How difficult is it to fabricate some wood drawers using quality materials? The only reason these are priced at a grand (or whatever) is supply and demand. I agree, why aren’t more companies building these to order, ready to install in the $500 price range? I’m tempted to just outsource a local cabinet maker to put something together.
I built custom drawers, so I would like to shed some light on this.
I decided to build custom drawers to avoid the crazy price of Goose Gear, ARB and Truck Vault and I also could not find the perfect solution for what I wanted. I have a good amount of experience wood working, but I am not a professional by any means. It's a hobby and if I have 1 project a year I am lucky (I have built tables, chairs, love seats, bowls, cabinets, etc.). I don't have all of the saws, sanders, etc, so I went to a shop that has all of the bells and whistles and I rented it out.
I bought 250lb. full extension slides, wood, carpet, turn buckles and t-handle latches with catches. The total came out to $750. That is just materials. I spent another $150 renting the shop for 20 or so hours (obviously you could avoid this if you have your owns saws, sanders, etc.). All in I was just shy of $1,000 and a lot of time. The big expense are the drawer slides. Any slides over 250lb. load capacity and over 30" long are a bloody fortune.
Are my drawers quality? Absolutely. Are they Goose Gear, ARB, Truck Vault quality? No, unfortunately not. The fit and finish of mine are pretty darn good, but not professional. At $1,500 a pre-made set of drawers are really good value for the money in my opinion. Sure there is basic supply and demand factors tying into the pricing, BUT, It is a lot of work to make a quality drawer system, it's a lot of money for quality materials, and its tough to find great craftsmanship. At the end of the day, I should have just saved up and bought the Truck Vault that I wanted. My current system is great and I will use it until it wears out or I get sick of it, but I certainly won't build another set once I need to replace. On the upside, it is awesome telling people that you built custom drawers and you didn't just buy them. I always have a smile on my face when people compliment the craftsmanship of my drawers.
At the end of the day it comes down to a few factors: How much are you willing to pay for quality, how skilled are you at fabrication, is there a solution fit for your needs available and how bad do you really want them?
Just my .02 cents. Good Luck on the hunt for drawers!
