Quote:
Originally Posted by Off2Mtns
continued from... Post pics of your drawer/storage system
^^ 3 YEARS after this project started I am finally getting to finish the passenger side module.
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Anxious to get it all mounted up, but it will be a few months till I get this powder coated and installed. Other projects in the hopper to go for coating at the same time too.
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After more than 3 years as a work in process, having spent much time on the back burner, this project is finally complete, installed, and in use!
This is my new full time set-up…
I’ve been running the tall driver side module for 3 years now, having deleted one of the two third row seats; see:
Post pics of your drawer/storage system . Since we have another vehicle with third row seating, I opted to delete the passenger side too and dropped the lower drawer in its place. With the third row seat removed, this passenger side module is not much higher than the factory set-up in the back–about 3/4" taller towards the hatch but zero towards the second row seats. The cargo area is now level as opposed to sloped. That is a 1/2" thick solid acrylic sheet (piece of scrap from work–SCORE!) that I wrapped an 1/8” thick 3/4" aluminum channel around. For trips, this gets removed and replaced by the upper drawer assembly using (4) 1/4" bolts.
Sometimes feet dragging and project delays are for the better. Were it not for needing to fit a full time large dog crate for our pup, the passenger side module would have been one piece, 13” tall module, losing a lot of valuable cargo space. Since our dog loves to tag along much of the time with us, I was able to cut my sidewalls into two pieces and convert this to a modular set-up before it was too late. In hindsight, the added utility and capacity being able to remove the top drawer section for normal day to day use is most welcome.
I’ve been waffling back and forth on black or not for the drawer cover/prep surface for a quite some time. While I do appreciate the look of bare aluminum–perhaps it is my affinity for MITS Alloy products of late?–it is hard to argue that powder coating adds a notable finishing touch to the completed product. Ultimately, I left the drawers and cover mill, and painted the cabinet and drawer fronts black. I like the contrast. Whereas the driver side got powder coated, the passenger side got rattle canned with a matching paint due to time constraints. No surprise, after a few months of use, the cheap paint job is not holding up nearly as well as the powder coated driver side drawers.
Here is the lower passenger module, fully extended. Since I had some extra slides (ordered a discounted 10-pack for this project), I put two sets of slides on the drawer cover for added stability.
How the system is typically deployed during use…
I just LOVE the flexibility and convenience to make a quick stop, deploy a drawer or two, and have an instant food or gear access and now a work surface for making snacks or lunch, filling waters, whatever, without having to rifle thru a bunch of stuff in the way.
Making breakfast…
Typical packing set-up for a camping outing…
Bent up some little stackable sheet metal holders to keep my propane bottles from rolling around…
So, hope this adds a little inspiration or ideas for your own next project. I know I’ve gleaned plenty from others on here during the course of this design-build!