Storage Drawers or Tray slide

[nuclearmonkey]

My next project for my D-90 is a rear storage system. Since it's a 90, I need to be pretty thorough with respect to making every inch count with the setup. I've spent countless hours looking at such amazing setups on this forum, and many of the projects are nothing short of awe inspiring. I have a tentative idea of how I'd like things to be laid out, but have one main question I can't really answer - and was hoping that some of you with experience could chime in.

Do you prefer storage drawers, or a slide out tray for something like wolf boxes or similar. At first glance, drawers seem beautifully self contained and simple once installed. But the more I thought about them, the more I worried that having sides and ends and space between would take up too much space for their structure alone. Additionally, I was wondering if the organization within the drawer would then be somewhat lacking. I then starting thinking that maybe having wolf boxes or similar for organization might be more efficient. So I then found tray's that slide out holding 4 or 6 wolf boxes lashed down.

If I had a larger truck, I probably wouldn't think twice about going with drawers. Since I am trying to maximize space, what do you guys think?

Thanks so much in advance!

-Aaron

BTW, as for a slide out tray, something similar to this: http://www.oppositelock.com.au/inde...9&product_id=339&pageID=10079&sectionID=10062

 

[Woodsman]

Well, even with the tray you are going to lose space to the tray itself, the sliding mechanism it uses and the inefficiently shaped boxes (i.e. not perfectly square). . . and you have the thickness of the top material for stacking other things or sleeping on. Is locking important to you because it doesn't look like the slide locks ?

The easiest thing for you to do is determine the space efficiency of each setup (a ratio of usable internal space vs total external space required). This was also the method Overland Journal used in their evaluation of drawers several issues back. Another thing to keep in mind is that the options for organizing and storing are greater with larger spaces. In other words, you will likely fit everything from those four boxes easily into two larger boxes or drawers even if they have slightly less cubic inches of space. When I make drawers I always furnish adjustable dividers on 32mm centers making division of the internal space very easy.

 

[jeremyk]

I don't have a D90 (but often wish I did). I built a drawer set up with two covered, but hinged sides for longer items. The reason I did this it that we often stack the rear to the ceiling and then have to dig for what we want; like helmets or bike shoes or tools, etc. This allows me to stack up all sorts of stuff and still get routine items. I don't have the funds or time to put everything neatly in a wide assortment of Pelican cases.

 

[deniz merdano]

Drawers if you can pull it off without having rattle and shake itself loose and drive you crazy. Especially in a D90.
Newer suspension SUVs, you wouldn't even hear the drawers in bumps.

Build the platform setup and see if you really need the drawers after using it for a while

I am in the same boat. Trying to decide and work out(good thing i've got some time) if I am content with Action Packers or should I go ahead and build drawers for the rear platform. My decision deadline is April 15

 

[nuclearmonkey]

I think like Woodsman said - I really need to calculate what I need to store & how much room I have to accomplish it in. I was planning on going with the large rectangle water storage from frontrunner in front of the drawer, but just realized it's going to eat up way too much room from the depth of the drawers / storage (drawer would but up to the water tank). Trouble is, I don't have all of my gear yet, so have to plan rather loosely with respect to size requirements.

The rattle is something that concerns me / would drive me crazy. As it is now, the Defender had the ability of making a Wrangler sound like a Bentley. Another worry is that unless I come up with a really creative way to have some sort of a slide out drop down platform as a sort of floating landing pad, my Weimaraner won't be able to jump in the truck anymore. I was thinking of a long tray that slid out from under everything, and hinged down at the rear to touch the ground. The problem is I have 42" of rear area, which won't even make it to the ground straight down. Unless I come up with something that she can jump up to and then up again, whatever I do will probably have to be temporary.

Hmmm...