity, and they cost more Crowns and rarer materials as you climb the tiers.
Why can’t I build above the starter cargo deck?
The starter unframed decks lack supporting frames, so there is nothing to hold a second layer. The framed Cargo Deck adds those structural supports, which is what lets you stack more compartments and decks on top.
