What are you using to hold the lids open? They look like the shocks that would hold the hood or rear liftgate open
They are gas shocks a co-worker picked up for some other project from the marine supply place. They are meant to hold a boat hatch open, but are probably the same things used to hold a vehicle hood open. They work great and they hold the lids open at the perfect angle once the factory slide out base is extended.
I have about $130 of stuff I bought (latches, carpet, stair trim for the leading edges, floor mats for the tops of the lids, boat trailer bolster carpet for the sides, etc.) and probably another $100-200 in stuff that was given to me (wood, piano hinge, gas struts) which is a WHOLE LOT BETTER than the $1000-1500 that all the companies charge for something similar. For now, at the very least, I am figuring out if spending that kind of money is even worth it. I used to carry all of that stuff in a 40" x 12" duffel bag, but it always seemed to be in the way back there.
Since I like to carry around a lot of junk, but don't need to access it on a regular basis, the lack of drawers isn't really an issue for me (yet at least). I keep having to reel myself back in after pricing out a full expedition-ready rig's list of mods... My wife said it best the other day when she said "Do what you want, but if you do all that [ARB bull bumper, full skids, roof rack, etc.] you are going to like it for a few months, but then you are going to feel like such a poseur that you will be tired of it." :rofl:
She's probably right.