New - checkerplate aluminium protection strip $40
This strip can go on any of our drawers, and helps protect the carpet edge, looks great too! It’s made of polished aluminium checkerplate, and is just screwed on the top edge. It’s not sharp at all, so won’t cut into anything.
New DRITA SIDEWINGS $150 ($190 FOR TWIN CAB) SIDEWING KIT $75 ($95 FOR TWIN CAB)
This is our new sidewing system.. we used to just screw these grey metal brackets on, but they were very hard to put on, and if you wanted to lift the drawers in and out, as some of our customers do, then it wouldn’t fit out the doors, once the brackets were on..	So I made up these black brackets.. they are just made from ply. These are attached onto the side of the drawers in our factory. The grey metal brackets simply slot in very neatly.
Then the sidewings can sit on top. If you ever need to take the unit out, then the brackets can just lift out also. This system leaves a lot of room under the sidewings. Some of the steel drawers are very limited in the space left in this area.	how good is that.. another simple, practical cost effective design from drifta.
Generally, we can only fit the sidewings if the vehicle is here. then it’s an easy job for us, to scribe in the side panels. Many of the steel drawer companies offer sidepanels, where they all have jigs for most of the vehicles. We can’t do this on all vehicles, mainly because our drawers can be made different heights. Some are 230 mm high, some are 350 high, and everywhere in between. The sidepanels of vehicles change as the height changes. This is why we can’t keep jigs for all the different vehicles. It would be an unlimited number of them. So there is a few options.. 1, if you are reasonably close to us, you can bring your vehicle here and we’ll scribe them in. Many people are now coming and camping here also, while we do the fitout. 2. We do have some common jigs, say for troopy, hilux, landcrusiers and patrol. We can send these out with the drawers. Or 3. We also can offer a sidewing kit. (Click here to see sidewings kit instructions) This is about half price, and we send the brackets, timber, carpet and glue. You just have to scribe them in, and all you need is a jigsaw. It comes with instructions, so for some of you, it maybe an option... if you’re not sure, give me a call/ e-mail.. ta luke
New Drifta 'insert drawer' $40
How good is this! We can make a small insert drawer, that sits on the top of any drawer. We put small plastic ‘rails’ on the sides of the drawer, and this small drawer can slide forward or back. It’s great for small items. Still room underneath for other things..	Generally, we make this about 80 mm high. See the sides of the drawer are carpeted, this is so it won’t slide around while you are driving.. you can take them out if you don’t need them all the time, ie, just put them in when you are going on a trip...
Is timber strong enough??
Can you put a fridge slide on top of your drawers? Can you use a drop slide?
What sort of different drawers can you do?
How much internal space does your drawers have?
Should I go for a vertical or a horizontal setup?
How do you fit your drawers in?
Are your drawers on bearing runners?
Why buy a Drifta Drawer?
What about I make my own?
Is timber strong enough??
Some people wonder whether timber kitchens or drawers are strong enough. From my experience, I can definitely say in many cases timber is stronger than steel !! it all depends how it is made.. of course, we don’t use any chipboard or MDF, if we did , they would fall apart. But ply is a very different product. The marine / exterior 12 mm 5-7 ply product we use is incredibly strong and light. We all know that steel can crack, especially on welds, or riveted joins can come loose. But a but-joined 12 mm ply screwed and glued join will almost never come apart. The modern glues we use are extremely strong. Ply has a few big advantages over metal... One, ply absorbs shock. A kitchen on a tailgate, or a drawer in a 4wd, will cop a hiding on rough roads. The nature of ply absorbing the shocks helps protect the joints. Steel can’t do this, and this is where metal fatique begins, or where rivets work loose. Two, Ply is much quieter than steel. It also absorbs noise. After some years, metal drawers can become very rattly. Ply doesn’t have this problem. Three, ply joins are stronger. see the photos below, the 12 mm ply joint, once the glue has set, because of the width of the joint, is structural not just for separating, but for up and down movement also. This is really the secret of why our products are so strong. Each joint helps keep the whole unit secure. Steel only has strength one way, it can’t brace for up and down movement, as it’s only about 1.5 – 2 mm thick. Four, ply fixings are internal. All our screws for joining and fixing, are contained within the ply itself, as it is 12 mm thick. This is much neater, and the screws don’t get in the way of other things.. metal needs to be mostly riveted or bolted. But the ends of these rivets and bolts/nuts impact a lot on the design, as they obstructs other parts. That’s one reason why Five, our designs are simpler, more practical and cost effective than a similar unit in steel. Most of our designs simply can’t be made with steel, or if they were, they would be very heavy and very expensive. Take a simple drawer. We make hundreds a week for our various kitchens/ 4wd drawers. We can cut them out on the panel saw, pin/ screw them together very quickly. A simple drawer is a fiddly, time consuming expensive job if made from steel. So that’s why, you’ll never see a steel 4wd drawer manufacturer put a table in their drawer, or add an insert drawer, or a combo with a kitchen, or any of our other dozens of unique designs. Using steel, you simply can’t make these designs. And Six, because of many of the above reasons, ply products can be custom made, and are very cost effective. Ply is easy to work with, is very cost effective, and very strong. This is reflected in our huge range, our ability to modify much of what we make to suit exactly what the customer wants, and our price. ie, our D2DWT, drifta two drawer with a table, is about $1100, less than half the price than some steel drawers made in china, without the table.
See how , because of the width of the joint, ply has strength 3 ways. Each joint is self bracing.	Steel joints, being only 1-2 mm thick, have only strength one way. It has to be braced by other means
Can you put a fridge slide on top of your drawers? Can you use a drop slide?
Yes, you can bolt a fridge slide on the top of any of our horizontal drawers. You need to make sure that the type of fridge you have will fit on top of the drawers. You need to leave at least an inch room for the slide itself, and an inch clearance from the top of the fridge to the top of the vehicle. We can make the drawers pretty much any height, but standard for a two drawer is 275 mm high, or the combo is a bit higher at 340mm . Most slides can just screw to the top of the drawers, or you can bolt them on also.. if you want to be able to take them in and out, then we can supply some “captive nuts” (a flush fitting nut that fits underneath) so you can just undo the bolts easily. We have in stock and can supply waeco slides, ors slides, and the drop slide.
This is the platinum drop slide on a carback combo, in a twin cab. Just like a normal slide, it can bolt to the top of the drawers.. they are very good, bit exy, but we have them in stock and can do a good price for one with our drawers.	For vehicles with a lift up rear door, like some 100 series, or the twin cabs with canopy, even if you have a standard slide, you still can’t lift the lid of the fridge up much because of the rear door. This is one time the drop is really needed, not just for convenience.. be careful of this, ie, for the above photo, with a standard slide, you wouldn’t be able to lift the lid of the fridge, it would hit on the canopy rear door, particularly the waeco with a side opening lid. The engel with a rear opening lid is a little better.
What sort of different drawers can you do?
One of the markets we have found is people wanting something custom made, which the traditional drawer companies struggle to do. Because we make these drawers from ply, we can easily make any size. Mostly for slight variations we don’t even charge extra. Here are a few examples below of some we have done recently. You’ll see many more of our different options on the other pages. Make sure you click on the photo’s in the products page, that goes to more info on each setup.
How much internal space does your drawers have?
Because we build to size, if say a Hilux has the tub liner removed, our drawers will be wider than if the tub liner is in place.. steel drawer companies can’t do this, as they have limited models. Often this also will impact the length of steel drawers, as again they only have so many models to suit all the vehicles. So, a set of Drifta drawers to suit a Hilux like shown, at 275 mm high, will have 0.336 cubic meters of internal drawer space. From their website, the biggest steel drawer company in Aus, has 0.247 cubic meters. That’s 26% more space in the drifta drawers. When space is always a premium, this adds up to a lot of extra space in our drawers, simply because we can build to size, and our unique Teflon runners, take up no room.
Should I go for a vertical or a horizontal setup?
The photos below will show you the difference between a vertical set of drawers with a fridge box next to it, or a horizontal set of drawers with a fridge on top.. the difference is really because of the fridge. You wouldn’t normally get a vertical setup unless you wanted a fridge next to it.. then you really need a fridge box also, so adds to the price (fridge box $350). The main advantage of the vertical setup is the fridge is at a perfect height. The fridge box allows you to still stack gear on top. Although you really do need a cargo barrier for a vertical setup. This allows you to pack right to the top of the vehicle. So if you are doing lots of touring, then I think this is a better setup. We have the two drawer vertical, or with a table, or as a combo with the kitchen also. The disadvantage of this vertical setup, is it does take up more room inside the vehicle. Ie, if you have kids and want to be able to chuck a bike in the back, then you may not have room. So the horizontal drawer setup, mostly you would have the sidewings also, you don’t really need a cargo barrier, although it’s probably a good idea. This gives you more space when you don’t have the fridge in place. Ie, in between trips. The problem with this setup is always the fridge is going to be high, if you are using one. It’s still ok if you are tall, if not you can use a small stool, or stand on the tow bar etc. You really need a fridge slide, as you wouldn’t be able to lift the lid inside the vehicle. Slides are about $300 – 350 for a 40 – 50 ltr fridge, or $400 for the 60 – 80 ltr. Or the drop slide is about $550, so bit more expensive, but certainly brings the fridge down to a good height. The horizontal setups are a bit more common than a vertical, are a bit cheaper, and for overall use probably better. With fridges, myself, I think a 80 ltr fridge is too big for a vehicle. It takes up too much room. If you put it on the floor next to a vertical setup, then because it is so wide, the drawers would only be about 400 wide – too narrow. If sitting on top of a horizontal setup, then again just too big. I’ve had a few people come here wanting say a 80 ltr waeco on top of a combo in a pajero. There just isn’t room. So I think really you need to stay with a 40 – 50 ltr fridge. Remember, setting up the back of your vehicle, there are many options, but you can never get the perfect setup for all applications. Every advantage of your setup will have a disadvantage. You have to compromise somewhere with some things. You’re not going to fit everything in exactly where you want it. Ie, a 50 ltr fridge, by the time you have food, some drink, won’t be space for half a carton of beer. But if you get a bigger fridge, you won’t have room for other things also. So just try to get the main things right first, and then work out a compromise on the smaller, less important things.
here is a drifta vertical combo, with a fridge box next to it in an 80 series. We have put in a divider in the fridge box, to take a solar panel. We can only do this if the solar panel is the right size. We have found a really good one on e-bay, with german components, all plugs attached, 80 watt, is cheaper than I can buy a 80 w w’sale. It also folds in half so is a good size..	this is our D3D – drifta 3 drawer... This is ideal for the back of utes with canopies..
this is the combo without the table.	this is a drifta vertical setup, with three drawers, table in the middle, and fridge box ..
I think this was a pajero. There is a space below the drawers that this fella wanted to access. No problem, simply pull the drawer right out. There is a spring bolt at the back of the drawer to stop it coming right out when using it.	Here is the same unit. We have a evakool fridge slide in a carcass on the RHS. 4 tie down points are bolted on top. It is fixed in place with two turnbuckles on the front corners, and you can just make out some black angle iron on the top at the back, this is attached to the cargo barrier.
This one is a vertical combo, with kitchen on the bottom, then drawer then table on top. This is an awesome setup for travelling. You can see the ventilation holes for the fridge.	Here is another vertical combo, a bit higher in the draw. Have a look on our combo page for more info on this unit.
This is a two drawer vertical, with table on the side.	Sometimes on the vertical combo’s, the angle of the cargo barrier/ seats can restrict the length of the bottom area. On this combo, (this is mine, in my 76 series) we can push the kitchen past the back.
This is a similar thing on a two drawer vertical. We have been given a length at 300 high, and a length at 600 high. This is reasonably easy for us to do, and limits the amount of space you can waste for vertical drawers. A modification like this would be say extra $50.	This is just a standard Drifta 2 Drawer, but one drawer is slightly wider than the other. This is very easy for us to do, and makes it very practical if you have something particular you want to fit in.
Here’s a DCBCV – drifta car back combo vertical, with a DFB – drifta fridge box and fridge slide.	This is a higher D2D – drifta two drawer. It was about 375 high.
We are fitting out a lot of surveyors utes. This one has space for the legs underneath, two drawers, then you can just see a shelf at the back, this goes around two sides, for sitting a laptop on.	This was a fitout we did for a bloke who wanted drawers and sidewings fitted , and a front box with lift up lid.
A DCBC – drifta car back combo in a GU patrol, with sidewings fitted.	This was in a van, with drawers and lift out bed sections in the back, and a pull out kitchen in the front.
This is a tray back ute we have done. We made it as a D2D, then a single drawer, then another custom single drawer out the back..	Warren, was heading north, and was going to sleep on top of the drawers...
How do you fit your drawers in?
There are a few different ways to fix our drawers in place. Depends on yourself really, how you are going to use the drawers. As we send out to you (unless you are picking up) you need to fit them yourself. It’s very easy though.	The most common way is like this.. most vehicles have tie down points in just the right spot, that is just outside the wheel arch. We can supply the top tie down point as shown ($5 ea) , and the turnbuckle if needed ($8 ea).
	Shown on the left, many vehicles will have a cargo barrier fitted.. this is ideal to fix the rear of the drawers to them.. this is a simple way, with some flat bar, and two timber tech screws (10g x 25mm) let us know if you want some of these.. With the turnbuckle shown above, you can buy them easily from the hardware shop, but it’s difficult to buy the tie down points, so get them from us if you need to. We supply 3/16 bolts with nyloc nuts with them, that are perfect to use to attach them to the drawers.
Here is a vertical combo in a prado. In this case, a fridge box will be installed later on.	Similar sort of system to tie the drawers to the cargo barrier.. these screws don’t go thru the actual barrier at all, so you don’t have to drill any holes in it.. this works great, is very easy, and easy to remove if needed.
	Shown on the left, again you can use a tie down point and turnbuckle to attach one side.. this is more than enough, when used with the cargo barrier, to fix the drawers down. If you don’t have existing tie down points in the right spot, then you can easily attach some more. Let us know if you need some extra ones...
Here is another D2DV, drifta two drawer vertical, with a fridge box. The fridge box and the vertical drawers are tied together with 3/16 bolts.	Again there is a turnbuckle either side, and some flat bar across the back...
If you want to drill holes and bolt the drawers in, then we have some stainless steel, countersunk 8 mm bolts and SS nuloc nuts that we can supply. You could also use the existing rear seat mounts to bolt them down. You would need to buy some countersunk bolts that fit the threads in the floor. You’d also have to drill the holes in just the right spot, but the drawers come wrapped in 3 mm MDF, so this is perfect to use as a template to get the holes in the right spot. If you’re not sure of anything, then feel free to call me anytime... ta luke
Are your drawers on bearing runners?
No, definitely not. We don’t use load rated heavy bearing runners. These are basic drawer systems. We use polyethylene plastic skids underneath the drawers. They are a very neat fit, and slide very well. You will be amazed how well they slide. They certainly won’t rattle, and are very light. Also, say you get back from a big trip, (especially with a twin cab, or older vehicles where dust sealing on the tailgate is a problem), you can pull our drawers right out, and easily clean them.. but once dust gets in greased roller bearings, you can’t clean them.
Why buy a Drifta Drawer?
Well, really depends on what you want. We are not trying to compete with the larger drawer companies. Mostly I got into building drawers cause people kept asking me to make them things , that simply weren’t available from anyone else.. it wasn’t until a few months making them, when we got good at it, that I realized what a big market there was. Now , it has grown to be at least half of our work, and we are building another standalone factory at the moment, to help keep up with demand. There is a few main reasons why our drawer units are so popular. One, some people simply can’t justify spending the money on a set of fitted drawers. Our drawers are budget priced. They are beautifully made, and will do the job perfectly. Two, they slide incredibly well. The slide system we developed, where the drawers slide on four lengths of Teflon type material, works surprisingly well, eliminating the need for expensive metal runners. Three , our drawers are light, and can be lifted in and out as needed. Many people want to be able to do this. I can take my vertical combo out on my own, in less than a minute... it’s just a few turnbuckles to undo. If I lift out the kitchen, then take out the drawer and table, the carcass is then very light to remove. Four, we can easily custom build , often without having to charge extra. As you can see in the photos above, many people want a set of drawers just that little bit different. We can literally make any design/ size, and much of our work is custom, which means you get exactly what you want. Many people find that custom work is extremely expensive, but many of our custom drawers are the same as a standard price!! Five, our internal volume space in our drawers is far greater than for standard steel drawers. Because we build exactly to size, we don’t use metal bearing runners which take up a lot of space, and because our drawers can sit directly on the floor, not on rails, you end up with much more volume space!! There are huge gaps around some steel drawers, up to 100-200 mm on length, 100 mm on width, and about 30 – 40 mm underneath for some units. This is because they use standard sizes for different vehicles, and just fill out the gaps with sidewings. It wastes a lot of space, and that is the whole point of getting drawers. Drifta drawers have much more volume space, but not only that, if you want it say slightly higher, or lower, we can easily do this. Six, we have now many new designs that you simply can’t buy anywhere else. Like the carback combo’s, they are such a great setup, and are unique to Drifta. Seven, our drawers are light, won’t start to rattle with age, and our slides are not affected by dust. Greased bearings once dust has gotten in can be a real problem. And Eight, well you get the chance to own a Drifta. We are becoming well known around Australia for building high quality innovative products, that are always very practical to use.
What about I make my own?
Sure, I have mentioned this on my other faq page for trailer kitchens. It sounds simple enough. Buy a sheet of ply, cut it up, stick some carpet on. I can tell you though, there is much more in it than that.. I have eleven years experience now building this sort of thing. I have made over 10 500 units. It took me probably 20 – 30 drawer units and 6 months before me and the boys could stand back and say, ‘that is bloody perfect!’ Out of 17 staff we now have, only my four of my most experienced boys can make the drawers. I’m no genius, I’m not even qualified at anything, but I can learn from my mistakes. If you build one yourself, you don’t have that chance. If it turns out crap, you’re stuck with it, and your missus is gonna have a go at you every time she struggles to open it. I’ve seen quiet a few home made sets, and they always have a few problems. One bloke here the other day. He made a huge set of double vertical drawers. About 6 drawers down one side. Went to close the door, and it didn’t fit.. he had to tilt the back seat right forward, to close the door. He basically has to pull it all apart and rebuild it to fix this problem. That’s the sort of thing that happens.. Anyway, I’ve tried to price these drawers so they are affordable. I certainly can’t make them any cheaper. See what you reckon.
We’ve been working a lot with Daniel from Mulgo Expedition Vehicles and Equipment lately. Dan does all sorts of conversion work, particularly on land rovers, but also on any vehicle. Check out his website if you need any custom modifications to your vehicle..