Storage and Access
This is where I am so far. I took the items from two large 27 gallon plastic tubs, and the tools from two 24" Bostitch waterproof tool boxes, and tried to cram it all into the two drawers.
Almost made it too!
Right now, the items are placed in the drawers according to what will fit where. However, I prefer to have things sorted according to use and urgency of need. Looks like this is going to be one of those 'trade-off' things.
These drawers are fully extended and you can't see the last third of them, which is still under the deck in the bed. Since this system only has a set of rollers in the front and a set in the rear, the drawers are not capable of 100% extension. The area at the rear of the drawer has very limited access, and the items in the center of the drawer must be removed to gain that access. However, if you are carrying long tools, firearms, or fishing rods, etc. then this area is very useful. In my case, I placed a case of emergency bottled water in that area on the driver's side, and two of the
Blue Ridge Overland Gear Bags containing jumper cables, extension cords, recovery gear, tow ropes, etc., on the passenger's side. Hopefully, these are items I won't need very often.
I'm using the D-Boxes specifically as tool boxes, with some success but not ideal. Basically, everything is 'dumped' in there on top of each other. The two dividers do help somewhat, but they are nowhere near what is needed to qualify as a dedicated tool box. The mechanic's box on the right weighs around 50 lbs. which is the boxes limit, and this is without the socket sets. I'm very careful when trying to lift it out, which is a chore in itself.
I'm using the larger gray dividers to keep the drawer contents from spilling into the space under the D-Boxes, once they are removed. The ones in the front next to the latch are not in a slot, because one does not exist in that area. I have plans for a custom divider to go there, but more on that later.
Here you can see what happens when you attempt to open the loaded D-Boxes sitting in the drawers, which they were not designed to do. The hinge protrusion interferes with the opening process, as does the lock hasp on the front, and the sides of the drawer bulge outward some. The two flip open latches will not unlock with the box sitting in the drawer, but they can be left unlocked for easier access. The drawers come with a cross brace each that will help stabilize the flex in the drawer, but if you use the D-Boxes they are not required. This angle is somewhat exaggerated because the camera is not being held perfectly level.
I will cover the D-boxes and dividers in more detail as I work with them more. I just wanted to show their capability as I'm using them right now.
And the last observation for today is, the need for some type of lock open device that would hold the drawers open at any extension point. My yard slopes slightly downward toward the street, and since the system uses such very good quality rollers, the drawers kept closing on their own every time I let go of them. Therefore, I had to come up with my own lock system which consist of a wooden wedge jammed between a roller and the drawer track. Hey, it worked!
Maybe, a roller with a friction lock similar to what a caster wheel has, would work? Until then, I'll probably just replace the wooden wedges with some nice plastic or rubber ones, and carry them in the front of the drawers next to the latch, so they are handy.
That's all for now...