Doozy4212's Better Truck Drawer Build/Guide.....AGAIN (V3)

Hey TW,

(COPIED FROM V2 THREAD)

I currently have a drawers system that I DIYed for my 2017 short bed and while it has functioned excellent over the last year, I have new and better ideas for V2.0. For reference here is my current setup. The drawers are sanded and waxed birch, they slide great, then I have a 48" hettich drawer slide that supports my "bed slide" for the cooler.



Like I said, I am happy with it but I have bigger and better plans for V2.0, here are the first sketched ideas.



And here is the final product!




(NOW TO V3)

V2 was an awesome system that served me greatly. I had tons of compliments and questions about the system in my brief 8 months of ownership. I also had lots of suggestions which lead to thoughts on how I could make it even better. I know that I'll never be satisfied but I have thought long and hard about V3 and how it can best serve me and it will be as close to perfect as it can possibly be.

My main goals for this version:

• Make the slide out kitchen a full length 58" drawer, as opposed to a 48" drawer with a 10" cubby up front.
• Lower the cooler to bed level to allow easier access. In V2, after a lift, bigger tires and being 10" higher than bed level, it made getting into the cooler cumbersome more often than not.
• Ditch the water Jerry Cans and wire in a full 12V pressurized water system with a 10 gallon rotomolded RV water tank that will live BELOW the deck.
• Have 12V power for charging accessories and (hopefully) powering a fridge.
• Build the system in two halfs and have fully removable 'deck' in order to have lighter components for easy install/removal

Parts List:

• Birch Plywood (3/4", 1/2")
• Brass Screws
• Spar Urethane
• 54" Accuride 9308E Heavy Duty Locking Drawer Slides
• #10 Flat Head Screws
  
• #10 Pan Head Screws
• Tembo Tusk Jumbo Front Pull Slide
• @ProForce Onboard Water
• @micwillia Bed Cubby Caps
• @HeliMedic Blue Sea/OGE Auxillary Power Outlet System
• ICON WT2465 - 10 Gallon Water Tank
• 3/4" Aluminum Angle
• Small Stainless Screws
• Finishing Washers
• Outdoor Carpet
• 3M Spray Adhesive
• L Track and Accessories

As I build V3.0 I intend to use this as a full write-up/how so others can follow if they want to!

Let the fun begin!

 

Research and Inspiration:

I have been developing my DIY drawer system for the better part of two years. Originally this all kind of started with the overlanding craze that the off road community is continuing to ride. Seeing systems like Goose Gear, TrekBoxx and others really made me desire to have a system as organized as those. That's where this all kind of stems from too, I have OCD and if things are in disarray I am in disarray. Clutter is also the enemy.

With V1, my goal was to build something that was going to be efficient and effective. And while it was effective, it wasn't as efficient as it could be, there was dead space under the bed slide and the cubbys didn't see to much use.

In V2, the kitchen/bedslide combo drastically enhanced the efficiency but the cubbys still resulted in a loss of some effective space. On top of that, my truck had been lifted and put on bigger tires, which made getting into the cooler cumbersome more often then not. Luckily I'm tall enough that it wasn't an issue, but my 5' 2" girlfriend and her step stool (literally packed every time we went camping) begged to differ.

On to V3. In this system, my goals are as follows:

• Make the slide out kitchen a full length 58" drawer, as opposed to a 48" drawer with a 10" cubby up front.
• Lower the cooler to bed level to allow easier access.
• Ditch the Jerry Cans that were previously used for my water and wire in a full 12V pressurized water system with a 10 gallon rotomolded RV water tank that will live BELOW the deck.
• Have 12V power for charging accessories and (hopefully) powering a fridge ONE DAY.
• Build the system in two halfs and have a fully removable 'deck' in order to have lighter components for easy install/removal.
• Move the cubbys that were previously at the front of the bed and awkward to get to to the driver side.

With this being said, I now had to think very hard about the new design and how I could make it as effective and efficient as possible. And after some research here is where I am pulling my inspiration from.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhVWgWk6Q4g

My new system will be quite similar to the one in this video with some adaptations to suit my needs.



TrekBoxx also uses a slick little handle that allows you to push the triggers on the slide AND pull on the drawer much easier at the same time. Little efficiencies like this make all of the difference IMHO.

Trekpak also makes a savvy little organization system that I'm sure a lot of people have seen. The guy from the video is using it in his drawer. If you've ever looked at it you'll know its very simple and very expensive. So as any good DIYer would do, find an alternative.

http://chooseadventures.blogspot.com/2018/01/overland-organization-aka-diy-trekpak.html

Inspiration has come from a lot places outside of the internet as well. Lots of members on here suggested building the system in halfs and having more 'components' to allow for easier installation/removal.

This will be updated with more videos and pictures as stuff that I have looked at over the past year pops back into my head.

 

DESIGN:

This is going to be hard. I am working on drawing up some plans but mostly this section is going to be super wordy with little media. I will try to be as in depth as possible with my explanations but drawings are going be much harder this time around.

Let's start with the overall thought process, what are my goals and concerns:

Goals, as already covered, plus a few more are as follows:

• Make the slide out kitchen a full length 58" drawer, as opposed to a 48" drawer with a 10" cubby up front.
• Lower the cooler to bed level to allow easier access.
• Ditch the jerry cans that were previously used for my water and wire in a full 12V pressurized water system with a 10 gallon rotomolded RV water tank that will live BELOW the deck.
• Have 12V power for charging accessories and (hopefully) powering a fridge ONE DAY.
• Build the system in two halfs and have a fully removable 'deck' in order to have lighter components for easy install/removal.
• Move the cubbys that were previously at the front of the bed and awkward to get to to the driver side.
• Cubby on driver side will come up to the bed rail and run the full length of the bed. This will allow me to store a host of items and possibly a shotgun.

Concerns:

• With my new plan the water and cooler will now be on the driver side as opposed to the passenger side as it previously was. While this may not seem like a huge deal 1 gallon of water weighs 8.34 lbs. Multiply that by 10 and we now have 83 pounds of water plus a cooler that probably weights 100-150 lbs by my best guess. This could result in a really hefty taco lean.
• The alternative is to keep my water and cooler on the passenger side and put the kitchen on the driver side. With that being said, the Accuride slides weigh about 40 lbs. Obviously, that's less than the water and cooler but the drawer structure, slides and drawer itself will likely end up weighing around 100 lbs total. On top of that (literally) is where all of my gear will live too so I think the weight will ultimately balance out.
• Aside from the balance issues I have a few smaller concerns. The first being wiring and plumbing for the pressurized water system. The Tembo Tusk Jumbo Slide is 34" long which extends past the front edge of the wheel well. I can't go smaller on the slide because I need my RTIC 65 to fit in the tray and can't rationalize a fridge anytime soon. To get the power to the pump and back to the switch in addition to getting the water from the tank at the front of the bed back to the back of the truck will be a challenge. I will need to take both the wiring and plumbing up and over the wheel well more than likely. Ultimately, this will take some creative wood working at most.
• Additionally, with wiring in a new 12V auxiliary power system from Blue Sea and adding custom switches and custom panel from CH4x4, I will need to find and unobtrusive way to mount these. Meaning I don't want to mount them in the actual composite bed itself. I think my best option is to mount them on the front of the cubby system that will be on the driver side and left of the cooler as you look into the bed. The only other thing that would be mounted here would be the quick release for water hose.
• Lastly, physically mounting the system will be a little different this time around when compared to V2. Through bolting is still an option albeit a pain in the a$$. I would like to do threaded rivnut inserts maybe so I don't have to crawl under the truck to remove the system. On a different note, with wanting to build this system in halfs, each half will need mounted individually. The passenger side is easy as the is nothing over there but the front of the driver side could interfere with the fuel tank. I need to mount at least two bolts in front of the fridge slide so the whole system doesn't tip off the back. I should have enough room to be in front of the fridge slide and behind the gas tank...we'll see. On a final note I also plan on having a way to bolt the two half together for rigidity but still have it easy enough to get apart for a quick tear-down and clean.

Now onto actual design. This section is going to include overall structure, electrical, plumbing and probably some other non-sense.

Driver's Side Half:

The drivers side system is where the meat of this system will be. There's a lot going on on the driver's side but overall this is going to allow for simplicity in day to day use. Here is my first sketch of the driver side.



I had to think long and hard about how I could get all of this to fit and what my overall plan of attack was for this half. As previously mentioned the Tembo Tusk Jumbo Slide is huge, 21.75" x 34" to be exact. For me to be able to build structure around the slide I will have to basically account for 22.5" of space on the drivers side.

Notable Design Features:

• Use my current bed mat as a sort of template for making the most accurately cut base as possible.
• The narrower section that fits between the wheel wells will be 22.5" wide, the driver side will be 19.5" wide
• As you can see in the above picture, I only plan on having 3/4" ply run the full length of the bed/system on the left hand side of the fridge slide. The reason being is that this is the only location it is NEEDED and this will ultimately save on material and weight.
• The water tank that will be at the front of the bed will be fully boxed in with 3/4" ply. I intend to mill out the center of the plywood uprights for two reasons. 1. obviously, weight reduction. 2. allowance of airflow so the pump can breath. I do not want to run into issues with overheating ever, not that the pump will be run in excess but it's a simple precautionary step.
• There is some dead space around the water tank which will give me enough space to mount the pump and run the necessary electrical and plumbing.
• The water tank and pump will be hidden under a 3/4" ply wood deck that pivots up and down on two marine grade hinges and closes tight with a slam latch.
• The 3/4" ply that does run the full length of the system will also be taller and run to the same height as the bed rail (roughly 19"). By having this extra height I will be able to use the space between the 3/4" plywood and bed wall above the wheel well as a cubby. This spot will essentially replace the cubbys that were at the front of the bed in V1 and V2. This space will also serve a second purpose that will allow me to run the plumbing from the pump to the rear of the bed where I will have a quick disconnect for a hose and nozzle.

That is the bulk of the major design features for the driver's side that I wanted to outline. Of course it will be much more complex but also more easily understood when I can build it and show you guys. Next up, passenger's side.

Passenger's Side Half:

 

PARTS/PRICING LIST:

MAJOR PARTS: Running Total - $695

• 54" Accuride 9308E Heavy Duty Locking Drawer Slides
  • Ordered from Bisco Industries, $275 shipped
• Tembo Tusk Jumbo Front Pull Slide
  • Ordered from Tembo Tusk, $506 shipped
• @ProForce Onboard Water
  • Ordered from ProForce, $200 shipped
• ICON WT2465 - 10 Gallon Water Tank
  • Ordered from Amazon, $65 shipped WITH fittings
• @micwillia Bed Cubby Caps
  • Ordered from micwilla, $20 shipped
• @HeliMedic Blue Sea/OGE Auxillary Power Outlet System
  • Ordered from **************, $75 shipped
• Custom Onboard Water and Bed Lights Switches w/ Mounting Plate
  • Ordered from CH4x4.com, $60 shipped

WOOD, OTHER SUPPLIES, MISC: Running Total: $95

• Teflon and Brass fittings for water pump/water tank
  • Purchased at Home Depot and Ace, $32
• 1/4"-20 Zinc-Coated Steel Rivnuts (25 pack)
  • Ordered from McMaster-Carr, $19 shipped
• DIY TrekPak
  • Home Depot Corrugated Plastic, $21
  • 3M Super77 Adhesive Spray, $10
  • 2mm Foam (x2), $20 shipped

 

That was quick! Sub'd

 

I'm impulsive...

 

I used rivnuts intended for plastic to mount my sleeping platform, and with about 100k miles on them, I have had zero issues.

Much preferred over through bolting.

 

Did you use any specific size?

 

Did lot of research and measured the thickness of my bed this morning and ordered a 25 pack of zinc coated steel rivets from mcmaster-carr. Like 11 bucks or something. When I install them I will probably but a thin layer of JB Weld on the outside too just to reinforce and seal even the smallest gaps.

 

UPDATE 2/10/18:

Pictures of the materials I have accumulated so far!

Wiring harness for Blue Seas 12V Auxiliary Power and wiring harness for ProForce onboard water.



Daystar Firewall Boot which I will use to run the wires into the bed via the cubby on the driver side.



Blue Seas auxiliary power panel.



Box O Goodies from ProForce plus additional fittings for my water tank.



54" 9308E Accuride Lock-In/Lock-Out Slides



Bonus, OGE Battery Tie Down for when I jump ship to a Northstar Group 31 AGM




Lastly, Bisco Industries, who I order my slides from goofed up and also sent me a pair of 28" 9308E locking slides which I did NOT order. I made them aware of the mixup and they said they would reach out on how I should get the slides back to them but that was a week ago and they still have called or emailed. If they haven't reached out by the time I start building this system in a month, should I incorporate these into the build? If yes, what should I use them for?

 

@Manfred because why wouldn't you need more ideas.....

 

Oh I hate you right now...

 

Glad I could help!

 

What are friends for?

 

Well here's the teaser to mine right now. Probably still another 12 hours or so of work to be done

 

very nice looking! why did you use pocket screws and multiple pieces to build your base as opposed to one piece cut custom to roughly the same shape?

 

Keep the weight down (if at all possible) and saves on material. Im only now just about to get my fourth and final sheet of plywood for the drawers, and even with it being multiple pieces, its sturdy as fuck and only 1/12th of the screws are actually secured to it (need to position everything first then tear it down and polyurethane it). Im also going with a 3/4 maple, so being a hardwood it should stand up to the abuse lol

 

What does the maple weight? I use birch which is a little softer but it also decently light and still very stout. Do you have an estimated weight when it’s all said and done, total system weight that is

 

Unsure to be honest, I plan to take it through a weight scale once its all said and done. As of right now i estimate each base to be about 40-60 lbs drawers will probably be 60 lbs.

also @T@com@Steve has been an amazing help so far with answering all my questions. He did one up that i fell in love with.

His drawer Build: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/finally-built-a-set-of-truck-drawers-pic-heavy.550152/

Drawer set ups: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...eping-platform-drawer-storage-systems.424709/
His inspiration/Mine: http://paskmakes.com/2018/01/24/make-your-own-truck-bed-drawers/ and