A Simple Drawerless Drawer System for SUVs

[MikeHenderson]

This is version 3 of an SUV Cargo Storage deck that I’m calling a Drawerless Drawer System, and I think I’m done for now.

Here's the build video with full process. At the end I address the critical measurements. Keep reading below for more build details and measurements for a 3rd gen 4runner.


Image Gallery:
The first version was a deck platform above the cooler. That worked fairly well when loaded, but for daily driving having the deck that high wasn’t convenient.

Second version I made as my first welding project. It was ugly, but the low deck and slide-out table made it a much better design.

Single Sheet of Ply Wood
This build can be done with a single sheet of plywood with two squares and one shelf board left over that will be suitable for other projects.

Home Depot Panel Saw
Start by having someone at Home Depot cut down your 4 x 8 sheet of 3/4 plywood on the panel saw. The measurements aren’t super critical, and the panel saw is good enough. This is a cargo deck after all, not heirloom furniture. The measurements I used were for a 36″ x 48″ top with 12 inch sides. Your measurements might need to be different, adjust accordingly.
* 2 pieces @ 36″ x 48″
* 2 pieces @ 12″ x 48″

Chop Saw
I cut down the sides to 36 inches with my chop saw. I had to flip them over as the saw wasn’t able to do 12 inch in one pass. Using a stop block makes this a lot easier.
* 2 pieces @ 12″ x 36″

Skill Saw
The only other cut is to cut down the slide-out table to fit inside the uprights. The measurement I used was 37.5 to fit within the wheel wells which are 39″ apart. I measured the off -et on the frame of my circular saw and set up a straight edge to act as a fence to make this cut straight. It wasn’t perfect, but again, this is a cargo deck for a 19 year old 4Runner…
* 1 piece @ 36″ x 37.5″

Finishing
I recommend using a water proofing finish on this. I will spill water on it, the cooler will leak. The dog may be wet when she gets in.
For the slide out table I didn’t want to use water seal, so I got some bees-wax butcher block conditioner that is food safe and applied that. I will re-apply that periodically to keep it protected. I put it on the sides and the finger holes to help keep it from swelling itself shut if it does get wet. I left the underside of the table and the deck unfinished to aid in drying if it ever does get saturated.

Build List:

Everbilt 1-1/2 in. x 36 in. Aluminum Angle with 1/8 in. Thick: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...inum-Angle-with-1-8-in-Thick-801407/204273991
Everbilt 3/4 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. Sanded Plywood (Actual: 0.703 in. x 48 in. x 96 in.) https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-...ual-0-703-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-690053/100478798
Everbilt 9/16 in. Stainless Steel Rope Loop https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-9-16-in-Stainless-Steel-Rope-Loop-42634/205887675
Everbilt 1/2 in. x 6 in. Heavy Duty Beige Felt Strips (9-Pack) https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...Duty-Beige-Felt-Strips-9-Pack-49954/300194064
Husky Light Duty Anchor Points (4-Pack) https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Light-Duty-Anchor-Points-4-Pack-54522/206967313
Howard BBC012 Butcher Block Conditioner, 12-Ounce
Thompsons Water Seal 24111 1.2-Gallon Clear Low VOC Water Sealer for Exterior Use

Tools:
Kreg Jig K5 Pocket-Hole System
Kreg KHCRA Automaxx Right Angle Clamp
Kreg SML-C125-500 1-1/4-Inch #8 Coarse Pocket Hole Screws with Washer-Head, 500-Pack

Gear:
WOLF PACK - BY FRONT RUNNER https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/storage-systems/front-runner-wolf-pack.html
STRATCHITS - BY FRONT RUNNER https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/front-runner-stratchits-pair.html

 

[CarolinaBlue]

Great walkthrough and How-To. This is actually simpler than the drawer system I built for my 5th gen a year ago, and I like it. I'm considering swapping to a setup more like yours for the simplicity of swapping out Frontrunner boxes or pulling out the whole system for daily driving. I'm running a fridge though so would need to modify it from 1 solid unit like my current setup, to maybe a side by side. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[motoboss]

I like the slide out table idea. I think I'll adapt it to the bottom as my Cherokee has a lift gate. That would give me a platform for my stove and prep area. Nice concept.

 

[trae]

That's really great. Thanks for posting. Enjoyed watching you build it.

What's the total weight? Any thoughts on how to make the footprint smaller when not in use? I'd love to store it in the garage or something, but space is at premium.. Foldable legs?

 

[MikeHenderson]

That's really great. Thanks for posting. Enjoyed watching you build it.

What's the total weight? Any thoughts on how to make the footprint smaller when not in use? I'd love to store it in the garage or something, but space is at premium.. Foldable legs?

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Was fun to make.

You bring up some good issues. Weight is not bad, probably 60#. I haven’t actually weighed it. I could cut weight by cutting out the sides. And by trimming the table to exactly the right depth.

I did consider removable legs. You can get hairpin coffee table legs about the right height. I also considered black iron pipe and fittings. That would be a lot more $$. If you mounted legs with threaded studs you could get it pretty compact for storage. As a budget project, the plywood sides are perfect.

I think you could mount the sides with a piano hinge so that the wheel wells prevent them from opening. Then you could store it perfectly flat.

The thing about this design is that i never need to take it out. I never haul anything that doesn’t fit on top. But then i do have a pickup truck at my disposal as well.

My brother in law has a similar deck that is much lower. So you could build it lower if you are concerned about useability when it’s installed.

-M


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[trae]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Was fun to make.

You bring up some good issues. Weight is not bad, probably 60#. I haven’t actually weighed it. I could cut weight by cutting out the sides. And by trimming the table to exactly the right depth.

I did consider removable legs. You can get hairpin coffee table legs about the right height. I also considered black iron pipe and fittings. That would be a lot more $$. If you mounted legs with threaded studs you could get it pretty compact for storage. As a budget project, the plywood sides are perfect.

I think you could mount the sides with a piano hinge so that the wheel wells prevent them from opening. Then you could store it perfectly flat.

The thing about this design is that i never need to take it out. I never haul anything that doesn’t fit on top. But then i do have a pickup truck at my disposal as well.

My brother in law has a similar deck that is much lower. So you could build it lower if you are concerned about useability when it’s installed.

-M


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Sounds good Mike, thanks. I like that your setup doesn't require drawers it saves on weight and makes the system more modular. My vehicle is a DD so I'd prefer to remove it between trips. I'm trying to prototype something in sketchup; if i ever get anywhere I'll link you

Btw, in thinking about my own solution, I found something that may interest you: https://www.mcmaster.com/#3296t11/=1dyhkwa

I think that would let you extend the table top fully and make it more stable.

Thanks again for inspiration.

 

[MikeHenderson]

Sounds good Mike, thanks. I like that your setup doesn't require drawers it saves on weight and makes the system more modular. My vehicle is a DD so I'd prefer to remove it between trips. I'm trying to prototype something in sketchup; if i ever get anywhere I'll link you

Btw, in thinking about my own solution, I found something that may interest you: https://www.mcmaster.com/#3296t11/=1dyhkwa

I think that would let you extend the table top fully and make it more stable.

Thanks again for inspiration.

Cool! I look forward to seeing your design!

That table leg set looks nice! I might use it for my trailer project!

-M

 

[coolfeet]

Thanks for posting this design. Seems simple enough to build for my E150 camper van. The slide out table is a great idea. I am taking your slide-out table one step further-add 1 sheet of plywood on the bottom with a 90-degree end to hold stuff in. I will use this piece of plywood with the 90-degree end to slide my Front Runner Wolf Pack in and out of the rear of the van.

 

[zimm]

i did the same in the fj60 a few years back. junky and cheesy but it functions great. ive had top end drawers in my other trucks, and there is a shitload of wasted space and limited types of use.

i removed the rear side panels and used captive nuts where the plastic pop in fasteners went, to secure it.

i recommend using creezon plywood as the surface slides easy and limits stiction. i also used a few layers of tape to separate the layers a tad, and rounded the edges, and it slides fine. otherwise use nylo-tape on the surfaces and pace accordingly.

my system also has the middle layer sliding forward, and creating a sleeping platform the has room to spare, and im 6'4". it can be taken out and legs attached, but ive never actually used that. mostly i use it to get a good nights sleep when its raining.

 

[MikeHenderson]

Thanks for posting this design. Seems simple enough to build for my E150 camper van. The slide out table is a great idea. I am taking your slide-out table one step further-add 1 sheet of plywood on the bottom with a 90-degree end to hold stuff in. I will use this piece of plywood with the 90-degree end to slide my Front Runner Wolf Pack in and out of the rear of the van.

I like that idea. I also want to use this in a Van. I hope to get one soon.

-M

 

[TXFJ60]

i did the same in the fj60 a few years back. junky and cheesy but it functions great. ive had top end drawers in my other trucks, and there is a shitload of wasted space and limited types of use.

i removed the rear side panels and used captive nuts where the plastic pop in fasteners went, to secure it.

i recommend using creezon plywood as the surface slides easy and limits stiction. i also used a few layers of tape to separate the layers a tad, and rounded the edges, and it slides fine. otherwise use nylo-tape on the surfaces and pace accordingly.

my system also has the middle layer sliding forward, and creating a sleeping platform the has room to spare, and im 6'4". it can be taken out and legs attached, but ive never actually used that. mostly i use it to get a good nights sleep when its raining.

Do you have a build thread with more photos? I’ll be building my drawers in my FJ60 in the next couple weeks. I’ve been trying to come up with ideas for an extension to slide or flip out for sleeping when the back seat is down.

 

[rayra]

I like the slide out table idea. I think I'll adapt it to the bottom as my Cherokee has a lift gate. That would give me a platform for my stove and prep area. Nice concept.

Works great for that!

my platform setup is about 10.5" overall, I still have 24"+ between the top and the top of the hatch coaming. I've slid in a 50gal water heater in its box and can get my wheelbarrow in there upside down without any trouble.
I used an ammo can to set the minimum height for the right drawer and everything else derived from that.

I also cut a lot out of the sides and bottom of the drawer boxes to save weight and used 1/2" for everything but the top deck surface. It's more than strong enough.

 

[MikeHenderson]

Works great for that!

my platform setup is about 10.5" overall, I still have 24"+ between the top and the top of the hatch coaming. I've slid in a 50gal water heater in its box and can get my wheelbarrow in there upside down without any trouble.
I used an ammo can to set the minimum height for the right drawer and everything else derived from that.

I also cut a lot out of the sides and bottom of the drawer boxes to save weight and used 1/2" for everything but the top deck surface. It's more than strong enough.

Nice! I thought About using 1/2 inch too. Also thought about removing material from the sides. Will do it next time!


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[zimm]

Do you have a build thread with more photos? I’ll be building my drawers in my FJ60 in the next couple weeks. I’ve been trying to come up with ideas for an extension to slide or flip out for sleeping when the back seat is down.

no build thread. sorry.

1) remove side cargo panels and use the as a pattern in 1/4" plywood

2) decide the top height you want to sleep. as you can see, i made mine at about the base of the rear window. now that i use it, its too high, theres losta of storage under it, but another 4" lower and i could move around much easier when its in sleep position.

3) for rigidity, it takes 3 layers of 1/2 inch. so about 1.5 inches down from your sleep height, you screw/glue a 1.5x1.5 "nailer horizontal from the rear to the back of the seat in up position.

4) put a couple cross cross pieces in. they will be tied to the 1st plywood layer, so merely "toe nailing" them with screw will be fine.

5) cut and put down the first layer of plywood.

6) measure the narrowest with the slider has to slide thru, in this case the rear hatch, subtract 1/2 inch and cut the middle sliding layer.

7) put down side strips to screw the top layer to. you need to open up the distance a tad, height wise, before the final top layer is down, or theres too much friction for the middle layer to slide. i used multiple layers of tape testing it out, and i think 1/16 to 1/8 inch is fine, as long as there isnt 300 pounds of ******** pressing down on the top layer. being that my idea was to have all the cargo safely stored under the platform (roll over) all that on top is clothing and a sleeping bag, so there little compression of the layers.

notes.

i found it easier to drive around with it in open sleep position on a fishing weekend or something, so i added a cargo divider underneath. pre position a cross brace 1" from the rear of the back seat and its an easy add, i also put some brackets on it to mount the short highlift (daily carry, need the tall one for off road, and it wont fit there) and other doo dads like jumper cables, that arent needed much.

the center piece of plywood gets notched, and plywood legs with notches get inserted. the approximate location i decided by pulling the front seats forward, and sliding the panel out to within a few inches of the front seats. the legs will need to be shaped so as to permit the rear door armrests to clear. obviously without those two legs, the plywood slider would provide any stability to sleep on. with them its as solid as a rock. it was an easy solution. i contemplated easy drop down legs, but that would have required wood fabrication beyond brainless cutting a straight line. this is a function over form install.

keep in mind the size of the hole you will be sliding the top layer of plywood thru. by keeping my platform high, i had to do some trimming at the sides. a lower platform will have a greater diagonal distance and it will insert with a neater piece.

hope thats all clear as mud!