Right, for the ultimate box follow these points...
Follow the manufacturers guidelines, although these are not necessarily the best option for you. If you want more output, increasing the box size slightly or changing the tuning frequency can have the desired effect. Although bigger is not always better! Bass box pro is a good program to use to design boxes. Also, this RE box calclator is a quick and easy tool for knocking up enclosures. But i have been told that the tuning frequencies are not that accurate..
Make the box from the thickest MDF you can. 0.75" or 1" is fine.
Brace the inside of the box with something like an old chair leg. Run it from top to bottom, right in the middle of the box to prevent it flexing.
Where the port exits, dont leave a sharp edge on the wood. File a radius on it to aid smoother air flow.
Use as many screws as possible, but make sure you drill a pilot hole every tim as the wood split otherwise, which will make it very weak! Also, countersink the screws so they look better and hold better!
When assembling the box, put plenty of wood glue on every joint. PU glue is good and expands when it sets. This helps to fill in any air holes and also ensures the glue is spread out across the surface.
The front of the box (the face with the sub on) should be double thickness wood. This is known as the baffle board. If you can, bolt the sub in, rather than screw it. This can be difficult but can be worth up to 1DB!
When the box is built, go round the inside of the box with silicone, or something similar to seal it and make it air tight.
Fo heavens sake, dont use those shitty gold terminals. Drill a small hole and feed the speaker cable through it and seal it up afterwards.
If you want to go that step further, fibreglass the inside of the box. This will ensure it is 100% air tight, and if you smooth out all the corners, the air will travel out of the box much quicker, hence will be louder.
Seal the sub when you bolt/screw it to the baffle board. You can buy that foam stuff that you stick the to the box then sandwhich it with the sub. I find this stuff works quite well. It often comes with speakers when you buy them new.
Use a good quality, OFC (oxygen free cable) cable. 12 gauge is more than adequate.
Firing the subs at the tailgate can help to increase the ammount of bass you hear, while firing them upwards can be better for SPL readings.
Dont allow the speaker cable inside the box to flex in any way, as the air moving inside can make it flap around, which isnt good!
Sloping the back of the box can aid air flow.
Radius as many of the corners inside the box as you can. Im talking mainly about the port.
Enjoy Booming!
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