Custom Drawers/Cupboard Fabrication for Fourbies

John, Have you designed anything as yet or analysed just what your needs are for rear storage. Having had a black widow rear seat storage system in the Patrol since the word go, I can highly recommend it particularly with the types of trips you’re doing of late.

Personally, I would design something according to my needs and then take it to a few local engineering works for quotes. Are you intending to run it through from the back into the passenger area like a troopy system or utilise it as a separate area from the rear and access it through the back passenger doors? What ever you use, ensure that you factor in a safety barrier between the back area and the front seats. Crucial for safety of driver and FSP.

I’ve had drawers folded up in steel sheet for a drawer system in the rear of the Navara and used 200kg roller drawer slides from Haeffle. These were welded onto a tube frame and then topped with ply and auto carpet. Worked well and for a bit of effort was a damn site cheaper than your average drawer system. There are also outfits that will make custom drawers to suit (Try Jim I suppose). Ali is good but I’d recommend getting it powder coated as well.

Cheers Mick

Ill start the war.

Be aware that if you take out your second row seats for any length of time you must get an engineers certificate and a blue plate.
I took mine out for 20 months and had to do it.

It is illegal to remove any seats that are bolted down, without changing the registration to suit.

I had to get the plate and take the papers to Qld Roads and get the reg certificate change to 2 seater. When I replaced them I had to get another plate and go back and get it made into an 8 seater again.

Be aware that if you go for a roadworthy without the correct seats you can be refused as some have found out when they have disposed of the third row and have problems.

I have a 12mm ply floor i made and it was attached to the cargo barrier I had right behind front seats It was level with the rear floor and the barrier was attached to a couple of the seat mount nuts with the same weight flat iron that came with the cargo barrierI sat the barrier on some 3 x 2 1/2 with a groove in the top and it sat there nicely for the whole time.
Here is the answer I got regarding what to do when replacing the seats

Quote

After a discussion on a forum I would like to know the correct answer to the following.

In 2008 I removed the back two rows of seats in my Cruiser making it into a 2 seater.

I took it to an engineer and got it approved and a blue plate attached to the firewall.

In feb 2010 I replaced the seats and took it to the same engineer who approved it and put a SECOND blue plate on it

I said why not just take the old one off. HE said every time you make a change it has to be plated and the plate has to remain on the vehicle.

Another person on the Forum who is in an inland city maintains his engineer says to REPLACE as in take the old one off and put a new one on.

Both times mine was done I took it to the RTA who looked at them and changed papers to suit.

So who is correct please

The Dept reply

Thank you for your email of 10 June 2010, regarding Modification Plates.
The Departments apologises for the delay in responding.

If the owner of a vehicle which has been modified requires the vehicle to be returned to an original or build standard, (eg; return to the original seating capacity), on completion of the work a Modification Certificate must be issued. There should be at least 2 modification plates affixed to the vehicle.

The modification plate certifying the original modification.
The more recently dated plate reverting the vehicle to the earlier build standard.


Cost me $60 each time.

Hope that helps

Waits for flames.

Since 1998 I've have a 75 series Troopy RV version it came with 3 person bench seat in the back. In 1999 I did exactly what you want to do now John. I made/installed two full lenght drawers (2m long) x 300mm high. I made them from 12mm structural ply and I made my own roller bearing drawer runners. They have always worked a treat. A couple of months ago the Troopy was involved in a roll over to which the drawers survived un-scathed (one of the drawers was half filled with recovery equipment - tirfor, cable, straps, shackles etc. I've since removed the drawers from the 75 series and probably over the xmas break I'll be installing them in the new 78 series.

I kept a track of the costs when I made the drawers which also included replacing the flimsy upholstered sidewall panels with 12mm ply to which the total was around $900 material only.

So John I'd go for ply (cause I can work it myself) and if you can make it yourself.