Thrashed Off-Road Drawer System Review.

Thrashed Off-Road has done it again and here I am blindsiding them with another product review! Why? Because I feel it necessary to share my experience with products that are not only of great quality, but destroy the markets price-hype and gouging.

To kick this off, I will open say that I am again going to have one gripe, but just like my personal gripes with the Sent It Suspension UCA's, it's a personal quirk. The drawers have now been in the back of the 4Runner for right at 1k miles (off-road) or so and have been sitting pretty even over the harder bumps. While the drawers are rated for 150 lbs, I probably have a tad more due to spare parts, tools, extra hardware and a few other "full-time" trail necessities. Noting that I have potentially overloaded the drawers, I can gratefully applaud them for not warping, even with everything bouncing around.

The latches on each drawer are lockable, very stout, but extremely smooth and give a nice solid "click" when they close. I did test the locks once the drawers were installed, however, I have not used them since due to me wheeling solo and I don't park in public areas frequently, but I am confident they would be difficult to access while locked, so don't lose the keys. The bottoms of the drawers are completely smooth with the exception of a few hex-head bolts so even if you did by some odd chance warp the drawer base, it should still open with ease as there is nothing to snag on. The handles found on either side of the latches are plastic, but they don't feel like something from Walmart or Ikea and provide enough room to securely grab them, even with gloves on.

The drawers themselves run on an all ball bearing system. With bearings on the top, bottom and even on the sides of the drawers you have to be cautions when opening these on an incline. They are so smooth there is no hint of fighting to open or close them, but due to this, I do advise being level when accessing the drawers if you need them to remain open. I wouldn't mind seeing some sort of latching system to keep them open, as being on a level surface while out in the middle of BFE isn't always an option, but I cannot complain as they are very pleasant to use and can be accessed one handed, unlike some drawer systems that require one hand to unlock and the other hand to pull.

Oh, and did I mention the fridge/utility slide? Not officially referred to as a "utility slide", but I do not utilize a fridge, thus it has become more of a utility application for me as the contents of the storage boxes I utilize in this spot can vary from food and cooking items, to just about anything else needed. There is a single spring loaded latch that keeps the independently sliding tray locked in place when not being used. Yes, it does lock into a small section of the frame steel, but don't let it fool you, I have transported 10 gallons of water on this platform and it was absolutely solid! Did I mention this is an independent sliding surface? Also, did I mention you can reach items at the forward position of the drawer while this is extended? Well, it is and you can. With the slide halfway out, I can still access the front of the drawer and with it fully extended, I can access item at the forward position of the drawer and not have to completely close anything until I am ready to pack it up. Yes, there are integrated tie downs and I am sure you noticed the additional tie downs...We will get to that shortly.

The optional wing kit for the drawer systems completes the look and adds some additional storage. While these side pockets aren't large by any means, I can fit some extra electrical wire spools, drill, impact and a work light with room to spare, on both sides. I can also still access the 4Runner's integrated power inverter and rear 12v socket as well as the side compartment in the factory interior panel. These sections are of lighter materials than the rest of the drawer, but have still held a good amount of weight while stationary. These are not meant to be load-bearing surfaces and should be utilized only for the extra partially enclosed storage and a more complete look.

Mounting the drawers did take a small amount of effort and creativity, especially since I had the OEM utility tray. However, I opted to not bolt the drawers down to the floor. Once the 3/4" section of plywood was situated, I placed the drawers in and proceeded to get them centered. To keep them in place, I utilized the 4Runner factory tie down points that were found at the front, rear and both sides of the factory utility tray. I did have to drill some holes in the sides of the drawer frame for the eye-bolts, but everything is held in place with some heavy duty turnbuckles. I opted for this method as I can easily check and retighten everything if needed, I didn't have to drill holes in the floor of my 4Runner and I don't even need to exit the vehicle to ensure everything is still tight. A little creativity goes a long way, but do what works for you, just be sure to seal any holes you may drill in the floor if that is the mounting option you choose.

Now you will notice there are some minor changes to what I have versus what you will find on the Thrashed Off-Road website. Firstly, my aluminum product plate as pictured here no longer says "vehicle drawer system" and instead directly advertises Thrashed Off-Road. Why? This was my own doing, and after some paint remover, a little measuring and some work with the vinyl plotter, I was able to properly promote TOR. So don't read this, order drawers and then gripe to Thrashed Off-Road that your drawers don't have this, this was 100% my own doing! Now for the other variance you will notice and my only gripe, the tie-downs. Again, this is a personal quirk, I cannot stand spring loaded tie-down points. Not sure what it is about them, but I opted to add my own tie-downs, and while I will still utilize the integrated ones, which are very solid by the way, I do prefer the non-spring loaded tie downs.

However, and to close this out, these drawers have been absolutely amazing and yet again, Thrashed Off-Road has provided a product to the community that is not only solid in its construction and quality, but isn't gouging your bank due to overly-hyped names/branding. Now before anyone starts with the "well, if/this/that/or" BS, I'd like to remind anyone reading this, I off-road full time as a trail guide. These products aren't put to the test on the occasional weekend, all pretty and maintained National Park dirt roads or posing in the dirt lot behind the mall for Instagram. When I do my trail guide runs, I generally hit 3-5 trails a day depending on surface/terrain/difficulty and weather and will repeat this for 7 days at a time on average, sometimes longer. These products don't put a smile on my face due to social status or brand, they put a smile on my face because everything in my 4Runner is for work and they have allowed me to do my job efficiently and proven their worth. So when I say don't let the price or name fool you, keep in mind, this isn't a hobby for me, this is my job and these products that I review, have been truly put through their paces. Happy off-roading, and again, a big thanks to Thrashed Off-Road.

Ahh, the disclaimer!! Although Thrashed Off-Road now knows who I am, in a sense I guess, I am not affiliated with Thrashed Off-Road and have received no compensation for this review. I am not an ambassador or affiliate for them or any of their brands/products and all products were purchased on my own at advertised prices.