Get an Idea of All the Different Types of Ute Accessories

With so many different types of accessories on the market for utes, it’s hard to decide which one is the most important. Probably the best indicator of how important an accessory is though, is a measure of its practicality. Is it an accessory that a hard-working tradie can get just as much value out of as a hard-charging off-roader?

Even by that measure, there’s no shortage of what qualifies as a practical accessory. There is one group of accessories, however, that are invaluable for any type of work or recreation, they require no special care or caution, and are manufactured in a broad enough range of styles and sizes to even meet the criteria of being custom: drawers.

The Advantage of Ute Drawer Accessories

Regardless of whether you use your rig as a mobile carpentry workshop or strictly for overlanding, you probably have an assortment of tools and equipment that need to be stored and organized. And with no small sum probably invested in gear, you want to protect them as much as possible from getting misplaced, damaged, or even stolen. That’s why a good selection of storage drawers are the most valuable ute accessories for keeping every bit of your gear safe and organized at all times.

As accessories, drawers have the privilege of being completely independent of any other item on your rig, and that’s especially important when it comes to storage and safekeeping. There’s a limit to the number of canopies and toolboxes you can install on a tray, and even a limit on how you can arrange them. There aren’t any limits with drawers, though.

With ute gear drawers as your leading accessory, you have the ability to:

• Increase your ute’s carry capacity without adding excessive weight;
• Make full use of the dimensional area both above and below the tray; and,
• Improve access to your gear by keeping it in completely accessible containers.

What goes in a drawer, stays in a drawer; and you can organize what’s going in there better than you ever could with ordinary front-, or top-loaded storage containers. Your most sensitive gear doesn’t have to be stored right beside your heaviest gear anymore; and you can stack, join, and configure as many – or as few – drawers as you need. They can even be populated with other accessories like drawer inserts and parts bins to give you the kind of material control that’ll make everything you’re doing move along much quicker.

Drawer Accessories That are Built to Last

Let’s face it: for all their practicality, if the ute equipment and accessories that you’re buying aren’t tough enough to last, then they’re not going to do you much good. This is especially true for storage equipment like drawers which, if not constructed properly, are going to be about as reliable as wet paper bags.

A high-quality drawer that’s built to last can be expected to hold a 100kg load with no difficulty, and will have all the heavy-duty rust and corrosion resistance qualities that your rig has. It means that regardless of whether you buy your ute accessories online or shop for them in person, you’re going to want to be on the watch for drawers that feature:

• Aluminium plate, or galvanized stainless steel construction;
• Full seam-welding, and reinforced roof and wall sections;
• Heavy duty nylon roller, or ball bearing slides;
• Spring loaded latches or folding whale tail locks; and,
• Complete rubberized seals to eliminate water and dust penetration.

Drawers are the tough ute tray parts that you can demand a lot out of, and can expect a lot back from in return. And depending on which type you use, they can even be combined with other custom storage components to enhance their value and practicality even more.

Types of Drawer Accessories

There are 3 main types of storage drawer accessories for utes. And while they all share the same durable and lightweight qualities, each has its own unique characteristics to accomplish a full range of tasks.

Canopy/Tool Types

These variable dimension drawer assemblies come in either inline or stacked configurations, and contain between 1 and 4 individual drawers. They’re typically installed inside canopies or other tray-mounted enclosures that provide them with environmental protection, so they’re ideal for storing and categorizing everything from tools and spare parts to camping supplies and canned goods.

Tray-top Types

Standard height tray-top drawers units mount either lengthwise or widthwise directly to the top of your tray. These drawers come in either 1 or 2 drawer configurations and are excellent either for stacking, or arranging side by side to create completely custom organizational systems that match your precise needs. They’re also equipped with lockable handles and their own rubber weather-stripping seals, making them optimum storage accessories for protection from both theft and the elements.

Undertray Types

Undertray drawer assemblies are designed to make the fullest possible use of the empty space between the chassis runners on the underside of ute trays. These drawer assemblies typically extend the length of the tray, and cleanly convert that normally unoccupied area into vital storage space that can be used to safely and securely store away all kinds of gear and equipment.

Again, the real practicality in drawers depends on how effectively they’re configured. You can rest assured, however, that once you’ve carefully considered just how many many ways they can be used, you’ll be surprised by just how versatile they are as standalone accessories.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, the best attribute about drawers is that there aren’t any special times or circumstances when they’re more or less likely to be important. They’re going to be invaluable anytime you have something to move or store; and if you’re driving a ute, that could be anytime you get behind the wheel.

Regardless of whether they’re mounted individually and capped with hardwood to create a custom tray floor, or fully integrated into a removable canopy module, drawers are the most important ute accessories that an owner can invest in. Maybe now’s the time that you looked into just how effective they can be for you.