Cargo Drawers @ ExplorOz

Sturdy drawer construction is absolutely paramount. It’s not too uncommon to hear about home-made versions spoiling a trip because it was not up to the job. Professionally built drawers will not rattle, vibrate or come loose even under the harshest

4WDriving

recovery gear

Make sure you check the load capacity and internal measurements.

Check for ease of use and test the drawers, are they on rollers, are they smooth or do they stick? Consider that when in use in the bush as the vehicle may not always lie flat. The drawers need to be easy to pull out when needed and stay secured when not.

A good idea is to get some recommendations and testimonials from other people.

Drawer Construction

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Drawer Materials

Sturdy construction of drawers is very important due to the rough and jarring ride that will occur off-road and the heavy loads that may be carried. Most cargo drawers for 4WDs are constructed from materials that are tough, relatively inexpensive and preferably light in weight. The list below explains the advantages of the various materials used by manufacturers in constructing cargo drawers. Each manufacturer will have their own preferred material. Shop around to choose the system that best suits your needs and budget.

Galvanised Steel

The main advantage of using galvanised steel is: it’s not expensive, easy to work with, commonly found and it comes in a large variety of shapes and forms. Galvanised sheets usually come in 0.9mm, 1.2mm and 1.6mm and can be easily bent into box shapes or channels using a pan brake or a hydra bend machine. Strengtheners may also be used such as: “U” channel and “top hat”. Galvanised steel is usually used in the framework of the cargo drawers, either spot or MIG welded (much stronger) or bolted with nylock nuts.

Aluminium

Aluminium is quite light and relatively soft when compared to galvanised steel; however, it’s much more expensive. Aluminium can be very strong when it’s used with strong framing concepts and utilising strengtheners such as: rectangle hollow, “top hat” or “T” bar. Some manufacturers are utilizing both extruded and folded aluminium, which provides great strength (around 120kg per drawer), without weighing in as excess baggage. Storage drawers purely constructed in aluminium can result in up to 60% reduction in weight when compared to other materials on the market. This will obviously provide lighter overall vehicle weight and thus lead to better fuel economy.

Plywood

Plywood was the very first type of engineered wood and it is made up of a number of layers of veneer, each layer glued at right angles to the adjacent layers. These layers are bonded under heat and pressure with strong adhesives such as phenol formaldehyde resin. Plywood is known to resist cracking, shrinkage, twisting or warping and it is generally quite high in strength. 4WD storage drawers that are made with timber are usually made with marine grade plywood, with highly stressed areas being re-enforced with steel bracing or truss rods. When this method of construction is implemented and used with heavy duty rollers, great strength can be achieved with drawer loadings of over 200kg.

Drawer Quality

Things to look at when it comes to quality components that feature in storage drawers include:

• Stainless fittings: Are the drawers made with high grade stainless steel fittings or are they made with galvanised fittings?
• Flush mounted latches: Do they have quality flush mounted ‘T’ latches?
• Do they use quality stainless steel screws, bolts and nylock nuts throughout?
• Are they fully sealed heavy duty roller bearings and are rated at high loads?
• Are these bearings designed to be dust proof?
• Are they finished with premium automotive carpet or industrial carpet?

Drawer Customisation and DIY Kits

Drawers can either be fitted by a professional using their own 4WD templates or fitted by yourself using their kits. DIY kits are designed to fit your make of vehicle and may come to you in flat packs where you put the pieces together at home. These have been professionally designed and they carefully follow the contours of the rear compartment. The drawers are usually designed as wide as possible with the drawer roller assemblies as compact as possible. All aspects of the design have been calculated for the optimum use of space including the space behind the wheel arches, which can also be utilised for storage.

Drawer Safety and Security

Safety for you and your family must be paramount! Some things to consider when looking into a storage drawer system is:

Drawer Conclusion

Your storage solution should be just that - providing a "home" for everything. Remember, when you travel, you are on holidays and you want to be able to quickly setup camp, prepare your meal and have everything at your fingertips. A real test of a good storage solution is not only one that holds together, but one that adequately stores everything you need safely, whilst being easily accessible.

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Accessories	HF Radio	Recovery Gear Needs	Vehicle Shower
UHF Radio	Portable Fridges	Long Range Fuel Tanks	Bike Carriers
Topics Index	Bull Bars, Rails & Steps	Water Tank	Aftermarket Seats
Suspension	Snorkel	Roof Racks, Luggage Trays & Boxes	HF Radio Installation
Driving Lights	Winches