Post up your drawer/storage system

[jgaz]

Hah, I see several familiar design elements! Looks good and also looks like it would work as a sideways seat / bench with a seat cushion, a la a Land Cruiser. Maybe a double top plate with a piano hinge and stadium seat cushions placed with velcro, two of them on top, or unfold the top into a backrest and have velcro there so one cushion becomes a back rest. You could carry a third person on a trail run, maybe.

I may have to go with the baseplate idea as well. My drawers are not anchored well enough and after enough braking and washboard roads they shift around a bit and wind up a bit cockeyed. I have to periodically loosen things a bit and hook a tie down strap to the front bread-bin lip and do a Strong Man tug of war impression to move things back where I want them. A baseplate would make for better attachment options and solve the clearance issues I am having trying to use the bottom of my drawer boxes as a mounting base too. And make the mounting much stronger overall.

I'm going to be re-working my 'power module' portion a bit in the coming months as I finally get down to my rooftop / folding solar panel kit integration. That will be a good occasion to dismount everything and work in a baseplate design


The suspended cargo basket looks like a great idea, great place to plop bulky bags / packs, hang a lot from it too.

Yes sir, there are more than several similarities between the two. Although, I don’t have anything near as cool as your breadbox cubbies in the forward edge of your boxes. I never try to claim something as an original idea but I’ve never been shy about “reverse engineering” something either.

I think you’ll be glad you went with the base board. I tried to eliminate it from my system. In the end it was way easier to include it and take advantage of the flexibility and ease of making changes that it provided. All totaled, with the spacers on the bottom and the tie down tracks, my base board weighs just under 23lbs. The advantages outweigh the weight penalty IMO.

The cargo rack works well, as you said, for bulky items. Also, being able to quickly grab a chair for a lunch stop is nice.
Here’s a pic of the rack in use during one of the first camping trips I took with the Jeep.

 

[rayra]

well the weight of a plywood baseplate is of little concern in the Suburban. It's already a lumbering brontosaurus. An extra ~25-lbs amongst ~6,600 (shrug), not even one half of 1% increase. One of the other blessings / curses of Suburbans.

 

[You Betcha]

Here is a system I finished for a LR3/LR4
The third row seats were removed to allow for more storage below. Openings were cut for the ARB vent flow and access to the solar controller and fuses. Rear access door to easily get to the under floor storage and still leaves room for longer items behind the second row of seats.

 

[jrob]

Cool system.
Interesting latch idea, did you build these?

 

[s.e.charles]

what do you guys do when you just cannot get enough drawer?

 

[wonti]

Hello,
this is the drawer system for my Wrangler JK (DIY)

 

[s.e.charles]

looks very clean/ neatly done.

Q: what's giving it wracking resistance? and (two-part question) is there a plan to strengthen the open side of the carcase?

 

[wonti]

Hello,
thank you.
Here is a picture from the carside.

Another picture from the ground plate.

and the backside

Mounting

 

[jgaz]

Very nice @wonti!
What material are you using for your base plate?
Does your last picture show the rear seat latch strikers? It looks like an ingenious way to adapt something factory to accept a threaded fastener without drilling thru the floor. Details?

 

[s.e.charles]

X2. don't know anything about jeeps (except the one I priced - started @23 and was almost 40 without being the 4 door version I was asking the sales manager about!) so I have limited perspective on size & floor configuration. the bottom piece almost has a micarta finish. top? semi-gloss enamel?

 

[Rezarf <><]

Got my drawers system about 60% completed... really just the 20 gallon water tank/faucet and the platform created. I will add one big drawer and a smaller one under the fridge to create a larger work surface when camping. I plan on wrapping it in carpet when I am done building and tweaking it.

The proof of concept phase is over, 5 nights camping and 300 miles of dirt for the shake down... time to knock out the rest of it and finish it up.





I built a small extension for creating a sleeping platform of the middle seats when folded.

 

[wonti]

Hello,
@jgaz the base plate is 9mm Siebdruckplatte (german name, waterproof glued wood).
It is very strong.

Does your last picture show the rear seat latch strikers?

yes
It is aluminum 150 x35 x 12mm, holes are M8 (thread).
Sorry for my bad english.

 

[jgaz]

Hello,
@jgaz the base plate is 9mm Siebdruckplatte (german name, waterproof glued wood).
It is very strong.
yes
It is aluminum 150 x35 x 12mm, holes are M8 (thread).
Sorry for my bad english.

Nice looking product. Thanks for the info.

BTW: Keine Bange
Your English is waaaay better than my German I couldn’t figure how to say that and had to look it up.

 

[bagelsjustbagels]

I just finished up a rear cargo drawer system for my Xterra. Lots of great inspiration from so many awesome builds on this site and others. But, the main area I drew inspiration was from: https://theadventureindex.com/shop/

Here's the basics on my setup:
-- 1/2" birch
-- Cut the bottom of each drawer so I could still access the underneath rear cargo tray by folding the back seats forward
-- 400 lb full extension drawer slides
-- 333 lb D-rings bolted with 5/16" pronged tee-nuts and bolts on the top (so I can still strap things down, when needed)
-- Side "wings" are removable, so I can use the space under them, too
-- 12" interior hieght
-- Driver-side drawer is 2-feet deep
-- Passenger-side drawer has a "drawer within a drawer" and a spring loaded prep table. There's room under the prep table to store silverware, spices, spatula, tongs, etc. (or anything else that's no taller than 4")

Pictures...

Looks great and thanks for the shout out!

 

[washington taco]

Wow, so many tricky examples of camping storage, and all geared toward fair weather camping.
90% of the rigs posted here are only good for the summer months.

You are correct, and most people don't get past gravel roads either.