Storage Solution for your Overlanding Rig
Finding a place to store all of your Overlanding gear is a big task especially if you go on longer adventures and since there is limited space in your vehicle, so utilizing the space in the best way possible is essential to making sure you can find your gear, keep it organized, and so that your vehicle space is not jammed full of all of your gear. If you’re looking for ideas on how you can upgrade your storage within your overlanding rig, we’ve helped compile some solutions here.
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Standard Storage
Drawers
If you’re having trouble utilizing the space in your truck bed or hatch, having a drawer system can come in handy because they allow for easy access to your equipment and leave plenty of space on top to store more gear or so that you can continue to use your vehicles bed or hatch (especially if it’s your daily driver).
You can find truck bed drawer systems that are easy to install and assemble, such as the Decked truck bed storage system, but if they haven’t made one for your vehicle or you’re on a tight budget, you can also just build one with some 2x4s, plywood, extension slides, and cabinet drawers. If you do choose to build your own out of wood, It’s recommended to make sure to build it if you have a camper shell or bed cover unless you use waterproof materials so that your gear stays dry and protected.
Cases
Cases can be a great storage solution for smaller equipment or anything you want to keep protected. They can be stored inside or mounted outside your vehicle, such as on a roof rack, to provide simple and organized gear storage. You can pick up any type of crate that you’d like but some of the most popular and durable are the Roam Adventure Co. crates.
If you choose to mount them to the outside of your vehicle, I would recommend getting locking crates so that you can ensure your gear is safe if you were to leave your vehicle unattended and also mount them so that they are safe and secure and won’t move around.
Another great thing about cases is that they aren’t any sort of permanent storage, so you can easily move them around to get to your gear easier or take them with you places.
Molle Panels
If you’re looking for a way to mount any type of gear, molle panels are a great storage solution. These panels are usually made from high-quality aluminum and are made specifically for easily mounting any of your gear in the interior or exterior of your vehicle.
Molle panels are a great and budget-friendly way to add some additional mounting points to any part of your vehicle and create more storage areas for your vehicle.
Whenever mounting gear to a molle panel on the exterior of your rig, I would suggest locking the equipment down or using a secure strap so that your gear stays safe and deters anyone from taking it.
If you have a Toyota, I would recommend looking into Cali Raised LED’s selection of molle panels specifically designed to fit the 4Runner, Tacoma, and Tundra.
Roof Racks and Rail Bars
Adding a roof rack to your vehicle adds additional storage space on top of your vehicle that you can use to mount gear and other accessories. Most roof racks are vehicle specific but you can often find universal rail bars and pair them with a cargo basket or cargo box.
Adding a roof rack to your vehicle is a simple modification but makes a huge difference for storage capabilities, the possibilities for storing your gear using one are almost endless.
The only downside that people often find with roof racks is that since it’s attached to the roof of your vehicle, your gear is usually out in the open so you have to worry about whether or someone taking it. You can combat this by using a locking case, cargo box, or even a basic lock.
Fuel and Water Storage
RotopaX
An accessory that pairs well with any type of storage solution is RotopaX. These are slim fuel and water carriers that can mount to roof racks, molle panels, and practically anywhere else. Their slim profile makes them take up less space and you can pair them with the RotopaX mounting bracket to mount them as well.
If you are going with the fuel carrier, I would suggest mounting it outside your vehicle to avoid getting gas fumes inside your vehicle. You can mount your water carrier anywhere you would like though. They also make a RotopaX first aid kit that mounts to their special bracket as well to keep everything organized and easy to find.
The great thing about these containers is that they are the only EPA and CARB-certified fuel containers in the United States.
Trash and Waste Storage
An often overlooked part of storage is where you can keep your trash. You always want to make sure to pick up after yourself on your adventures, so having a place to put your trash is super important.
Trasharoo
The Trasharoo is a reusable, backpack-shaped, storage designed to specifically for trash storage and fits over spare tires on vehicles like a Jeep but can be placed just about anywhere. If you don’t want to carry plastic trash bags around, plus they aren’t good for the environment, I would highly recommend the Trasharoo. Since the Trasharoo is sold out a lot, you can also find some alternatives on amazon that may also be more cost-efficient.