Overland in bed drawer system, which would you prefer?

[steffen707]

I like your ideas - been through this a number of times before. Have you looked at what's on www.ExpeditionPortal.com ? There are many posts showing what drawers and storage systems people have built - here's 159 pages worth...

https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/post-up-your-drawer-storage-system.9034/

Just one example:

Nice! thanks for the link.

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[steffen707]

Others have summarized my opinions already so I'll try and keep it short. Water is heavy. Even with 18 gallons you are consuming a lot of available payload. Definitely keep it centered and towards the front of the bed. Also, as long as you aren't completely off grid you can re-fill it during a trip. Just food for thought. I also agree that 1 wide drawer will offer more usable cargo space but I don't think it will support the deck enough. For those reasons I voted for option 1.

i think i can do it something like this too where B is like 30" wide and 39" deep and E is 14" wide.

I think this would be better than option 1. Same amount of material, but more sizing options and I think a 3/4" sheet of top plywood could span that 30" to the vertical supports. might not be ideal but it'll work. trying to stretch all the way over 42" without having some lateral support like smlobx suggested wouldn't work with wood. And i won't want to use any of the drawer space for lateral support.

The funny thing is i haven't gone overlanding before, so I should probably just make the drawers full depth and if I ever do go overlanding, put some kind of more temporary tank on top of the deck........

@Tim I Made this newest rendition the 5th option. I think it meets the design constraints with comprimising each a little, instead of any 1 a lot. I'm uploading a video to youtube that i made to hopefully explain the whole concept better for others to follow and or modify for their own purposes.

 

[steffen707]

Here goes. @TJ Mitchell Films, got the idea of the uhmw from you, but i'm thinking of putting the slides on the drawer itself rather than the floor like that youtube video I sent you. Thanks!

 

[TrailHiker]

I like the 5th option, leaves the small pull out for a galley.
Cheers

 

[steffen707]

I like the 5th option, leaves the small pull out for a galley.
Cheers

What's a galley? I thought it was part of a ship.

 

[steffen707]

What's a galley? I thought it was part of a ship.

oh kitchen? i didn't even think of that, DUH....

i could use one of these if i can have my friend shorten the sink by 1"

 

[TrailHiker]

Yes, something like that. Could be as simple as a cooking/eating utensil storage, with a camp stove on a top, and a wash tub drop in.
Cheers

 

[steffen707]

Yes, something like that. Could be as simple as a cooking/eating utensil storage, would its a camp stove on a top, and a wash tub drop in.
Cheers

Thanks for the extra ideas. I'm thinking you're absolutely right, that whole drawer could be cooking related......NICE.

 

[smlobx]

if she only knew the hampster wheel was spinning spinning while she's telling me stories, lol.......j/k she's known me for 24 years

@smlobx , what size are the water tanks you've been using on your overlanding adventures? I have no idea how much I need. My wife is a camel and drinks like a gallon of water a day......lol

It’s hard to say depending on the environment but figure a gallon per person per day for a desert environment..

 

[steffen707]

what is the best way to transfer odd shapes to something?

I need to build a base for the drawers, but wondering how I cut the base accurately. is there a tool like this that can help, but is like 20" long and the needle like things are 6" deep?

if not I was going to make a piece out of cardboard and then trace that onto the wood.....

 

[steffen707]

what is the best way to transfer odd shapes to something?

I need to build a base for the drawers, but wondering how I cut the base accurately. is there a tool like this that can help, but is like 20" long and the needle like things are 6" deep?

if not I was going to make a piece out of cardboard and then trace that onto the wood.....

i might have to make one of these. 1/8" dowels sandwiched between two boards with felt inside. will cost $26 for the 48 dowels, but could come in handy for a few of these projects........my projects have projects now. lol.

 

[Tortooga Custom Works]

Yikes, I’ve not been coming here regularly. I’ll catch up on this thread first thing tomorrow. With the little I’ve read, I can tell you, I’m down a similar path...

I also do have to give an update on where I’m at. The short story is I had to take a pause and build myself a real workshop - plus keep doing my real job to pay for this lol needless to say, I am not as far along as I hoped. But, there’s a business, and a Shopify story I need to finish setting up...

I’ll post more tomorrow...

 

[Tortooga Custom Works]

so my take is that option 1 and 2 are your best bet. With 1 probably being the most useful. I think super deep drawers are a pain to manage - particularly with distributing the weight as you slide it out. Which means having the water tank on the inside of the bed is great - out of sight, out of mind.
Also - the weight of the water over the "center" of the vehicle is probably better... probably... I'm no expert.
I think two smaller drawers is also better than one large one. Easier to organize things and also, weight distribution within the drawers themselves.

 

[steffen707]

This box will eventually be going in a gator gladiator. i don't know if I should cover the deck with indoor/outdoor carpeting in Black/Gray/Tan or a black rubber..... The interior of the Jeep will have a beige/tan vibe to it, so i thought that could tie in nicely. Also I don't anticipate tthe top of the deck getting too dirty because i'll have some kind of topper over it. and any messy hauling i have to do will either be on a cargo rack off hitch or in a trailer.

i was thinking tan because when i painted my first shop walls/ceiling white from the wood and concrete block color they had, the shop came alive. You could see better in there and it was just "warmer".

Thoughts?

Thanks @WhatExit? this photo got me thinking about color choices

 

[steffen707]

i'm zeroing in on the details. kinda excited to start this project now.
I really wish I could weld aluminum. would save so much space than using wood.

I have no idea if anybody cares, but this is my plan if you can follow. As with many of my posts of this nature its more about me talking things out in my head to make sure i'm not missing something.

LEFT TO RIGHT: left to right the 44.5" of space between wheel well will be. .75" blank space (for water lines to connect to tank and to pump mount behind driver side wheel well, .75" LEFT BOX SIDE, .25" uhmw slides (just to keep the box in the opening), .5" side of drawer, 13" drawer space, .5" side of drawer, .25" uhmw slides (just to keep the box in the opening), .75" CENTER BOX SUPPORT, .25" uhmw slides (just to keep the box in the opening), .5" side of drawer, 24.75" drawer space, .5" side of drawer, .25" uhmw slides (just to keep the box in the opening), .75" RIGHT BOX SIDE, .75" blank space(for electrical wiring to go from engine bay/cab to box area behind passenger wheel well.

I'll have to shim the box bed to be as high as the ribs are on the far left and far right, also maybe to the right of the 3rd rib from the left wheel well. The center support might not be right over that bed rib.

A local plastics company is helping me with some of the material selection. I think the left drawer will have 2 UHMW ribs that it slides on, the right bigger drawer will have 3-4. The bottom of the drawers will either be generic plastic, or possibly UHMW as well, then i'll indoor/outdoor carpet the inside of the drawer bottom.

I've got ideas like routing in channels into the drawers for LED lights or channels on top of the deck so I can secure stuff to it, but I don't even own a router and will likely just skip those extra novelty things. I already have the BRI bed rails after all.

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