New Cargo Drawers, my first MOD

charleston · 03-10-08, 05:49 PM

So after owning Landruisers for 5 years I finally pulled the trigger on my first upgrade besides tires.
After weeks of reading up on different mods I figured the first would be one I could do myself. I decided on the cargo drawer setup that many owners have either built or purchased for big bucks. It took me about a week of prep to get my plans and materials ready and 3 days of hard labor to finish it off, which was just a few minutes ago and about $300.

After looking at the different designs I decided to make two drawers of 30 inches deep and a 3rd storage area of 43 inches wide in the front of the box. I can fit all my longer items hidden way such as guns or heavy jacks.

Here are my plans http://www.dustinryan.com/fzj80/dimensions.pdf

The box dimensions are 44x42x10 made of 1/2 inch plywood mostly the birch laminate which is stronger then the regular 4ply. I decided on the 1/2 inch as weight was a concern and 3/4 inch would weigh about 40lbs more and the 1/2 inch 6ply is strong enough to support hundreds of pounds.

It is important when using 1/2 inch ply that you pre drill all of your holes before you screw it together, that way the wood does not split. It takes a little extra time but is worth it.

I started out with this shell, it is made of regular plywood.

Layout of the drawers and removable dividers, note the 10 x 43 compartment at the front of the box. The slides are 24 inch 100lb from Lowes, I stood in each drawer while in the box and it held me fine, 160lbs

Here you can see how I installed the hinges before I carpeted it. I did all the work outside the car and would slide it back in to make sure it fit correctly.

Fit in the car, I created 2 piece wings on each side that fold up to slide the box in. The rear wings fold up independently and can support over 50lbs when closed. Also added tiedown anchors from lowes, sprayed them with black rubberized spraypaint. Marine carpet with rubber back used on all surfaces. Aluminum edging front and rear. Piano Hinges on all movable parts.

Nickel plated spring loaded latches keep the drawers from moving. Sprayd laquer on wood surfaces. The drawers pull out easily with the current setup but I may add pulls later. All screws were the outdoor not rusting varity.

The 10 inch height is perfect match for the second row seats. I removed the oem carpert in the back and used the 3rd row seat bolt holes with new longer bolts to attach the box to the floor.

The wing on the right side allows 5 gallons of water or a Nato Jerrycan of fuel to be held neatly, or just about anything else.

With the wing closed I put 50lbs on the outside edge and it holds fine.

Now, sleeping in the cruiser will be a easy, just need screens on the back windows.

This drawer can hold a 5 man tent, sleeping bag, queen airmattress and a electric blower.

The hidden 43x10 inch compartment can hold a variety of things, as you can see lots of guns is just one option.

EricG · 03-10-08, 06:14 PM

Very nice!
How much do you think the whole thing weighs?

charleston · 03-10-08, 06:29 PM

not as much as my girlfriend

... It probably weighs around 80-100 lbs but thats just a guess, I took out the 3rd row seats, hardware and seatbelts which weigh about the same I think. I would weigh it but I dont own a scale.

cc93cruiser · 03-10-08, 06:44 PM

Nice drawers and nice AR...

Red Beard · 03-10-08, 06:47 PM

very nice job. I'm thinking of building mine out of aluminum. How was working with the wood?
Also, how much $ were the slides?
How does it mount to the floor?

Great setup, so nice and clean! Makes me want to build mine ASAP!

sseaman · 03-10-08, 06:49 PM

nice system, looks well thought out. I made some screens for my windows, both the middle, and back sliding and they worked great camping this summer.

charleston · 03-10-08, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Beard

very nice job. I'm thinking of building mine out of aluminum. How was working with the wood?
Also, how much $ were the slides?
How does it mount to the floor?
Great setup, so nice and clean! Makes me want to build mine ASAP!

Working with wood is easy, you do need a good table saw, cordless drill and a jigsaw and lots of time to figure it all out. I have about 30 hours into that thing in construction alone. I have never built anything like that before either so I had to buy all the tools as well.

The slides are 15.99 a pair at lowes for the 24 inch 100lb.

It is mounted to the floor via holes in the bottom aligned with the holes for the 3rd row seat tiedowns in the middle of the floor. You could roll the car upside down and it wont go anywhere.

charleston · 03-10-08, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sseaman

nice system, looks well thought out. I made some screens for my windows, both the middle, and back sliding and they worked great camping this summer.

have any pictures of those screens or a link?

superhawk · 03-10-08, 07:10 PM

Looks nice, I like how the air mattress sits nice and flat.

Ruadhrigh · 03-10-08, 07:51 PM

very nice execution. are you comfortable with 100lb capacity on the slides? Minus the weight of the drawer itself how much weight can you pack in there before destruction?

charleston · 03-10-08, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruadhrigh

very nice execution. are you comfortable with 100lb capacity on the slides? Minus the weight of the drawer itself how much weight can you pack in there before destruction?

well, not sure exactly how much weight will destroy it but I did stand in each drawer while the top was off and it was fine. I couldnt do that while it was extended but when it is in the truck it is only a quarter inch or so above the tailgate when extended so I guess if I overload it it will rest and slide on the tailgate before it explodes. I built the forward 10x43 inch compartment for really heavy things, I can store anything super heavy there with no problems.

If the slides ever break I can replace them cheap, $15 bucks a pair. or if I continue to haul heavy stuff I can buy the heavy slides.

dgranth · 03-10-08, 08:20 PM

Very nice job. Did you take good notes and measurements for us? I'd be happy to CAD in the dimensions and .pdf or .dwg them to you for sharing. (36" plotters are sweet.)

A feature I added to mine in another SUV was to double up the top platform with a hinge along the rear (hatch) edge. It could be flipped out to extend the sleeping platform through the rear opening. That way, the junk on top just had to be pushed up onto the seats/middle floor.

sseaman: I'd like to see those screens, too... very cool idea.

sseaman · 03-10-08, 08:35 PM

dgranth- I used screening from lowes like you would use for a screen door, it works well, it can be a little tough to bend if you need it to. to hold it in place i got magnetic strips, and to store them they fit inside the back window frame. I think i may redo them with no-see-um netting, it isnt quite as think. I guess i could do a write-up

Ruadhrigh · 03-10-08, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charleston

well, not sure exactly how much weight will destroy it but I did stand in each drawer while the top was off and it was fine. I couldnt do that while it was extended but when it is in the truck it is only a quarter inch or so above the tailgate when extended so I guess if I overload it it will rest and slide on the tailgate before it explodes. I built the forward 10x43 inch compartment for really heavy things, I can store anything super heavy there with no problems.

If the slides ever break I can replace them cheap, $15 bucks a pair. or if I continue to haul heavy stuff I can buy the heavy slides.

didn't mean to diss your design. me likey.

but I would be worried about the weight limitations. but if you are mindful of that while loading them you should be fine

toyman317 · 03-10-08, 08:44 PM

Has anyone thought of a latch system that could make it possible to remove the system easily if you needed to haul something?

hawkeye · 03-10-08, 08:49 PM

I can get 200lds slides for about $20 a pair. When I did my drawer system I opted for 36" glides to run the entire length (instead of having the gun storage compartment.) they hold 500lbs and cost $120 a pair.

Good work Charleston, way to go with the storage behind the wheel well, that where Im putting my compressor.

toylndcrusr · 03-10-08, 08:55 PM

Now that's a real beaut! Nice work!

charleston · 03-10-08, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgranth

Very nice job. Did you take good notes and measurements for us? I'd be happy to CAD in the dimensions and .pdf or .dwg them to you for sharing. (36" plotters are sweet.)

A feature I added to mine in another SUV was to double up the top platform with a hinge along the rear (hatch) edge. It could be flipped out to extend the sleeping platform through the rear opening. That way, the junk on top just had to be pushed up onto the seats/middle floor.

sseaman: I'd like to see those screens, too... very cool idea.

Here are my drawings
http://www.dustinryan.com/fzj80/dimensions.pdf

chitown40 · 03-10-08, 09:51 PM

Very nice! That setup looks similar to mine and I think it has to be the best mod I've done to my truck besides springs and tires. Nice work.

charleston · 03-10-08, 10:18 PM

Thanks everybody for all your compliments, I really could not have done it without all your help and this forum. I was lost in this world until I found ih8mud.com!

BooKilla · 03-10-08, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Beard

very nice job. I'm thinking of building mine out of aluminum. How was working with the wood?
Also, how much $ were the slides?
How does it mount to the floor?

Great setup, so nice and clean! Makes me want to build mine ASAP!

I would like to see that aluminum setup...

reffug · 03-11-08, 12:24 AM

Very nicely done.

alia176 · 03-11-08, 07:07 AM

Very nice job indeed! You should be proud of your handy work and attention to details. I've often wished I had a long but skinny compartment for stuff like axles, rifles, DS, etc near the center of the vehicle and your design is perfect. I'll be copying it for cargo drawer #3. Guess I'll be putting mine up for sale soon!!

Couple of suggestions:
-place a good quality lock for the gub compartment. Great place to hide things when hiking or in the bad part of town.
-those latches used to lock the drawers in place may not work if you got a heavy drawer and pointing up hill. Maybe replace the wood screws with nuts and bolts?
-place a latch or a pin to hold the drawers open when the nose is pointing downhill!

Nice job!

Skillet · 03-11-08, 07:41 AM

Very cool.

Wish I had the time to do stuff like that.

Ruadhrigh · 03-11-08, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BooKilla

I would like to see that aluminum setup...

Alia176 and I might be finishing up mine this weekend... we'll see if wheeling doensn't get in the way

450 DUDE · 03-11-08, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruadhrigh

Alia176 and I might be finishing up mine this weekend... we'll see if wheeling doensn't get in the way

Cool another Aluminum unit , cant wait to check it out.

I hope to be done with mine this weeekend as welll..

Hijack off......

ken

03-10-08, 05:49 PM	#1
charleston IH8MUD Regular Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: James Island SC Posts: 222	New Cargo Drawers, my first MOD So after owning Landruisers for 5 years I finally pulled the trigger on my first upgrade besides tires. After weeks of reading up on different mods I figured the first would be one I could do myself. I decided on the cargo drawer setup that many owners have either built or purchased for big bucks. It took me about a week of prep to get my plans and materials ready and 3 days of hard labor to finish it off, which was just a few minutes ago and about $300. After looking at the different designs I decided to make two drawers of 30 inches deep and a 3rd storage area of 43 inches wide in the front of the box. I can fit all my longer items hidden way such as guns or heavy jacks. Here are my plans http://www.dustinryan.com/fzj80/dimensions.pdf The box dimensions are 44x42x10 made of 1/2 inch plywood mostly the birch laminate which is stronger then the regular 4ply. I decided on the 1/2 inch as weight was a concern and 3/4 inch would weigh about 40lbs more and the 1/2 inch 6ply is strong enough to support hundreds of pounds. It is important when using 1/2 inch ply that you pre drill all of your holes before you screw it together, that way the wood does not split. It takes a little extra time but is worth it. I started out with this shell, it is made of regular plywood. Layout of the drawers and removable dividers, note the 10 x 43 compartment at the front of the box. The slides are 24 inch 100lb from Lowes, I stood in each drawer while in the box and it held me fine, 160lbs Here you can see how I installed the hinges before I carpeted it. I did all the work outside the car and would slide it back in to make sure it fit correctly. Fit in the car, I created 2 piece wings on each side that fold up to slide the box in. The rear wings fold up independently and can support over 50lbs when closed. Also added tiedown anchors from lowes, sprayed them with black rubberized spraypaint. Marine carpet with rubber back used on all surfaces. Aluminum edging front and rear. Piano Hinges on all movable parts. Nickel plated spring loaded latches keep the drawers from moving. Sprayd laquer on wood surfaces. The drawers pull out easily with the current setup but I may add pulls later. All screws were the outdoor not rusting varity. The 10 inch height is perfect match for the second row seats. I removed the oem carpert in the back and used the 3rd row seat bolt holes with new longer bolts to attach the box to the floor. The wing on the right side allows 5 gallons of water or a Nato Jerrycan of fuel to be held neatly, or just about anything else. With the wing closed I put 50lbs on the outside edge and it holds fine. Now, sleeping in the cruiser will be a easy, just need screens on the back windows. This drawer can hold a 5 man tent, sleeping bag, queen airmattress and a electric blower. The hidden 43x10 inch compartment can hold a variety of things, as you can see lots of guns is just one option. __________________ 95 FZJ80 locked, storaged, lifted, arb'd, 285/75r16 bfg at, 111k miles 93 FZJ80 unlucked 186k, sold.. http://www.dustinryan.com Last edited by charleston; 05-07-08 at 06:45 PM.

03-10-08, 06:14 PM	#2
EricG IH8MUD Addict Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 561	Very nice! How much do you think the whole thing weighs? __________________ It is neither necessary or possible to educate someone who never questions anything. - Josephe Heller, Catch 22 93 FZJ80 - Locked & Lifted - still waiting on Loaded (CDL, 7pin, Axle transplant from Jenny Cruiser, 2" OME lift)

03-10-08, 06:44 PM	#4
cc93cruiser IH8MUD Lifer Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Redwood City, Ca. TLCA# 15132 Posts: 1,049	Nice drawers and nice AR... __________________ Robert Muniz TLCA#15132 1993 Toyota Land Cruiser 206K 3x locked+4.88's+315 BFG AT&MT+SAFARI SNORKEL+SLEE 4"LIFT+ARB FR+WARN M12000+HANNA RR+SLEE SLIDERS+SLEE SKID+AO DRAWERS+ARB FRIDGE+DUAL OPTIMAS+GARVIN RACK+IPF'S+OKOLE COVERS+HUSKY MATS+POLY REARS+ NOT INSTALLED YET-LONG INNERS+NF BIRFS

03-10-08, 06:47 PM	#5
Red Beard IH8MUD Regular Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Orange County, NY / Rochester, NY Posts: 360	very nice job. I'm thinking of building mine out of aluminum. How was working with the wood? Also, how much $ were the slides? How does it mount to the floor? Great setup, so nice and clean! Makes me want to build mine ASAP! __________________ IH8RUST '92 FJ80 - 3FE - Homemade Bumper, Homemade Roof Rack. 33" Cooper STT Discoverers. 6 KC HiLites, Mac Mini with 7" Touchscreen ROTW

03-10-08, 06:49 PM	#6
sseaman IH8MUD Lifer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 1,358	nice system, looks well thought out. I made some screens for my windows, both the middle, and back sliding and they worked great camping this summer. __________________ 91 FJ80 318k, spare tire mod, custom roof rack----SOLD 98 4runner 136k 98 Avalon 138k

03-10-08, 06:29 PM	#3
charleston IH8MUD Regular Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: James Island SC Posts: 222	not as much as my girlfriend ... It probably weighs around 80-100 lbs but thats just a guess, I took out the 3rd row seats, hardware and seatbelts which weigh about the same I think. I would weigh it but I dont own a scale. __________________ 95 FZJ80 locked, storaged, lifted, arb'd, 285/75r16 bfg at, 111k miles 93 FZJ80 unlucked 186k, sold.. http://www.dustinryan.com Last edited by charleston; 03-10-08 at 06:43 PM.

03-10-08, 07:10 PM	#9
superhawk IH8MUD Rookie Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 22	Looks nice, I like how the air mattress sits nice and flat. __________________ 1994 FZJ Just bought, bone stock, no lockers.

03-10-08, 07:51 PM	#10
Ruadhrigh (pronounced rod-ree) Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Burque TLCA# 16603 Posts: 1,747	very nice execution. are you comfortable with 100lb capacity on the slides? Minus the weight of the drawer itself how much weight can you pack in there before destruction? __________________ '97 FZJ80: OME'd, Shortbus'd, ALI'd, 255'd, deflared, rebuilt engine, half-assed 2wd... '07 Bianchi: SRAM'd, Easton'd, Crank Bros'd, Daily Driver

03-10-08, 08:20 PM	#12
dgranth IH8MUD Rookie Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 46	Very nice job. Did you take good notes and measurements for us? I'd be happy to CAD in the dimensions and .pdf or .dwg them to you for sharing. (36" plotters are sweet.) A feature I added to mine in another SUV was to double up the top platform with a hinge along the rear (hatch) edge. It could be flipped out to extend the sleeping platform through the rear opening. That way, the junk on top just had to be pushed up onto the seats/middle floor. sseaman: I'd like to see those screens, too... very cool idea. __________________ '96FZJ80 PO installed block@95K '83MPICJ7 PO installed block@95K Hmmmmm.......

03-10-08, 08:35 PM	#13
sseaman IH8MUD Lifer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 1,358	dgranth- I used screening from lowes like you would use for a screen door, it works well, it can be a little tough to bend if you need it to. to hold it in place i got magnetic strips, and to store them they fit inside the back window frame. I think i may redo them with no-see-um netting, it isnt quite as think. I guess i could do a write-up __________________ 91 FJ80 318k, spare tire mod, custom roof rack----SOLD 98 4runner 136k 98 Avalon 138k

03-10-08, 08:44 PM	#15
toyman317 IH8MUD Addict Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Indianapolis TLCA# 15158 Posts: 810	Has anyone thought of a latch system that could make it possible to remove the system easily if you needed to haul something? __________________ Ron 1978 FJ40 - Restoration project with 58K miles 1994 FZJ80 129K miles Locked with 295 Terra Grapplers and OME heavies 1994 FZJ80 with 43k miles. Tons of Parts for Sale 1984 FJ60 - Rustfree Texas Truck Rebuilt Engine with 5K (For Sale) 1984 Harley FLTC

03-10-08, 08:49 PM	#16
hawkeye IH8MUD Regular Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Socal/ I.E. Posts: 219	I can get 200lds slides for about $20 a pair. When I did my drawer system I opted for 36" glides to run the entire length (instead of having the gun storage compartment.) they hold 500lbs and cost $120 a pair. Good work Charleston, way to go with the storage behind the wheel well, that where Im putting my compressor. __________________ 97 fzj 40th Locked and loaded, 3" OME lift.

03-10-08, 08:55 PM	#17
toylndcrusr IH8MUD Regular Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 249	Now that's a real beaut! Nice work!

03-10-08, 09:51 PM	#19
chitown40 IH8MUD Lifer Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Windy City TLCA# 14424 Posts: 1,281	Very nice! That setup looks similar to mine and I think it has to be the best mod I've done to my truck besides springs and tires. Nice work. __________________ 1997 FZJ80 CE - Locked, CDL, ARB, 315 MTRs, OME Heavies, Custom sliders, Custom drawers, T-Max 10K, York OBA System TLCA #14424

03-10-08, 10:18 PM	#20
charleston IH8MUD Regular Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: James Island SC Posts: 222	Thanks everybody for all your compliments, I really could not have done it without all your help and this forum. I was lost in this world until I found ih8mud.com! __________________ 95 FZJ80 locked, storaged, lifted, arb'd, 285/75r16 bfg at, 111k miles 93 FZJ80 unlucked 186k, sold.. http://www.dustinryan.com

03-11-08, 12:24 AM	#22
reffug grown up MOD Join Date: May 2004 Location: 'in dat der briar patch' TLCA# 14549 Posts: 3,774	Very nicely done. __________________ "If it wasn't a Landcruiser and hadn't been built the way it was you do realize you would be DEAD." VA State Police Officer

03-11-08, 07:07 AM	#23
alia176 IH8MUD Lifer Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Tijeras, NM TLCA# 15941 Posts: 3,395 Blog Entries: 1	Very nice job indeed! You should be proud of your handy work and attention to details. I've often wished I had a long but skinny compartment for stuff like axles, rifles, DS, etc near the center of the vehicle and your design is perfect. I'll be copying it for cargo drawer #3. Guess I'll be putting mine up for sale soon!! Couple of suggestions: -place a good quality lock for the gub compartment. Great place to hide things when hiking or in the bad part of town. -those latches used to lock the drawers in place may not work if you got a heavy drawer and pointing up hill. Maybe replace the wood screws with nuts and bolts? -place a latch or a pin to hold the drawers open when the nose is pointing downhill! Nice job! __________________ TLCA # 15941 KE5LED Currently working PA

03-11-08, 07:41 AM	#24
Skillet no bueno Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: КАГІҒОЯИІА TLCA# 16078 Posts: 2,464	Very cool. Wish I had the time to do stuff like that. __________________ 1993 FZJ80 1973 FJ40 oh no you didn't (updated) "...mud is a hotbed of leftist chat/activity." - swank