AO Drawers veses Truck Vault
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I have a set of AO metal drawers. They are excellent and I would purchase them again.
One of the primary things that I was looking for was a set of drawers that do not rattle and are heavy duty. The "slide" system on the AO drawers is far, far better than the most expensive Accuride slides (yes, I have a pair of 9601's rated at 500# ea.) The AO drawers have ~24 large roller bearings that ride along a large metal track. A drawer full of tools and heavy parts will slide in and out with no effort. The drawers lock in place with a heavy pin that prevents any movement in any direction.
I have several pictures of my AO drawers and the construction, that I can post for anyone that is interested. It sounds like the OP has already made his decision and he selected the best commercial drawer system that is custom designed for our vehicles.
FYI, the drawers are completely carpeted inside. Sides and bottom. The material quality is excellent.
One of the things you can get with the AO system is a slide-out for the Engle/ARB/Norcold fridge. Does TV offer this as an option or a standard feature?
The only "con" of the AO drawers is that they are expensive but quality construction and quality design and quality materials are not cheap. I cannot comment on the Truck Vault products because I don't own anything they sell.
-B-
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HOLY CRAP! I just looked at your web site and a basic set of TV drawers for an 80-Series is over $2,000
You can get the top of the line AO drawer system with a fridge slide, have it custom installed by Christo, pay for a round-trip to Golden, do some skiing at Mary Jane, and still save a bundle of $$$.
-B-
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sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
I can see that the case of the fire, but the AO drawers is not sold as a "vault" it is sold as drawers that can take a lot of weight, not rattle and slide out effortlessly.
MDO might be better in the fire situation, but the metal outperforms it in a lot of other ways, especially used in a off-road situation where the vehicle takes a huge beating.
The metal is galvanized to resist corrosion. As for condensation, there is very little exposed area on of bare metal. Yes it can form condensate, but not much more than all the other uncovered metal areas of the vehicle, for example in the wheelwells etc.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
Actually the whole inside of the drawer is carpeted. Also if you transport guns and rifles, I would assume the owner would make some sort of foam padding or holder to secure the fire arms.
If vehicle fires are your main concern, I can see why the Truck Vault could be a more attractive solution.
TruckVault Products
I suppose one has to consider the nature of how the unit will be used and what you are trying to protect or haul before making your selection. Like I said I do not know much about the AO drawers but imagine that they, like TruckVault, are not mass producers of cheap boxes. Anything worth a darn will cost you especially if it is custom made. Determining what you are wanting to put in your storage system and the worth of those items to you should dictate what you are willing to spend on protecting them. You can go buy say a product from Cargo Caddy for instance for a couple hundred bucks and that is exactly what you'll get...cheap plastic, no dividers, no way to securely mount it and no secure storage from. You get what you pay for in this category trust me.
Anyhow hope the informatin that I know has helped someone here.
I suppose one has to consider the nature of how the unit will be used and what you are trying to protect or haul before making your selection. Like I said I do not know much about the AO drawers but imagine that they, like TruckVault, are not mass producers of cheap boxes. Anything worth a darn will cost you especially if it is custom made. Determining what you are wanting to put in your storage system and the worth of those items to you should dictate what you are willing to spend on protecting them. You can go buy say a product from Cargo Caddy for instance for a couple hundred bucks and that is exactly what you'll get...cheap plastic, no dividers, no way to securely mount it and no secure storage from. You get what you pay for in this category trust me.
Anyhow hope the informatin that I know has helped someone here.
Wow! $1600 for those drawers? I will build you a wood drawer system that has more storage and is completely custom, I use KV8900 glides, They work perfectly and do not rattle, they are 40" glides smoothly, I use them every day in my rig, I have had no problems I carry 200lbs (They are rated for 300-500lbs) of tools in my drawer at all times.
I can beat there price by a signifcant margin. I can finish the system to match the inside of your vehicle, or I can do a duraback type finish. I will also garrantee that it will not rattle for three years.
I don't know what the 9601 is, But I use KV products on a daily basis I can assure everyone that they are the best Quality availible in full extention ball bearing glides. . I use KV8900 on all situations where the drawer will consistently carry 200+lbs. I have had no problems in ten years of working with there products. It is verry inportent to install These glides properly, or you will have problems with them sliding correctly.
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I posted this picture in the expedition section. Here's a new set that was released at SEMA. They are a composite construction 45% less weight than marine grade plywood of like size.
They are quite a bit less coin than the AO drawers. Contact Adventure Trailers for more info.
They are pictured in Scott Brady's Disco(Of Expedition Portal/Expedition's West).
They are quite a bit less coin than the AO drawers. Contact Adventure Trailers for more info.
They are pictured in Scott Brady's Disco(Of Expedition Portal/Expedition's West).
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- #30
I did decide to purchase AO and the biggest "con" is the fact that you cannot get them. I have been waiting for some time now for Christo to get an order in to AO for these. Still waiting with no idea when they will come in. They are only good if you can't get them....
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
Rich, as explained, you are dealing with African time. Things move slower down there than up here. Yes, we do not have them in stock, however getting them to the US for a reasonable price is the issue. You can have them in a week, but that is going to cost you $2k in shipping if you ship 1 drawer system.
Unfortunatelly South Africa to USA is not that big of a trade route so the shipping options are limited and expensive.
Unfortunatelly South Africa to USA is not that big of a trade route so the shipping options are limited and expensive.
I can just comment on the wood vs metal, here.
The only down side I can see to a metal box is condensation , That being said I dont plan on storing firearms or percision tools for periods of time. I think for the majority of this audience, metal or even better composite is the best choice . If you want to look at Mechanics tool boxes or truck utility boxes you prolly will not come across too many that are wood ( sans machinist boxes ) .
I did a lot of research before I built my storage system and metal was the clear choice.
hth
ken
The only down side I can see to a metal box is condensation , That being said I dont plan on storing firearms or percision tools for periods of time. I think for the majority of this audience, metal or even better composite is the best choice . If you want to look at Mechanics tool boxes or truck utility boxes you prolly will not come across too many that are wood ( sans machinist boxes ) .
I did a lot of research before I built my storage system and metal was the clear choice.
hth
ken
Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?
It is gonna take Rick a while to install all that stuff you already bought so waiting for a non-essential item like a high quality aluminum AO rack or the custom AO drawers seems like a small sacrifice.New Mexico time is about the same as African time so I can understand Christo's frustration with getting product.
-B-
