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Removable draw system

MrMike

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As many Australians will know, we have had draw systems for a very long time in our 4x4s, I've built my own and have found simplicity is the key.
With the IG being 900mm from the ground to the load surface a drawer system with a top load fridge will be very un-user friendly unless you are over 2.4m tall. if you use a drop slide you are adding 50+kgs to your vehicle loading.
Obviously not everyone wants or needs a fridge, but if you are thinking about to maybe consider having just a singe drawer and a fridge.
 

Davman

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As many Australians will know, we have had draw systems for a very long time in our 4x4s, I've built my own and have found simplicity is the key.
With the IG being 900mm from the ground to the load surface a drawer system with a top load fridge will be very un-user friendly unless you are over 2.4m tall. if you use a drop slide you are adding 50+kgs to your vehicle loading.
Obviously not everyone wants or needs a fridge, but if you are thinking about to maybe consider having just a singe drawer and a fridge.
Exactly my plan. Storage drawer on one side, fridge drawer on the other - as permanent fixtures. Then I can add/subtract other options from on top of those on an as needs basis.
 

MrMike

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Exactly my plan. Storage drawer on one side, fridge drawer on the other - as permanent fixtures. Then I can add/subtract other options from on top of those on an as needs basis.
There was talk of a 60lt Engel not fitting into the rear of an IG. He may be correct, but I think that my be on top of a drawer system, either way I'm going upright for a fridge (no matter what anyone says about stuff going everywhere inside) it will be lighter and a better use of available space.
 

DenisM

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As many Australians will know, we have had draw systems for a very long time in our 4x4s, I've built my own and have found simplicity is the key.
With the IG being 900mm from the ground to the load surface a drawer system with a top load fridge will be very un-user friendly unless you are over 2.4m tall. if you use a drop slide you are adding 50+kgs to your vehicle loading.
Obviously not everyone wants or needs a fridge, but if you are thinking about to maybe consider having just a singe drawer and a fridge.
I've been experimenting making mock-ups from cardboard boxes on the kitchen bench which is 895mm .... with the Bushman fridge at "floor level" (on the kitchen bench) the idea of "vertical" drawers makes for more efficient use of space. Even with the collar and high lid attached (52L) the fridge is most accessible (I'm 175cm). ....
 

Krabby

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Prior to putting my radar on the Gren, I knew nothing of drawer systems really. But I’ve dived into YouTube pretty hard and I’m blown away with the systems out there and how they’re designed and built. So many cool ideas and configurations; if you have some time thumb through some of the custom setups on YouTube.
 

MrMike

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I've been experimenting making mock-ups from cardboard boxes on the kitchen bench which is 895mm .... with the Bushman fridge at "floor level" (on the kitchen bench) the idea of "vertical" drawers makes for more efficient use of space. Even with the collar and high lid attached (52L) the fridge is most accessible (I'm 175cm). ....
Hi @DenisM I too have the Bushman 52, great fridge. But I'm going to use it as an extra fridge on top of the back seats when they are folded down and use the 85lt upright as a day fridge. I have made measurements and the 85lt takes up less room ( better use of available space) than the 52lt with a slide and surrounding cabinetry.
 

Nocrays

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Exactly my plan. Storage drawer on one side, fridge drawer on the other - as permanent fixtures. Then I can add/subtract other options from on top of those on an as needs basis.
Yep I’ll do the same. Also have an Engle slide lock base rather than a slider to be able to locate the fridge alongside the vehicle when parked up.

Isn’t to hard to have a removable drawer arrangement that allows access to connect the unit to the floor rails.
 

AnD3rew

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Helpful to read, everybody’s different ideas on this. I like the idea of drawers in principal, but in reality, they are quite a lot of weight and take up a lot of space, they also dictate the shape of the space to quite a large extent. If the primary use of the vehicle is camping and touring, probably not so much of an issue because everything will have its place and be in its place. But for me it will be very mixed use. I want to be able to pick up stuff from the hardware in it. I want to be able to camp and tour in it and I want to be able to go to holiday house with four people in it. For me, I find the most flexible combination is a few stackable milk crates for breakables and random hard gear, and then soft bags for as much as possible. But the problem is I also like to have a fridge in there and with that combination it’s very difficult to access the fridge on the road if you need to particularly if you’ve got stuff stacked on top of the fridge. Also not good for fridge ventilation. This will be particularly acute in the Grenadier as the space is up-and-down not so much depth. so to make the best use of the space. You will want to have the fridge on top of a drawer or to stack stuff on top of the fridge. The simplest solution to all of this that I can think of is a fridge slide in a simple box, so that the fridge can be slid out to access it but stuff can be safely stored on top of it without having to unstack it. The next question is which side, the obvious place is the right hand side because there is no jack behind that panel and you can open the large door and slide the fridge in and out and keep the smaller door closed to access the ladder to the roof. But oddly, despite all of the other electrical stuff that seems to only be a power outlet on the left-hand side, that’s kind of easy to fix I guess but still it doesn’t seem to make any sense. And yes I would like to be able to remove it easily if I can.
 

globalgregors

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Helpful to read, everybody’s different ideas on this. I like the idea of drawers in principal, but in reality, they are quite a lot of weight and take up a lot of space, they also dictate the shape of the space to quite a large extent. If the primary use of the vehicle is camping and touring, probably not so much of an issue because everything will have its place and be in its place. But for me it will be very mixed use. I want to be able to pick up stuff from the hardware in it. I want to be able to camp and tour in it and I want to be able to go to holiday house with four people in it. For me, I find the most flexible combination is a few stackable milk crates for breakables and random hard gear, and then soft bags for as much as possible. But the problem is I also like to have a fridge in there and with that combination it’s very difficult to access the fridge on the road if you need to particularly if you’ve got stuff stacked on top of the fridge. Also not good for fridge ventilation. This will be particularly acute in the Grenadier as the space is up-and-down not so much depth. so to make the best use of the space. You will want to have the fridge on top of a drawer or to stack stuff on top of the fridge. The simplest solution to all of this that I can think of is a fridge slide in a simple box, so that the fridge can be slid out to access it but stuff can be safely stored on top of it without having to unstack it. The next question is which side, the obvious place is the right hand side because there is no jack behind that panel and you can open the large door and slide the fridge in and out and keep the smaller door closed to access the ladder to the roof. But oddly, despite all of the other electrical stuff that seems to only be a power outlet on the left-hand side, that’s kind of easy to fix I guess but still it doesn’t seem to make any sense. And yes I would like to be able to remove it easily if I can.

Same issue for long range travel (basic problem is needing to carry 4-season clothing/footwear = large soft bags), our solution is 40L drawer fridge.
 

globalgregors

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We've ordered this Kitchen drawer system as we have a Bushmaster top loading fridge.
The fridge sits on a sliding tray . My wife is happy to use a step if necessary.
The XTM kit looks to be pretty well put together for a big brand (BCF) product, I was sniffing around one of these while my LPG bottle got filled a few weeks ago.

Do they rattle?
 

AnD3rew

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Helpful to read, everybody’s different ideas on this. I like the idea of drawers in principal, but in reality, they are quite a lot of weight and take up a lot of space, they also dictate the shape of the space to quite a large extent. If the primary use of the vehicle is camping and touring, probably not so much of an issue because everything will have its place and be in its place. But for me it will be very mixed use. I want to be able to pick up stuff from the hardware in it. I want to be able to camp and tour in it and I want to be able to go to holiday house with four people in it. For me, I find the most flexible combination is a few stackable milk crates for breakables and random hard gear, and then soft bags for as much as possible. But the problem is I also like to have a fridge in there and with that combination it’s very difficult to access the fridge on the road if you need to particularly if you’ve got stuff stacked on top of the fridge. Also not good for fridge ventilation. This will be particularly acute in the Grenadier as the space is up-and-down not so much depth. so to make the best use of the space. You will want to have the fridge on top of a drawer or to stack stuff on top of the fridge. The simplest solution to all of this that I can think of is a fridge slide in a simple box, so that the fridge can be slid out to access it but stuff can be safely stored on top of it without having to unstack it. The next question is which side, the obvious place is the right hand side because there is no jack behind that panel and you can open the large door and slide the fridge in and out and keep the smaller door closed to access the ladder to the roof. But oddly, despite all of the other electrical stuff that seems to only be a power outlet on the left-hand side, that’s kind of easy to fix I guess but still it doesn’t seem to make any sense. And yes I would like to be able to remove it easily if I can.
Actually, just realised that I have ordered the fold down table, but that will be a pain with the fridge on the right, so will probably put the fridge on the left, which will be more convenient for power, but then may block access to jack etc. Maybe will put jack in rear wheel carrier lockable storage and put an inverter in that space.
 

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The XTM kit looks to be pretty well put together for a big brand (BCF) product, I was sniffing around one of these while my LPG bottle got filled a few weeks ago.

Do they rattle?
I think someone commented they do , but some youtuber guy had an easy fix using rubber wedges at the front of the unit.
Rattles bug me, so if it rattles I will devise a solution.
 

Tazzieman

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Tazzieman- does this system lock into or held down using the utility rails?
The XTM drawers have cross bars with bolt holes , and/or you can strap them down. I will work out what works best/safest when I get my hands on my Trialmaster.
I also have 2 of their sliding top/drawer units bolted one on top of the other. It's designed that way.
 

Nocrays

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Helpful to read, everybody’s different ideas on this. I like the idea of drawers in principal, but in reality, they are quite a lot of weight and take up a lot of space, they also dictate the shape of the space to quite a large extent. If the primary use of the vehicle is camping and touring, probably not so much of an issue because everything will have its place and be in its place. But for me it will be very mixed use. I want to be able to pick up stuff from the hardware in it. I want to be able to camp and tour in it and I want to be able to go to holiday house with four people in it. For me, I find the most flexible combination is a few stackable milk crates for breakables and random hard gear, and then soft bags for as much as possible. But the problem is I also like to have a fridge in there and with that combination it’s very difficult to access the fridge on the road if you need to particularly if you’ve got stuff stacked on top of the fridge. Also not good for fridge ventilation. This will be particularly acute in the Grenadier as the space is up-and-down not so much depth. so to make the best use of the space. You will want to have the fridge on top of a drawer or to stack stuff on top of the fridge. The simplest solution to all of this that I can think of is a fridge slide in a simple box, so that the fridge can be slid out to access it but stuff can be safely stored on top of it without having to unstack it. The next question is which side, the obvious place is the right hand side because there is no jack behind that panel and you can open the large door and slide the fridge in and out and keep the smaller door closed to access the ladder to the roof. But oddly, despite all of the other electrical stuff that seems to only be a power outlet on the left-hand side, that’s kind of easy to fix I guess but still it doesn’t seem to make any sense. And yes I would like to be able to remove it easily if I can.
I can echo your comments here Andrew. I haven’t been able to land on a config that I want to keep in a vehicle 24/7. I have mates with drawers full of stuff they never access.

Having a flexible stackable system and a 40ltr fridge has been my go to as it can be tailored depending upon the trip.

One thing that has stopped me from installing a drawer unit is wanting flexibility to use the load space for mountain bikes, dogs, change room during winter rides etc. having a drawer set cuts down your options.
 

globalgregors

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I can echo your comments here Andrew. I haven’t been able to land on a config that I want to keep in a vehicle 24/7. I have mates with drawers full of stuff they never access.

Having a flexible stackable system and a 40ltr fridge has been my go to as it can be tailored depending upon the trip.

One thing that has stopped me from installing a drawer unit is wanting flexibility to use the load space for mountain bikes, dogs, change room during winter rides etc. having a drawer set cuts down your options.
I wonder if a cargo slide better matches that use case?
 

AnD3rew

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I think something like this is what I am going to do. I will either fab up a bracket that the slide bolts to with cross bars or just a sheet of MDF and then put L Track bolts in the cross bars or the MDF so that you can open up the slide, lock it into the L track and job done and chuck the cage in the top. Then you can stack stuff around and on top and still give the fridge ventilation and slide it out for access. When you don’t need it, just pull the slide out undo the two L track bolts and store in the garage.

DDA2520D-A8B7-4A97-B6EB-10988547F871.jpeg
 
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