3 Inexpensive Storage Box Sliders Ideas

[coolfeet]

I have an extended E350 passenger van that we use for cross country camping trips and family passenger van. We use 6 10 gallon storage bins for packing most of our camping gear and food in.

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I have been actively searching for a simple slide out solution for accessing the storage bins without hurting my back (again). I told my wife last night that we need to cut back to 4 storage bins. She suggest a product called the Big Slider to move the bins inside our van. It's 1/16" HDPE plastic with a slippery bottom and a rough top surface to keep heavy items from moving.

My first idea is to put a 24"x 60 piece of plywood on top the slider and load my bins on the plywood. I could slide the entire system out part way like a drawer.

Here is the description from the website: Award-winning Professional 23.5 x 59 x 0.06 inchesAttached handle, HDPE sheet, red pipe, 19' poly rope

$49.99

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I found similar material on eBay for about $30 and it did not come with rope, handle, and cut outs. I don't know how slippery the eBay product is.

My second storage bin slider idea is to use usable furniture sliders for $10 that I could attach to the plywood with an adhesive.

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My third slider idea is to install $2.78 fixed position caster wheels on the plywood and install a rope handle to pull the plywood out.

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Since we use the van so much through out the year as our family SUV, I don't require expensive expedition quality storage solutions. I want my van ready for action whether it's moving a buddy's junk or heading up to the mountains or desert for a camping trip.

 

[Coachgeo]

Your missing huge part of the idea behind drawer type sliders. The part that holds the drawer/platform up when fully extended outward. Good drawer type sliders be they wheeled or anti friction slide materal have some kind of rail that holds the drawer/platform horizontal when fully extended.

Something to consider; though one would lose a little storage space in 4 corners, would be a big lazy susan. Use two for rectangular spaces. One susan in each of the two squares that make up the rectangle Combination of ideas...... slide a lazy susan part way out to access front compartments..... then rotate to reach other compartments. hmmm.......

 

[rayra]

How about NO sliders at all and a proper drawer / slider design that keeps the extended portion level no matter how far it is drawn out?

My design is currently using nothing more than pressboard as a bearing / low-friction surface. Even that fully loaded drawer moves without much effort. IF I find even that to be too troublesome with time or wear, I can substitute strips of nylon or teflon.

Also keep in mind that you can use somethign as simple and cheap as a couple small diameter pipes as glides under the drawer. The less of the drawer bottom that contacts the floor, the better. In my design, I used the space between such rails to hold / fit my pull-out tray table.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...e-Drawers-Platform-for-my-GMT800-Suburban-WIP

 

[AdventureHare]

Watch part 1 and part 2 of this guys Disco rear storage, he's doing the same as you with bins. He simply attached rope to the 'deep' bins to allow easy removal. I don't think he used anything to aid in sliding. Of course, as he says, everything is accessible by moving at most one other thing.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ralphhardwick/videos

Also, Drifta drawers use strips of teflon as bearing surfaces. The rear vertical of the drawer acts as the stop to keep them from tipping out.

The HDPE is a simple solution, but I'd put the rough side down so I wouldn't have to stuff it back in. But than any piece of plastic would work that way.