overland

80 series Drawer system build.

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
I figured I’d post this here. Maybe it’ll inspire someone else to either do or share a project! Be kind please, I’m just your average weekend warrior when it comes to fabbing things. Started off with some 3/4” 0.65 tube for a frame. Tends to be lighter than 1/2“ ply and a bit more stout. I’ve made better welds, but was trying a different size wire in my machine. I ended up going back to the original wire size as my machine wasn’t having it. Right tips and drive wheels, just wasn’t going to feed as smoothly as it should.5B12C371-5C49-48B4-9A5E-EC00F62A2888.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
Next came the 6mm rivet nuts. I’ve used smaller sizes in the past to mount stuff like my trailer battery charge controller. They work well enough when mating unlike material together, as the top will be 1/2” ply hopefully with outdoor carpet covering it. You can just make out the rivet nuts on the top of the tubing.CB712971-B783-47A9-B3B6-469A7D97191F.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
So… I decided to do the side panels in aluminum. It saved some weight, but good night it ain’t cheap! Worked out well enough. 0557AF9A-3D4C-49D4-BD1C-C14DB035373B.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
not everything went swimmingly. I never see the part where things that go wrong. So, here’s some doh! First off, one of the rivet nuts spun under the ply. At that point break the ply off, grind off the top, re install rivet nut…. 3 TIMES! After having drilled out 3 rivet nuts, had to weld up the hole and start over. F914C920-07B6-4318-9504-87586EB013F8.jpeg2CD75C6C-E3BA-41AE-99E6-9C5B587E3389.jpeg703BC132-CFE3-42D3-9CB5-A25ADB37791B.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
Thanks! I’m going to be working on it again next Wednesday. I took this week off to order a new cargo trailer that I’ll convert to a camper. The trailer won’t show up until December or so.
 

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
So I got a little more accomplished on the drawer system this week. I basically got in the stanchions, or least some of those stanchions for the drawer slides to attach to. Basically took some steel pasted it all together drill holes and tapped them for 6 mm bolts. Granted it’s a bit of an over simplification of the year thing, but I’m sure you get the picture.
As you can see, I did go a little overkill on the drawer slides. The drawer slides ended up weighing more than the entire assembly up to this point just on their own. They look to be of good quality, and not overly expensive for what they are.
1D1DD226-BA5C-4CC5-B68F-9A74E23828D7.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
I didn’t end up using this particular piece, as I had made extras. This one, as with any welding with bolts involved, I overheated the steel and that bolt is not coming out no matter what. But, it does service a good visual aid.

4D6CDB61-3E54-48CA-9E38-E1548F057D12.jpeg
 

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
Here you can see where I rosette welded the stanchion to the platform frame.
281DFF4B-C1D0-4F60-8F89-2A5E715DC94F.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
The stanchions for the drawer slides on the sides will need additional welding, but I will need to takeoff the aluminum to do so. The stations for the center slides are rosette welded to both sides of the tube, so welding any additional stuff there would be overkill. I have a few more brackets and pieces I need to weld to this. After all this, then comes the scary part for me. As I may have mentioned earlier I’m not the best carpenter, so the mileage may vary at that point. But, it will be interesting to see, even if it is a disaster. 😅
 
Last edited:

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
Bits and pieces coming together now.… and wait for more parts. Made the mounts for the air compressors and air tank. Only one compressor is mounted as I need more Rivet nuts. 79488928-D3EC-4571-8067-EA5F85DCA6FF.jpeg8AC6AF58-1F9A-43BD-8FE3-520035C2CA18.jpegBAA321BE-E77A-407F-B3E1-34657A5369EA.jpeg
 

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
More stuff! I received the hinges for the wings on the top of the system, and I cut the material for the drawers and wings for the top. Got some carpet installed on the main top of the platform. I will say that a tick stick is the best thing since sliced bread. Nothing like a million year old tool/idea to do what lots of tech and money would get you today. Okay, maybe a little much on that last part. If you don’t know what a tick stick is, look it up and YouTube it. You’ll be glad you did. Her the pics… 19B2ACD1-1096-4B75-9C43-4ABDE4B4DBB4.jpegCFC16F27-9E98-4D61-BFEE-361D8DE921FB.jpeg5D2F4C77-EA50-46CF-B953-D2A48C73CB52.jpegDED482CD-1112-46EC-9980-5BFA2D5C6E32.jpegA702F5C9-9C2D-42A9-8161-175E892D6059.jpegF850B429-AFFE-434F-8B27-3BEEFC5EB349.jpeg
 

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
Side note, the deflection for the drawer slides over 60” full extension was less than an 1/8”. Not too bad.
 

OTG Ben

OTG Principal Explorer
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Apr 24, 2021
Messages
469
Location
NorCal
These look awesome and I can't wait to see them in person. I'm planning on building a complete storage system using 80 20 t slot aluminum as the frame that's going into the back of my Ram HD. Working with the t slot aluminum seems pretty straight forward, it's the woodworking that's got me a bit nervous, especially since I don't own many of the tools that'd make the job much easier!
 

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
These look awesome and I can't wait to see them in person. I'm planning on building a complete storage system using 80 20 t slot aluminum as the frame that's going into the back of my Ram HD. Working with the t slot aluminum seems pretty straight forward, it's the woodworking that's got me a bit nervous, especially since I don't own many of the tools that'd make the job much easier!
I’m hoping to have it fairly wrapped up for the trip in October!
I’m not a very experienced in wood working, and am mostly setup to do metal work. Frankly, my table saw sucks! There’s nothing here that couldn’t be achieved with a jigsaw and sandpaper. For matching contour a tick stick, or ticking stick is the way to go. I could have measured stuff out for a month of Sundays and still been painfully off the base wasting lots of money in plywood.
 

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
Today saw progress on the side wings…. Yeah, for whatever reason, I kept trying to carpet the wrong side of one of them. So, I did the small ones and came back to it. 92C19B9B-2265-417A-AB72-E9E9154532C4.jpeg86F7663A-9723-4CD2-9AF9-E0E2A55055F8.jpeg90ACBB4D-5F05-4B95-AE52-F4B62FB56558.jpeg00ABE9A8-88FC-481D-9A3A-556A68B99059.jpeg
 

Mutt Wagon

Weekend Warrior
Joined
May 27, 2021
Messages
48
More stuff! Got one drawer constructed, not finished as it needs to be carpet lined and drawer faced. Also have to thread lock an ef ton of machine screws. I didn’t necessarily set out to build the drawers this way, but I was having no success with my box joint router jig and tear out even on good Baltic birch. The drawer is glued, brad nailed, clamped for 24hr while glue set, and mechanically held together. No kill like overkill? I may divid this drawer into two shallower drawers later, but I’ll have to see how this one goes. The following pics cover the plumbing and placement of the new oba setup that I upgraded too from the single pump, 2.5gal tank I had set up on the wheel well. You may notice the colossal blunder I made with the air block… I got ahead of my self and was working with the unit on a set of saw horses. I slid the unit back into the truck to find that the turn buckle and distribution block cannot occupy the same space (pic#3). Something to do with physics? Moved distribution block down and forward, problem solved (Pic#4). Also awaiting some ANL fusees and holders, as I’m going to re separate the two pump feed wires so if one quits I may not be totally dead in the water. 0461ACBE-A2DA-45C4-A8BF-002F542296B1.jpegE711AC39-363B-4383-906E-41181C54C967.jpegF7C9A8EF-F70B-4834-94A5-A0399BAB1323.jpeg
2D3C54D1-95D7-4196-9DE1-698CA7AD5D48.jpeg9356F86C-E59B-4CE0-906C-EB275AD7F586.jpeg6BFDE08D-C06B-4148-A90A-E5935A6D2EC4.jpeg
 
Top