Looking for a new radical drawer system for my Discovery 2

[TRIARII]

rayra: I certainly would like to talk more in depth with you over the phone or via email about a possible arrangement. That said Im not in a immediate rush to get the drawer system though Id like to get some plans started.

To clear up some confusion for other folks on here. I have completely removed the second row seating assembly from my vehicle. So when I say length I mean a drawer system that stretches from directly behind the front passenger seat, all the way to the rear cargo do. I do alot of camping with my rig and I can assure you folks that their is plenty of room for me to sprawl out in, play on my laptop or cook a good meal. As for the plastic drawers. I believe the best way to figure out what works and what does not work is to experiment. Go camping. Test out your kit and see what works and what could be changed or improved. Same thing can be said for determining a practical quantity of your kit. I wanted to experiment with the plastic drawers I found at Walmart to see if they could be a practical substitute for a heavy duty drawer system. On paper it looked good but after a week of use the drawers began to bend, crack, snap and break. The drawers were dirt cheap and I now know that I need something much stronger.

Regarding construction materials and cost. Ive see alot of folks constructing elaborate drawer systems made out of plywood, marine grade wood or other heavier materials none of which tickle my fancy. I was introduced to aluminum extrusion while working a seasonal job at a submarine cable factory. One of the departments I was working in manufactures the repeaters for the cables. These repeaters cost a fortune to manufacture and weigh in at 2000 lbs. Moving the repeaters around the department for assembly would be a pain in the butt had it not been for these lightweight yet strong aluminum carts.



Thus I'd like to utilize aluminum extrusion as the primary building material for my drawer system. From the little research I did on suppliers of this material, its affordable and easier to assemble than sheets of plywood via locking tabs. The only question is how to cut the material and how to build the actual sliding drawers. Rather than contouring the drawer system to the exact shape and curves in the cargo area behind the front seats, I think a simple rectangular shaped drawer system would be the best approach. Fewer measurements needed and less labor time. Fully assembled a rectangular drawer system would be light enough that it can be easily positioned inside the truck or removed without risk of injury or the need of a helper. Apply some Discovery carpeting to the drawer to make it look clean, latching points and a solid thin piece of metal or fiberglass on top for the counter top surface and call it good.

 

[proper4wd]

So basically you want a Goose Gear system. Whats your budget?

 

[TRIARII]

Goose Gear has a limited selection of products, none specific to the Discovery 2 model and nothing quit relevant to what Im looking for. Simplicity, durability and longevity are key. That said I dont need the highest quality bearings for my sliders or any other fancy materials for my drawers. Budget wise will depend on the arrangement agreed on and terms but id say somewhere between $500-1200.

 

[proper4wd]

Wait a second isn't the frame on your D2 about rotted in half? And you're concerned about drawer system longevity? Something doesnt add up.

 

[TRIARII]

Thank you for your concern regarding the state of my chassis.

 

[Lono]

Thus I'd like to utilize aluminum extrusion as the primary building material for my drawer system. From the little research I did on suppliers of this material, its affordable and easier to assemble than sheets of plywood via locking tabs. The only question is how to cut the material and how to build the actual sliding drawers. Rather than contouring the drawer system to the exact shape and curves in the cargo area behind the front seats, I think a simple rectangular shaped drawer system would be the best approach. Fewer measurements needed and less labor time. Fully assembled a rectangular drawer system would be light enough that it can be easily positioned inside the truck or removed without risk of injury or the need of a helper. Apply some Discovery carpeting to the drawer to make it look clean, latching points and a solid thin piece of metal or fiberglass on top for the counter top surface and call it good.

There's a lot going on here. "Aluminum extrusion" is a generic term for any kind of extruded aluminum shape, not just the T-slot system you're referencing here. It comes in most any shape you'd see steel in: Solid square and round stock, tube stock, angle stock, etc....Yes, aluminum extrusion makes a great basis for a mobile storage system. I've used different shapes and wall thicknesses for different projects over the years. I'm a ****ty welder in the first place and not set up for aluminum even if I was good at it. I've hired great welders to assemble what I've come up with. As I said, the stuff those works carts is made out of is a T-slot extrusion. It's far from ideal for what you're doing. But if you tried to make it work, the workable size you'd probably go with for any kind of box the size you're talking would be 1'x1". Expect to pay about $30.00 for a 6' length. You'll need way more than you think you do. If you want to "keep the labor down" and go with a 6' long box you'll be close to $400.00 to build a frame with proper bracing and a drawer to go in it.

You've still got to skin it in addition to the top you mentioned. Drawer slides, hardware, latches, and the carpet you want all have to be added in. You could hit $700.00 in materials without batting an eye.

"The only question is how to cut the material..." You cut it with a chop saw.

and how to build the actual sliding drawers. Right. Who is going to figure that out? And who is going to build this? You've already said you don't have the time or resources. Fabricators in your area will typically get between $65.00 to $90.00 an hour for design and build work.

If what you're proposing was easy and cheap, everyone would do it this way. It is neither. Everything has a cost. Aluminum storage boxes cost more than ones made of MDF or plywood. There's no such thing as a free ride.

Go to a local shop and ask them to quote the job for you. You'll get exactly what you want. But it will not be cheap.

 

[MLu]

The frame is pretty simple to make. Here's how I would do it, given that I don't have my own garage, just a parking space:

Measure a simple box structure that would fit. Likely something along the lines of 160 x 45 x 30 cm, or whatever suits you. Then figure out the legs you need (about 26cm in the rear, a bit more in the front due to the footwell), the middle part rests on the wheel well.

Then go shopping at your favorite DYI/hardware mega store:

Buy some 2x2cm square aluminium tube, or whatever size they have that fits a system like this, which they likely also have for sale: http://www.essentracomponents.fi/multi-way-tube-connectors-for-square-tubes or something very similar - easy push-to-fit connectors.

Have them cut three 160cm long pieces of plywood, one for a top, one for a floor and a thinner one that is wider by the width of the square stock x2 for a back wall.

Have them cut the aluminium while you're at it, it's 12 cuts or so.

Buy some screws, glue and carpeting of your choice. Spend an evening or two assembling it.

Now we have a nice-looking fairly sturdy carpeted box that fits where you want it. The drawers is the tricky part... I'd love to see someone try using some metal IKEA kitchen drawers with front plate and all and just screw them to a custom frame, but I'm weird like that. Frankly I'd probably just put some plywood dividers and a few fold-down hatches (that double as work space).


Or... just... ask rayra to do it, he seems to have his act together.

 

[fishEH]

Ohhhhhh Julian......
What you want doesn't exist and if you don't want to build it yourself get ready to cough up some coin.
Your best bet is to slap some IKEA crap in there. It will probably outlast your frame. 😉

What would I do? Glad you asked. I'd build a cubby system out of plywood. I've never been a fan of drawers because of how much space is wasted. You're already going to be in the vehicle, the cubbies won't be that deep, so why not just reach in there to grab what you want? You'll get less weight and more storage with a cubby system. You could probably build it for under $300 for materials AND tools.

 

[rayra]

That complicated aluminum extrusion is a huge waste of storage volume in a passenger vehicle setup. And money.

 

[rayra]

Hmmm.
Sounds like maladroit snark and flat pronouncement with no attempt to convey useful information or actually educate.

Get back in your faraday cage, Verkstad, you troll mother****er.

eta If you weren't so anxious to troll me and only looking at my last post, you might have noticed that I was already involved int he discussion in this thread. Unlike you.

 

[rayra]

Wrong, it's Contempt. Your trolling is boring. And so formulaic I could readily parrot it for you, if you feel like taking a break.

/Maybe that was lost in translation too.

 

[NatersXJ6]

I agree that the extrusion is too much for a drawer system. Most of those extrusions are 1.5 to 2 or more inches thick. On a 22" drawer, you lose almost 25% of the volume in the frame of the drawers.

In fact, I would suggest, that drawers themselves are a waste of volume for your application. If you want to open them in toward the centerline of the rig, you will be in the way when trying to open them.

A better solution is probably cabinets with sliding doors. Everything stays just as organized, and the doors slide side to side to allow access while a simple rubber t-handle latch can keep them tensioned closed. Much cheaper, simpler, lighter, and easier to build. The top of one part could fold over to make a table for use while sitting.

Donet forget that attaching the panel sides to that aluminum extrusion will require expensive hardware and precision measurement.

You could also hybridize the system, with a single or double long drawer that pulls out the back door and makes a sleeping platform but a set of cabinets on top for organization. The back of your cabinets could be accesses through a flip-up window from the outside for recovery gear and whatnot.

 

[TRIARII]

NatersXJ6: Thank you for the feedback regarding the extrusion drawers. I did not realize there was a 25% (give or take) loss of space; just never considered it. Inward opening drawers can work however. I current use 3 Sterilite 3 drawer units in my rig and have no issues opening any of the drawers. The bottom drawers struggle to open up fully with the bedding but will open with some wiggling around of the drawer. Not the most ideal but its a start. I do like the idea of a sliding door admittedly and will consider that. However do well to utilize separate deep drawers for clothing, tools, dry foods, cooking equipment and misc stuff.

"The back of your cabinets could be accesses through a flip-up window from the outside for recovery gear and whatnot.": You hit it on the nail here. My plan is to replace the rear quarter glass with metal paneling. Add hinges and gas struts will enable me to open up the panel to access gear. In the UK they offered a commercial van version for the D2 with all the rear windows paneled off. I may be able to source the rear quarter panel for a perfect clean fit, then paint with like color of my rig. This will be a project for later down the road however.

 

[rayra]

Here's my design suggestion. 3 separate modules. Bolt together when installed. Can be as wide (from cargo side towards centerline of the vehicle) as the centerline or even wider, wide enough to sleep on top of, if desired. Or narrow to sleep beside them.
Front module replaces the passenger rear seat. It's a cubic tub with a hinged top cover, hinged to open toward the front of the vehicle. Makes it accessible from outside or inside and requires no dead space clearance for a drawer to slide open.
Middle module is a lateral drawer, opens towards the centerline of the vehicle. Its front to rear of vehicle dimension is the same as the rear wheel tub where it meets the cargo area floor.
Rear module is a drawer that opens rearward out the open rear hatch / door. It can ALSO have a hinged lid so the drawer contents can be accessed from inside the vehicle (not drawn in this sketch).
The forward bin can be left out when the seat is desired, without impacting the other two modules.
All three pieces are a complementary design, would look like a cohesive whole when installed.