Home made drawer system added to my 03' Disco 2
 

I am new to the Land Rover community/ownership. I have found myself addicted to the trucks and have really enjoyed finding out about their quirks and fixing them. This is my first attempt to custom create a drawer system with storage for my upcoming expedition trip to Mexico. There are two drawers and both sides of the front section open to offer more storage. Any thoughts or comments/suggestions?

Locks for drawers. Easy way to removed drawers if fuel pump access is needed, or access to wiring connections, etc. Patience when the federalies want to open and examine every nook and cranny. Nice work.

really nice work.

Looks very clean. I second all of Savannah's points, especially when you do border crossings or come into contact with Border Patrols, DEA, and other agencies. On the US side, they will be very thorough but will follow protocol regarding your constitutional rights, on the Mexican side, you are totally at their mercy and your "rights as a US citizen" have no meaning.

Also, I would love to just travel thru out those regions but with the current situation with affluent looking Americans being targeted by the banditos and such, I would be very concerned cruising into any of those areas in a nice LandRover. It is sort of like waving a flag enblazened with dollar signs saying Yours For The Taking.

I do not want anyone responding acusing me of being paranoid or racist or anything like that because it happens quite often in those areas. My cousin Frank was on extended work assignments in a variety of places where kidnapping for ransom is a thriving business. His company made sure they traveled in groups and had prearranged lodging and transportation for their entire visit. They were not allowd to venture out on their own.

I realize that the vast majority of the citizens and residents of Mexico and Central America are fine people and I am not trying to slander them or anything of that nature. They also are at the mercy of the local cartels and the local enforcement people as well as are tourists. The question is what are they enforcing? Many such trips end in tragedy.

Also, there are lots of places right here in the US where your safety is not guaranteed either.

Do you speak the local language where you plan to go?

Are you traveling alone?

All these are valid considerations these days.

One other question that comes to mind is concerning the DII factory Driveshafts. Have those been replaced with the greasable ujoints?

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One other question that comes to mind is concerning the DII factory Driveshafts. Have those been replaced with the greasable ujoints?[/QUOTE]

Lol, where in the world did that question come from Danny Lee?

One other question that comes to mind is concerning the DII factory Driveshafts. Have those been replaced with the greasable ujoints?[/quote]

Lol, where in the world did that question come from Danny Lee?[/quote]


Seeing as how he plans to make a long journey in a DII, I think that is valid as well.

Thanks for the feed back and tips. Locks are next on the agenda. I actually found a window lock with a key. It should be secure and functional. I appreciate the concern about Mexico. I dont want to get into a debate on here about the safety. As always, I say use common sense and stay away from areas I am not comfortable with and all should be fine. Many places in the U.S are like that too. But I am aware to be careful. As for the driveshaft.....thanks to this site, I immediately knew what the "vibration" in my steering wheel was caused by. I immediately rebuilt the shaft and found the usual suspect, a dried out u joint. I appreciate all of the input everyone puts into this site. It is immensly helpful. I will post anything I can that might help someone else also.

Did you build that interior yourself?

How about sharing the details especially how you went about mounting it.

Did you leave access to the fuel pump plate in the rear cargo floor?

Hey Danny, yes, I built it from scratch. I bought a 2x12-12' board, 3/4" plywood, and a 1x6-12'. I measured the back opening of the Discovery and built an initial box approx 48"wx28"d. The drawers were also built from scratch using 1x12 boards and drawer slides from an old kitchen we tore out. I used the cabinet facing to finish off the drawer openings, and built the drawers to specifications dictated by the opening size (Approx 9" tall).I covered the wood frame with 3/4" plywood on all sides except the drawer face and bottom. I tied the bottom of the drawer base together using the 1x6. I router4ed out notches so the 1x6 would sit flush on the bottom. Once this section was complete, I began building the front section using similar construction design. I bought cabinet door hinges and made top doors out of the 3x4" plywood. They swing up to give access to storage below on both sides. Both sections are built to the same specifications/dimensions so it creates a flat platform. I countersunk and screwed the two sections together once they were installed. At this time due to the hefty weight and exact dimensions, the system was very stabil. However I wanted a more secure permanent attachment. I drilled holes in the bottom 1x6 on the base in line with the seat brackets on the floor. I used u-bolts to secure the base to the loops in the floor. I have driven a couple hundred miles in town and highway and nothing has moved at all. I did not leave an access to the fuel pump or wiring, however it is a very easy removal of the back section as it is in two peices. Hope this helps..

It has a very good appearance. I see you are in the Augusta Ga area, I was born and raised in Griffin, in between Macon and Atlanta, off 1-75. I attended school and Co-oped with Ga Tech at Lockheed in Marietta.

Did you get to the Masters Tournament this year? Bubba was awesome wasn't he?