For the first time in many years, I’m not driving a minivan. Yes, yes, say what you will, but I actually like those things enough to have had two in a row (on purpose). Recently, however, my new wife encouraged me to take my balls out of the storage unit, so I slapped her ass and then bought a pickup.
As great as the pickup is for so many useful tasks, an open bed isn’t a workable situation for hauling around anything vaguely valuable. In fact, two days after I got the thing I was driving to the airport and had to pop into a store on the way. My suitcase had to come out of the bed and go into the cab. Not something that happens with a minivan, but I had a plan for this even before I got the truck.
A big part of this solution would be coming from DECKED in the form of their Drawer System. It arrived a few days later flat packed on a pallet.
Okay, yes, a sense of humor and we’re off to a good start with a positive first impression.
The DECKED folks are clearly not strangers to Tetris.
A huge sticker pack and “The DECKED Credo” were near the top of the box. Assembling something I’ve purchased isn’t always how I want to spend my Saturday, so the continued light hearted humor at least started me off in a good mood.
Following the instructions (out of character for me, yes) I got everything laid out behind the truck in preparation for assembly and installation.
I found more humor all thorough the installation guide, which was great. A man can’t live only on Texas sun, the kids letting him know that his scalp is burning because he’s balding, a really well-made Paloma, and conservative talk radio without something to chuckle at.
The deck was in and at this point the children were particularly dedicated to involving themselves in unhelpful ways.
Unfortunately nobody bothered to involve himself, herself, or dogself in any vaguely helpful ways, such as assisting me with lifting the drawer up off of the ground and into its new home in the DECKED frame. I’ve done this on my own twice now and it actually isn’t all that heavy but it definitely is awkward, so as the instructions suggest I’d enlist the help of an assistant or at least some onlookers.
Start-to-finish it took me two-and-a-half hours to complete the unpacking, assembly, and installation of the DECKED system. I consider this pretty good as I did it quite leisurely and by myself. Actually, worse than by myself, by myself and distracted by children.
The first thing I did was load up the included Premium Accessory Pack, which includes three D-CO Cases and four cargo D-rings (one gets installed on each corner of the deck), a couple guns, a bit of other crap, and head for the drive-through carwash. That’s a pretty intense test and I really wasn’t sure what to expect.
Bone. Dry. Not one single errant drop or hint of moisture anywhere in the drawer or in the deck cubbies (Stash Bins).
This may be a good time to mention that on either side of the drawer, the DECKED owner can either use the gap created by the wheel well to insert objects down along the side of the drawer underneath the deck or to use the included Stash Bins, which are accessed from up top. There’s a large Stash Bin on each side closest to the tailgate and a small one on each side up near the cab.
The rubber grommet seen in the Stash Bin lid above can be replaced with a keyed lock. Purchased in a multi-pack, locks will be keyed alike and can be installed on the Stash Bin lids as well as the drawer(s) itself.
On my pickup I’m not able to use a bin under the front Stash Bin lids as my wheel well is in the way. Still lots of room for contraband down there, though.
In my case I didn’t get locks for the bins or the drawer. I won’t put anything valuable in the bins (one of them has ratchet tie-down straps stored inside and the other is still empty) and the tailgate of the truck fully blocks and encloses the DECKED drawer and it already locks securely.
Up top, the DECKED deck still holds 1,000 pounds of cargo (their full-size truck systems hold 2,000 pounds). I’ve had four adults up there while driving around the neighborhood, I’ve had 500+ pounds of ammo up there . . .
. . . I’ve had 20 bags of garden soil along with other random dirt and multiple bags full of rocks. Not to mention your typical pickup truck things like ladders and picnic tables and recliners and tables and other weird junk. The deck still looks like new and the drawer always glides smooth-as-can-be no matter what I have on top.
Yes, it goes without saying that, especially in a smaller pickup like my Tacoma, the 12.3-inch-tall DECKED system uses up an appreciable amount of the vertical space in the truck bed. Full-size pickups get two drawers instead of one, a 2,000-lb weight capacity up top, and end up with more height left over in the bed.
So far this is the one-and-only downside I’ve found to the DECKED system, although it hasn’t yet slowed me down with any of the cargo I’ve hauled around over the last couple months. In July I fully intend to have a wild hog(s) and/or a deer up on top of the deck, too.
For the first few weeks the DECKED drawer was outfitted simply with the D-CO Cases and I’d haphazardly pile guns in soft cases inside. After Dan and I did a head-to-head comparison of the Magpul DAKA GRID system and the Pelican Re-Set system, though, I knew exactly how I wanted to organize in the inside of my drawer!
Two of Magpul’s DAKA Universal GRID Organizer — Rifle were enough to fill the inside of my drawer and also netted me a dozen blocks and eight gear straps. I picked up a few other GRID accessory pieces as well.
To completely fill the DECKED drawer edge-to-edge I had to trim the GRID panels along one side and one end to create a perfect fit.
The hardest part of this process was getting the drawer back out the door and back into the truck on my own.
I couldn’t be a bigger fan of the end result. While I still have organizing to do (I need to sort out the front cubbies), I’m extremely happy with how it’s configured now. Inside the tackle box-style toolbox (which has an awesome locking lid and a great grab handle, by the way) I have hunting and butchering knives on the top layer and all of my range tools below that in the main compartment.
My gun layout, left-to-right, is:
- Review gun. Whatever’s in right now for testing. In the photo above it’s an S&W Model 1854 lever action rifle in 45-70 and there’s also a suppressed FK BRNO PSD hiding just under the Smith’s forend. The rest of the firearms are “permanent” residents of the drawer…
- Precision rifle for hunting / long-range. Mine’s a Black Collar Arms Pork Sword Rifle in 6.5 PRC. Normally the SilencerCo Scythe-Ti seen in the front, left cubby lives on this rifle but I had installed a booster in it to test it on the FK BRNO.
- Semi-auto for hunting / tactical. This one’s a Stag Arms Stag 10 Pursuit that I converted to 375 Raptor. Absolute beast.
- Rimfire for hunting / plinking. A suppressed Black Collar Arms Piglet Takedown SBR. Night vision bridge for clipping a thermal in front of the prism optic. Great for hunting rabbits and such.
In the extra space behind the guns I’m storing assorted DAKA GRID blocks so I can easily update the configuration for different review guns as they come in and out.
After a couple months of regular, assorted use including many trips through the drive-through carwash and a few intense Texas monsoon thunderstorms (check the YouTube video at top!), I couldn’t be happier with the DECKED system. The giant skateboard / caster style wheels at each corner of the drawer provide insanely smooth operation regardless of how close I get to the drawer’s 400-pound weight limit. I’m talking single-finger, super smooth and quiet gliding in and out. The oversized grab handle securely and seamlessly latches the drawer into the deck, unlocking automatically when you pull on it and latching itself when you don’t.
I’ve secured cargo with the D-rings, I’ve stored stuff in the Stash Bins, I’ve even stored children (very temporarily) inside the drawer. This is an absolutely fantastic, very well-thought-out and -designed system. DECKED has made a pickup truck significantly more practical, usable, organized, and secure for this shooter / hunter.
Next up (and perhaps the only other thing I’ll be adding to this truck) is a topper (AKA truck cap AKA shell). Any suggestions? I’m thinking DECKED drawers plus enclosing the cargo area with a topper will be an unbeatable combination. Before that, though, it needs to see some hunting action. I won’t consider my DECKED system fully broken in until I’ve hosed some blood off it. Coming soon!
Specifications: DECKED Drawer System
Fit: popular Ford, Chevy, Ram, GMC, Nissan, Jeep, Sprinter, Service Body, Rivian, and Toyota (Tacoma w/ short bed seen in this review) fits are available, in both short- and long-bed lengths where applicable. Full-size systems have two drawers, my Tacoma system has one. The outside of each deck is router-cut to fit specific truck models.
The following specs are specific to the midsize, short bed truck drawer seen in this review:
Weight: 177 pounds
Deck Payload: 1,000 pounds
Drawer Payload: 400 pounds
Width: 63.4 inches
Depth: 56.9 inches
Height: 12.3 inches
Drawer Internal Length: 46.2 inches
Drawer Internal Width: 35.6 inches
Drawer Internal Vertical Clearance: 7.9 inches
Drawer Extension: 38 inches
MSRP: $1,599.99
Was smuggling people part of the intended use of this product? I think ICE is looking for you.
😂