Next stop for the way back when machine is November of 2018. Troy Boy helped me build a set of drawers at Papa's (Grandpa's) house.
I had been using the Toyota shelf system that was installed with a couple of under the bed totes to store things, but didn't like this for a multitude of reasons. There was a lot of unused space, and you had to pull the totes all the way out and set them down to be able to access anything. The only positive was I could take the tote of cooking items over to a picnic table to have it close at hand while prepping/eating.
I wanted something with 2 drawers as full depth as possible, that would utilize space in the most efficient way. Because of where it would meet the back of the 2nd row seats, there would be an area of potentially wasted space. There was also the wheel wells to contend with, getting around their awkward shape. I took a lot of measurements and drew up multiple variations for the drawer system trying to come up with a system that I liked the best.
This is one of the designs that was in the running. Used 22" drawer slides and had a hidden panel that, once the 2nd row was leaned forward, could be removed. I thought about making access to it via the top, but decided that when it was covered in gear I didn't want to have to unload the truck to get to it.
This is the design I ultimately settled on. It has 36" drawer slides that are the full depth. The back is flat where it meets the seats, leaving a triangular shaped empty space behind the seats. This space works out really well for storing items that are seldom used and otherwise awkward to store. Fishing poles/tackle, extra roll of TP/Paper towels, extra propane bottle cushioned by aforementioned TP.
It also has "wings" on each side that contour to the side of the interior panel and flip up on a piano hinge. This allows access to the tie downs that were used to secure the box on that side with turnbuckles (2 more used in the void behind the seat for a total of 4 attachment points), access to the factory jack and tools, 12 volt power ports (both factory and a constant hot, more on that later), and then another void that can be used for storage. The left side is currently storing ratchet straps and various other items, while the right side with the factory 12 volt port is storage for chargers and batteries for a handheld Ham and cordless tools.
Here is a sketch of the design winner. It is built using 1/2" plywood everywhere with the exception of the top, which is 3/4" to have a higher weight carrying/spanning capacity. I cut out most of the bottom panel, since it would be sitting on the floor and not really supporting the weight, more just for keeping it square and not racking.
Troy Boy sanding the bottom piece with oversight from Papa.
I couldn't find any pictures of the drawers after they were installed, so I had to snap some new ones. As you can see in this picture, I have since added a fridge and slide, because fishing for soggy food in ice water sucks. You can also see where a bag of coal slag leaked... The tie down and latch on the right side are for securing a large tote of camping gear. My trusty Coleman stove will fit on the fridge slide perfectly next to the fridge if I slide it all the way over to the left, and put all the water in the fridge. I went with locking paddle latches so that I could secure them while parked overnight at motel, camp, etc.
Here are both drawers pulled out to full extension. I cut grooved slots in the drawer sides and used some 1/4" plywood as adjustable dividers. The piece of wood on the top of the right drawer is a table. I added the old school retro 4Runner label by printing it off and using Polycrylic to transfer it to the wood.
