Drawers without glides

The last trip made my mind up on creating a slide-out kitchen and storage drawer system, but i didnt want to spring for the $$$ drawer slides! SO i didnt. This system uses cleats attached to the side bins to keep them from tipping.

 

The carpet mat below the system lets the smooth-sanded plywood bottom glide without rollers or support.

 

Silicone mat below and behind the stove - just in case and to keep it easy to clean.

 

Frying pan, plates and utensil below the stove with pots and propane in the next compartment. I replaced the rigid gas connect with a hose. Propane is not in this pic.

 

Here is the storage drawer. Toilet, stall, chairs, blanket, step stool, tp, dishwashing stuff with hose and nozzle, everything but the kitchen sink - no wait - that is the grey and blue round thing.

The dividers are held in place with velcro and are shorter than the drawer depth to allow long things to be laid in on top.

 

Storage bins to the left and right over wheels hold battery system, solar charge controller, water system, tent, fishing stuff, tailgate awning, etc.

 

Electric on the port bin. Water & pump switch on the starboard. Hatch lids held open with velcro on the camper shell clamps.

 

Thanks to all who have shared here! I hope this helps others as i have been helped by your posts.

Water system info here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-gen-camper-water-system.680517/
Sleep deck, popup table and storage bins here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2013-taco-shell-sleeping-deck-with-solar.464624/page-2

 

Dude nice job!!

 

And cheap!

 

Wo, nice work. Looks like a great design that works well

 

Thanks! A little sloppy but so far it is really working well. One more thing - i found the perfect pancake mix for home and camp!

 

Mhmm Krusteaz is good stuff. Keep an eye out for their cinnamon coffee cake mix.

Curious if you had more details/photos of the electric setup? Would love to see what the wiring looks like behind the drawer face there & how you stashed the controller, battery & wiring.

 

Very efficient design. What are the dry and wet weights of the setup?

 

Will look for that one! There is a little on the electric here https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2013-taco-shell-sleeping-deck-with-solar.464624/ but it has evolved. Here are some details:

65 watt mono panel mounted just under the camper roof rack
CTEK Dual Source charge controller (alternator/solar for house battery and starter battery if needed)
125 AH AGM battery
Blue Sea fuse box
Pure Sine wave 600w inverter

Glad to answer any other questions. I did end up moving all interior stuff to the port bin in front of the wheel well. Doing it again, i would reverse the water system and the power system sides for best weight distribution and convenient water fill.

 

Not sure about dry weight. The drawers are 1/2" birch. When i do this again, it will all be 1/2" birch instead of 3/4" and add more cutouts to reduce weight where mass strength is not needed. I would also have the side bins open toward the side windows since they raise up like the back window.

 

That's a great little setup. Thanks for sharing the parts you used. How's that 65W panel do flat mounted? I've heard mixed reviews that you need to angle panels for maximum output.

I've got an isolator to charge from the alternator, but that'll only ever get me to 80% charge with the Tacoma's voltage so I'm thinking solar to top off that last 20% of the battery (especially with only being able to use ~50% of an AGM). I was thinking I needed 100W and have it where I can angle it into the sun for optimal charging. Looking to work remotely some and have enough juice for two laptop batteries and then camper shell lights if I'm posted up for a few days somewhere. Currently have a Keyline isolator from my subaru dual battery build I was going to throw in, but now I'm realizing I'll need a separate solar charge controller and my battery box area is starting to feel crowded... any thoughts on wiring quick disconnects with anderson plugs on solar if I were to have a movable panel that's not hard mounted?

$115 Dual Battery Isolator Kit 12V - 140 Amp Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) for Dual Battery Setup

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Smar...spons&keywords=keyline+chargers+isolator&th=1

 

The CTEK is outstanding. Check out its specs online. Uses alternator when the car is rolling, then switches to solar, then cycles anti-plating to keep the battery healthy. The system kept me warm all night at 28F and charges fully pretty quickly from solar.
Angle is a big deal if you need high efficiency - i dont. And the new 100 watt panels are same size or smaller if i ever need it. Panel is mounted with cable clamps that fit perfectly on the rack - almost stealth and the rack is still available for kayak or other. I like the quick connects that come with the panel better than anderson, but i used smaller ones inside the entry gland in case i wanted to remove it. I didnt want the connector rubbing against the shell when offroad. Most everything inside is crimp connector male and female.

 

Wow, thanks for the additional photo and info. That's really a pretty slick setup. Love the mounting and ability to still use the roof rack for my bike on occasion. I need power for my trip to Utah and SW Colorado in a week so think I'll wire up the isolator I have, but rewiring it and doing it better with solar should be a fun October project. What's the entry gland like? Assuming drilling two small holes in the camper shell and then it seals around them?

 

Paint-able too!

$10 Link Solar ABS Single Cable Entry Gland Weatherproof Curved Cable Connector for All Cable Types 2mm² to 6mm² for Rv, Campervan, Boat

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CNW72Y4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1