Car Drawer Systems versus straps to tie down points
Derek Barnes said
10:53 AM Dec 3, 2020
We have been investigating car drawer systems versus straps to tie down points to store all our tools etc., in our car (Patrol Y62). At present we keep all the tools, compressor, chocks, jacks, etc., in various canvas bags or plastic boxes, which are tied down to points in the walls and floor of the carrier space. We have just removed the 3rd row of seats (temporarily) to decrease the car weight and provide more room for storage for trips. This has also given us a lot more tie down points.
Car drawer systems weigh between about 60kg (light weight aluminium) to about 100kg (steel) for a 2 drawer unit. Is this extra weight justifiable for the convenience of being able to simply open a drawer to get to tools, as opposed to having to undo straps?
I'm finding it difficult to justify the additional weight of a drawer system considering we are often close to the maximum GVM of 3500kg for the Patrol (because of the extra wheel, recovery equipment, portable fridge, extra car battery, 2 x jerry cans of petrol, extendable ladder to get to the top of the car/caravan, 2 x Maxtrax, 2 x 20 litre water containers, spare car parts, etc., needed for outback travel).
I'd like to hear your opinions on car drawer systems.
Peter_n_Margaret said
11:14 AM Dec 3, 2020
You need to leave some stuff at home or get a more appropriate vehicle.
Cheers,
Peter
HandyWalter said
12:04 PM Dec 3, 2020
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
You need to leave some stuff at home or get a more appropriate vehicle. Cheers, Peter
Where are you Yobarr? Peanuts on order!!!
travelyounger said
12:19 PM Dec 3, 2020
I sold my titan draws cause of weight and not much space in them for the size and bought a 2 draw system from the big green shed
Cheers
Bobdown said
12:22 PM Dec 3, 2020
Derek Barnes wrote:
I'm finding it difficult to justify the additional weight of a drawer system considering we are often close to the maximum GVM of 3500kg for the Patrol (because of the extra wheel, recovery equipment, portable fridge, extra car battery, 2 x jerry cans of petrol, extendable ladder to get to the top of the car/caravan, 2 x Maxtrax, 2 x 20 litre water containers, spare car parts, etc., needed for outback travel).
I'd like to hear your opinions on car drawer systems.
Hi Derek,
I'll just leave all my tools at home and just follow you around...........ha ha
As Peter says, leave some stuff at home.
Cheers Bob
Possum3 said
12:38 PM Dec 3, 2020
Snap on lid plastic boxes are in my patrol, third row of seats (temporarily) removed, boxes strapped down with 25mm Nylon straps to anchor points (Baby Capsule anchors) - The "load" is covered with an old Military issued woolen blanket which keeps sun and prying eyes away. I purchased a fridge slide to fit when I purchased Patrol. To date I haven't fitted it due to weight but I an now considering putting it in as it is getting increasingly difficult for the child-bride to reach into the Waeco from behind Patrol.
Mike Harding said
12:56 PM Dec 3, 2020
I have never been a fan of 4WD draw systems:
Very expensive
Very heavy
Inflexible
Space wasters
I'm with Possum3: buy good quality stacking plastic boxes with lids, different colours if possible to make it easier to identify the particular box you want. Plus the boxes double up in camp as tables - especially if you stack two and put a piece of plywood on the top - bushman's coffee table :)
Try to get boxes with an overhanging lid, these can be left out in the rain without the contents getting wet.
KJB said
01:06 PM Dec 3, 2020
Great advice .......cheap, light , efficient volume management , water and dust proof , easy identification of contents....... (I have built a super lightweight steel framework to let the bins act as draws in our "Slide on " Camper )
Build your own draw system, I am sure with a bit of designing weight could be reduced.
Honeycomb aircraft flooring 3.8kg/m². Use 5251 aluminium (1m x 1m x 1mm = 2.7kg) it's a bit stiffer, so if they use 1.6mm 5005 alloy use 1.2mm instead.
I sure 30kg would be doable but 20kg would be my target!
What you save not buying something off the shelf can then be spent on the lightest materials available.
Whenarewethere said
01:45 PM Dec 3, 2020
Another option, build your own boxes out of coreflute to the exact size required.
500 x 320 x 290h 908g (has 2 thickness in the floor for a bit more stiffening). I wouldn't go much bigger than this unless the material is stiffer.
Small box 395 x 265 x 230h 432g.
These are my first prototypes & so far on the whole have been brilliant.
The only issues are, the coreflute I used does rub, there is probably better quality plastic, so I stuck some pads on the sides in key areas & for feet to grip.
Corners I cut a 90 degree "V" to fold the sheet & double sided tape the box together. Also stuck some loop half of Velcro around the edges as the top edge is sharp & you cut yourself.
We have been investigating car drawer systems versus straps to tie down points to store all our tools etc., in our car (Patrol Y62). At present we keep all the tools, compressor, chocks, jacks, etc., in various canvas bags or plastic boxes, which are tied down to points in the walls and floor of the carrier space. We have just removed the 3rd row of seats (temporarily) to decrease the car weight and provide more room for storage for trips. This has also given us a lot more tie down points.
Car drawer systems weigh between about 60kg (light weight aluminium) to about 100kg (steel) for a 2 drawer unit. Is this extra weight justifiable for the convenience of being able to simply open a drawer to get to tools, as opposed to having to undo straps?
I'm finding it difficult to justify the additional weight of a drawer system considering we are often close to the maximum GVM of 3500kg for the Patrol (because of the extra wheel, recovery equipment, portable fridge, extra car battery, 2 x jerry cans of petrol, extendable ladder to get to the top of the car/caravan, 2 x Maxtrax, 2 x 20 litre water containers, spare car parts, etc., needed for outback travel).
I'd like to hear your opinions on car drawer systems.
Our draw system for the twin cab ute is leaning against the court yard wall, yes it was good, very user friendly, at our retired age beat climbing in the back to get things.
Then I brought a nice bigger caravan and I found I was up on my weights. Then started to try to loose some weight.
62 kilograms for the full slide draw and 17 kilograms for the rubber mat.
2 cheapo plastic boxes, works a treat, may not be as convenient at times but its a compromise.
Dougwe said
02:50 PM Dec 3, 2020
I kept away from the drawer systems due to their Weight and as all know keeping under weight with our rigs is of most importance.
I Put in a light weight shelf above wheel arches and 100mm out from each arch allowing for a shelf each side and gap in middle. I also fitted a 100mm plastic tube each side under shelf where my awning anti-flap kit lives when not in use.
Has worked well for me now for six years.
I only wish I got a aluminium builders 'shed' on tray and not tub with canopy. The old bones are getting older.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Mobi Condo said
03:08 PM Dec 3, 2020
Our three drawer system in the 80 series, is now very useful under the shed bench for tools, etc.
Gone back to lighter weight plastic clip lid boxes in the back of the Disco 4 Just as easy to access.
Old and Grey said
04:21 PM Dec 3, 2020
Derek Barnes wrote:
We have been investigating car drawer systems versus straps to tie down points to store all our tools etc., in our car (Patrol Y62). At present we keep all the tools, compressor, chocks, jacks, etc., in various canvas bags or plastic boxes, which are tied down to points in the walls and floor of the carrier space. We have just removed the 3rd row of seats (temporarily) to decrease the car weight and provide more room for storage for trips. This has also given us a lot more tie down points.
Car drawer systems weigh between about 60kg (light weight aluminium) to about 100kg (steel) for a 2 drawer unit. Is this extra weight justifiable for the convenience of being able to simply open a drawer to get to tools, as opposed to having to undo straps?
I'm finding it difficult to justify the additional weight of a drawer system considering we are often close to the maximum GVM of 3500kg for the Patrol (because of the extra wheel, recovery equipment, portable fridge, extra car battery, 2 x jerry cans of petrol, extendable ladder to get to the top of the car/caravan, 2 x Maxtrax, 2 x 20 litre water containers, spare car parts, etc., needed for outback travel).
I'd like to hear your opinions on car drawer systems.
Hi Derek,Your a man with the same heart as mine.
I built my 2012 200 series GX Landcruiser with the twin rear doors. From day one as my work truck to take into retirement as our tow truck for both the van and boat traveling the country.
I needed space and lots of it. No 1. First came the Milford Cargo Barrier.
No 2. I needed to fit my Orr's 40lt /60lt fridge slide.
No3. I had to use my spatial awearness.
I happened to walk into Bunnings some7-8 years back looking for storage boxes with lids. They had a Promo going on a black 15lt storage box with inward lock down handles 400mm L x 300mm W x 200mm H. I brought 6 in the morning and 3 hours later. they were gone I wanted 5 more. They were built like a brick SH....House.
I got my other 5 after whining to the store manager. TELSTA cleaned out every last one.
You can stand on them, Jump on them, Stack them. I never saw them ever again. Their name was Tougher Boxes. I will try to post 3x photo's from my new Phone.
No4. Was to get the same people to make me a full tube bent frame bolted to the original 4 tiedown mounting points with you guessed it 205mm hight clearance for sliding the boxes under neigth the 17mm Ply platform. With a 360kg rating.(Just Magic.)They put marine carpet over the ply. I fixed a total rubber mat over this to protect it from my trade gear.
No5. The fridge slide complete with the alloy box moved as far left and bolted to the cargo barrier. On top of this a 12mm marine ply sheet to hold Donna's Blankets
not been use.
The boxes. One is a bearing box and tools for the van. one a general tool box, one holds my gear for my oil changes. Others are for my fishing reels. all are labled and loaded in a access needed order.
Next to the fridge I can take a lot of extra needs.The original Four (4) cargo hooks are now placed and used two bolted to the upper ply sheet and two to the lower sheet. All rear windows are fitted with Coreflute to keep the eyes and sun out.
My second row seats are Temporary out. Then I can fit all the bulky items fixed to the floor by 12 point afixed direct to the body via the original seat mounting points.
I had my cargo barrier profeffionally altered at the top, to accommodate my fishing rods.
Built to Tour in retirement.
Yes we now have our Lovells 3800kg GVM fitted 380km ago.
Grey
-- Edited by Old and Grey on Thursday 3rd of December 2020 04:24:24 PM
-- Edited by Old and Grey on Thursday 3rd of December 2020 04:25:48 PM
Warren-Pat_01 said
05:12 PM Dec 3, 2020
Hi Derek,
Those nice flash drawer systems are as you found heavy in weight & money needed to buy them. Telstra staff fitted a 1996 Remote Nissan Patrol wagon in Townsville with the Outback drawer system - it was pulled out six months later when the car was weighed.
Make your own to suite your gear, you're out in front to start with AND go through the tools, equip THAT YOU NEED, not what you want to take. I have my tools in a plastic box approx 300x100x100mm, odds & sodds in a matching one, sockets in a smaller one - they all sit on top of each other. Longer stuff like tyre levers, etc can fit under the 2nd row of seats (remove the third row & keep them in the garage).
Spares to take - spare hoses, belts, perhaps a thermostat are adequate. You don't need a spare water pump, fuel pump, whatever the "experts" say you need!
If you're considering going into isolated remote areas consider a GME EPIRB - one of these saved some friends of mine recently.
Also all your extra steel work eats into your GVM as well (bull & tow bars, roof rack, extra fuel tank, etc).
littledick said
10:27 AM Dec 11, 2020
No problem with mine. 2 plastic drawers with 2 drills, battery chargers, Milwaukee air pump ( The best addition) and the necessary spanners.
Another tool box and at the rear, hydraulic jack, tyre repair kit, rattle gun and a few bits and pieces.
Most of the spanners I roll up in an old t-shirt to reduce volume so I can tuck them into a corner in the wheel well. When unrolled they are more or less in order of size.
We have been investigating car drawer systems versus straps to tie down points to store all our tools etc., in our car (Patrol Y62). At present we keep all the tools, compressor, chocks, jacks, etc., in various canvas bags or plastic boxes, which are tied down to points in the walls and floor of the carrier space. We have just removed the 3rd row of seats (temporarily) to decrease the car weight and provide more room for storage for trips. This has also given us a lot more tie down points.
Car drawer systems weigh between about 60kg (light weight aluminium) to about 100kg (steel) for a 2 drawer unit. Is this extra weight justifiable for the convenience of being able to simply open a drawer to get to tools, as opposed to having to undo straps?
I'm finding it difficult to justify the additional weight of a drawer system considering we are often close to the maximum GVM of 3500kg for the Patrol (because of the extra wheel, recovery equipment, portable fridge, extra car battery, 2 x jerry cans of petrol, extendable ladder to get to the top of the car/caravan, 2 x Maxtrax, 2 x 20 litre water containers, spare car parts, etc., needed for outback travel).
I'd like to hear your opinions on car drawer systems.
Cheers,
Peter
Where are you Yobarr? Peanuts on order!!!
Hi Derek,
I'll just leave all my tools at home and just follow you around...........ha ha
As Peter says, leave some stuff at home.
Cheers Bob
I have never been a fan of 4WD draw systems:
Very expensive
Very heavy
Inflexible
Space wasters
I'm with Possum3: buy good quality stacking plastic boxes with lids, different colours if possible to make it easier to identify the particular box you want. Plus the boxes double up in camp as tables - especially if you stack two and put a piece of plywood on the top - bushman's coffee table :)
Try to get boxes with an overhanging lid, these can be left out in the rain without the contents getting wet.
Great advice .......cheap, light , efficient volume management , water and dust proof , easy identification of contents....... (I have built a super lightweight steel framework to let the bins act as draws in our "Slide on " Camper )
Build your own draw system, I am sure with a bit of designing weight could be reduced.
Honeycomb aircraft flooring 3.8kg/m². Use 5251 aluminium (1m x 1m x 1mm = 2.7kg) it's a bit stiffer, so if they use 1.6mm 5005 alloy use 1.2mm instead.
I sure 30kg would be doable but 20kg would be my target!
What you save not buying something off the shelf can then be spent on the lightest materials available.
Another option, build your own boxes out of coreflute to the exact size required.
500 x 320 x 290h 908g (has 2 thickness in the floor for a bit more stiffening). I wouldn't go much bigger than this unless the material is stiffer.
Small box 395 x 265 x 230h 432g.
These are my first prototypes & so far on the whole have been brilliant.
The only issues are, the coreflute I used does rub, there is probably better quality plastic, so I stuck some pads on the sides in key areas & for feet to grip.
Corners I cut a 90 degree "V" to fold the sheet & double sided tape the box together. Also stuck some loop half of Velcro around the edges as the top edge is sharp & you cut yourself.
Our draw system for the twin cab ute is leaning against the court yard wall, yes it was good, very user friendly, at our retired age beat climbing in the back to get things.
Then I brought a nice bigger caravan and I found I was up on my weights. Then started to try to loose some weight.
62 kilograms for the full slide draw and 17 kilograms for the rubber mat.
2 cheapo plastic boxes, works a treat, may not be as convenient at times but its a compromise.
I Put in a light weight shelf above wheel arches and 100mm out from each arch allowing for a shelf each side and gap in middle. I also fitted a 100mm plastic tube each side under shelf where my awning anti-flap kit lives when not in use.
Has worked well for me now for six years.
I only wish I got a aluminium builders 'shed' on tray and not tub with canopy. The old bones are getting older.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Gone back to lighter weight plastic clip lid boxes in the back of the Disco 4 Just as easy to access.
-- Edited by Old and Grey on Thursday 3rd of December 2020 04:24:24 PM
-- Edited by Old and Grey on Thursday 3rd of December 2020 04:25:48 PM
Those nice flash drawer systems are as you found heavy in weight & money needed to buy them. Telstra staff fitted a 1996 Remote Nissan Patrol wagon in Townsville with the Outback drawer system - it was pulled out six months later when the car was weighed.
Make your own to suite your gear, you're out in front to start with AND go through the tools, equip THAT YOU NEED, not what you want to take. I have my tools in a plastic box approx 300x100x100mm, odds & sodds in a matching one, sockets in a smaller one - they all sit on top of each other. Longer stuff like tyre levers, etc can fit under the 2nd row of seats (remove the third row & keep them in the garage).
Spares to take - spare hoses, belts, perhaps a thermostat are adequate. You don't need a spare water pump, fuel pump, whatever the "experts" say you need!
If you're considering going into isolated remote areas consider a GME EPIRB - one of these saved some friends of mine recently.
Also all your extra steel work eats into your GVM as well (bull & tow bars, roof rack, extra fuel tank, etc).
No problem with mine. 2 plastic drawers with 2 drills, battery chargers, Milwaukee air pump ( The best addition) and the necessary spanners.
Another tool box and at the rear, hydraulic jack, tyre repair kit, rattle gun and a few bits and pieces.
Engel and extra chairs later.
Dick.
Most of the spanners I roll up in an old t-shirt to reduce volume so I can tuck them into a corner in the wheel well. When unrolled they are more or less in order of size.