Ventilation in your drawer unit?

[zuren]

I'm getting ready to paint and do final install on the drawer unit I'm putting in my van. It occurred to me that there will be times that damp gear will be going back into the drawer so some airflow might be a good idea. Has anyone ever had an issue with this or am I over thinking the matter? I'm considering a 2-3" grommet vent on each side of the cabinet to promote some passive cross flow and help thing dry out.

Thanks!

 

[jham]

Couldn't hurt. Depending on the frequency that you'll be putting wet gear in, a small 12v computer-style fan would take the airflow to the next level. But again, that depends on how often you'll be storing wet things. Good idea, nonetheless. At the very least, it will keep the drawer from getting stuffy and putting a nasty smell on it's contents.

 

[AeroNautiCal]

I think that's a good idea, I intend to put vents in base units and will use fine metal mesh on the inside (to stop insects) and 25mm diameter slotted vents on the exterior.

 

[Woodsman]

Vent grommets are a good idea and will also allow the drawer to close easier (allows another way to "squeeze" the air out). Until I added them to my FJ drawer units, the drawer would make a fluttering/fart sound when closing it.