These things start as hobby and then turn into....problem solving... I think...
Disclaimer....EVERYONE builds or can build these drawers...nothing new under the sun this is just my flavor of the week. If you are inspired to build your own I would encourage you to do and make it better than what you will see on this post...yes I am a terrible photographer so your judgement will be warranted. You are smart, think you already know what these things look like...
The WHY:
Here is my lot casting into the rear cargo storage drawer system. There are heaps of great options out there, Goose Gear, ADGU, ect...and they each have there respective pros !! I do believe you ultimately get what you pay for and quality is three fold. Price, product, service. After years of chunking camp kitchen/storage in the rear with totes I decided to build one for my rig around the Yeti Load Out Box. They. Are. Expensive. But. Amazing.
The WHAT:
Think the process of building around ones need or usability is paramount in any custom build venture. Much like a wallet holds cards, I wanted my rear cargo area to hold the YLOB and serve as a utilitarian kitchen/work space if needed. After watching and using some different systems for years the YLOB are bullet proof and are easy to store on shelf or floor when not in use. They have attic space for ancillary items and the built in divider/cutting board is super thoughtful. This is not an advertisement for Yeti...in fact Cost Co has a similar box (https://www.costco.com/coho-pack-and-carry-box.product.4000101667.html) that's a quarter of the price....but the premise of storage, organization, and durability are what camping gear should cost, look, and feel like....I think. What ever the gear, I hope the additional placement/organization idea is helpful to those looking to adventure.
Pending ones usage I think this storage system may be an option for the medium duty wheeler. Strong enough for a weekend at the river pass but PH balanced for a woman....The 80/20 aluminum frame, or all metal construction option is fool proof for hard core off roading but the expense and noise can be limiting to some. Because I have become a weight and space conscious nerd I have opted for 1/2" birch ply construction and I have been stoked with the results.
Because I am the beta testing department I have built in biases...however, after several units made to different wheelers the consensus is that the system gets the job done for the type of adventuring we do down here in the south.
Heavy duty full extension drawer guides do most of the heavy lifting and the all metal drawer guide system is well...self explanatory. One of the things I believe is important is accessibility options so I left the back open to be able to grab things by letting the seat down. There is an open cavity behind the frig where I keep a cordless air pump and few other recover gear items. Its quick to grab from passenger rear as there can be a bike rack on the rear that can impede rear door access...
This ended up turning into "if you give a mouse a cookie" where you cant have a frig and no pantry right? ...So a pantry was added with some 24" regular unleaded drawer guides...before you jump to the conclusion on the "why would you not use the locking drawer guides you idiot" train of thought let me just say that they are 1/4 thicker and relative to the use and weight relatively no necissito...NOT because I am cheap, I asked the magic 8 ball and the pool God spoke...so there..
..and if you are gunna build a pantry you have to build a junk drawer above it...
There is never enough flat area to put crap so there is no short supply of prep space on this build. One of the first things you do as a GX owner is rip out that rear cargo net that looks like it came over on the Mayflower...because the area is already recessed it makes for a great space to store a table. There are several rear door folding table options for all makes but one of the things I don't like is that they are not flush with the factory panel...meaning you will need to allow for that offset when designing storage systems so the do not hit when the rear door is closed. I took the panel off and used two Simpson straps I had left over from a job to hold the table in place and I also have a few small magnets I use to hold items flush to the wall when cooking.
Parts are cut out on a CNC (Carve CO) and then glued screwed and tattooed together. Primed sanded and then blacked out. All the hardware was then assembled using sex bolts for the drawer guides through the side frames. So far the oldest unit has been running for 8 months and seems to be holding up well. I have similar units for the 4Runner and 100 Series as well. They are light enough to pick up and slide in with one person, then you can outfit with gear/frig. The system could be flat packed and then glued/bolted up but color options/finished would have to be specified. Currently Raptor lining a unit to see how it looks and performs. The drawer faces are 6 screw patterned in case one is damaged and needs replacing. There is also a power strip in the passenger corner because the GX has an on board AC110 auxiliary port that plugs into the drawer system.
I am considering building these for more than just friends as an alternative to some of the other systems out there.
Disclaimer....EVERYONE builds or can build these drawers...nothing new under the sun this is just my flavor of the week. If you are inspired to build your own I would encourage you to do and make it better than what you will see on this post...yes I am a terrible photographer so your judgement will be warranted. You are smart, think you already know what these things look like...
The WHY:
Here is my lot casting into the rear cargo storage drawer system. There are heaps of great options out there, Goose Gear, ADGU, ect...and they each have there respective pros !! I do believe you ultimately get what you pay for and quality is three fold. Price, product, service. After years of chunking camp kitchen/storage in the rear with totes I decided to build one for my rig around the Yeti Load Out Box. They. Are. Expensive. But. Amazing.
The WHAT:
Think the process of building around ones need or usability is paramount in any custom build venture. Much like a wallet holds cards, I wanted my rear cargo area to hold the YLOB and serve as a utilitarian kitchen/work space if needed. After watching and using some different systems for years the YLOB are bullet proof and are easy to store on shelf or floor when not in use. They have attic space for ancillary items and the built in divider/cutting board is super thoughtful. This is not an advertisement for Yeti...in fact Cost Co has a similar box (https://www.costco.com/coho-pack-and-carry-box.product.4000101667.html) that's a quarter of the price....but the premise of storage, organization, and durability are what camping gear should cost, look, and feel like....I think. What ever the gear, I hope the additional placement/organization idea is helpful to those looking to adventure.
Pending ones usage I think this storage system may be an option for the medium duty wheeler. Strong enough for a weekend at the river pass but PH balanced for a woman....The 80/20 aluminum frame, or all metal construction option is fool proof for hard core off roading but the expense and noise can be limiting to some. Because I have become a weight and space conscious nerd I have opted for 1/2" birch ply construction and I have been stoked with the results.
Because I am the beta testing department I have built in biases...however, after several units made to different wheelers the consensus is that the system gets the job done for the type of adventuring we do down here in the south.
Heavy duty full extension drawer guides do most of the heavy lifting and the all metal drawer guide system is well...self explanatory. One of the things I believe is important is accessibility options so I left the back open to be able to grab things by letting the seat down. There is an open cavity behind the frig where I keep a cordless air pump and few other recover gear items. Its quick to grab from passenger rear as there can be a bike rack on the rear that can impede rear door access...
This ended up turning into "if you give a mouse a cookie" where you cant have a frig and no pantry right? ...So a pantry was added with some 24" regular unleaded drawer guides...before you jump to the conclusion on the "why would you not use the locking drawer guides you idiot" train of thought let me just say that they are 1/4 thicker and relative to the use and weight relatively no necissito...NOT because I am cheap, I asked the magic 8 ball and the pool God spoke...so there..
..and if you are gunna build a pantry you have to build a junk drawer above it...
There is never enough flat area to put crap so there is no short supply of prep space on this build. One of the first things you do as a GX owner is rip out that rear cargo net that looks like it came over on the Mayflower...because the area is already recessed it makes for a great space to store a table. There are several rear door folding table options for all makes but one of the things I don't like is that they are not flush with the factory panel...meaning you will need to allow for that offset when designing storage systems so the do not hit when the rear door is closed. I took the panel off and used two Simpson straps I had left over from a job to hold the table in place and I also have a few small magnets I use to hold items flush to the wall when cooking.
Parts are cut out on a CNC (Carve CO) and then glued screwed and tattooed together. Primed sanded and then blacked out. All the hardware was then assembled using sex bolts for the drawer guides through the side frames. So far the oldest unit has been running for 8 months and seems to be holding up well. I have similar units for the 4Runner and 100 Series as well. They are light enough to pick up and slide in with one person, then you can outfit with gear/frig. The system could be flat packed and then glued/bolted up but color options/finished would have to be specified. Currently Raptor lining a unit to see how it looks and performs. The drawer faces are 6 screw patterned in case one is damaged and needs replacing. There is also a power strip in the passenger corner because the GX has an on board AC110 auxiliary port that plugs into the drawer system.
I am considering building these for more than just friends as an alternative to some of the other systems out there.
