Once we had the cargo tub of our HiLux buttoned up with the security and style of the Ironman Raid canopy, we were able to get started on making the load space usable and functional.

The problem with having a ute with a canopy on it can be accessing anything stored at the front end of the enclosed space. Yes, the side-opening canopy doors help, but there will inevitably be times when things get loose and end up lost at the far end of the tub, where access is near impossible for a full-sized human.

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MSA 4×4 storage drawers: Full-extension ute tub access

The key to accessing the full length of your ute tub or canopy without employing the services of an Asian cave-diver rescue crew is a set of quality cargo drawers.

There are plenty of drawer systems available, but you might be surprised to learn that most of them don’t extend all the way out to give you that full access. MSA 4×4’s Storage Drawers (↗) do just that, which is one of the reasons why we’ve been saying for years that they are the best-designed and most functional drawers on the market.

MSA drawers are made from lightweight aluminium and have some of the smoothest rollers I’ve ever felt. They have a clever detent in the fully extended position, so they won’t slide back in on you if the vehicle is on a slope, and a microswitch to illuminate the LED lights inside the drawer when it is opened.

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The drawers are lockable, covered in carpet and have machined alloy grab handles. Of course, they can be optioned with an MSA fridge slide on top, and there are provisions for attaching child restraints and seats, a cargo barrier and other accessories such as the power outlet end panel.

When bought as a model-specific kit like those fitted in our HiLux, they include side panels to meet up with the sides of the vehicle or ute tub. These spaces can be used for storage cubbyholes, air compressors or, as in the case of our fit-out, auxiliary batteries. We have two MSA battery boxes (↗) in our set-up and each has a Projecta lithium battery in it.

The MSA drawers do, in fact, roll out to their full length, so you can get to items in the far reaches of the drawer, and they are covered by a lifetime warranty from MSA.

One thing about the MSA Storage Drawers that goes unseen by most users is the fact they have been crash-tested to ensure their security in a vehicle accident. So not only are your possessions secured inside the drawers, but you can rest easy knowing the drawers themselves are secured as well.

The MSA Storage Drawers kit is available in 4×4 stores around the country (↗), so you should be able to source them locally.

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MSA 4×4 battery boxes add secure auxiliary power storage

As for those battery boxes, they are the large version of the MSA boxes, suitable to secure batteries up to N70 in size.

Made from 2mm powder-coated steel with an adjustable mounting plate and foam inserts to secure your battery, they are made to fit inside an MSA drawer or elsewhere. We have them stashed alongside the drawers in the space behind the wheel arches, where they are accessible by lifting out the infill panels.

The end panel of the battery box is drilled for mounting other accessories such as a DC-DC charger, air compressor or any other accessory that needs to be secured out of the way. It’s clever detail like this that shows MSA products are designed and made by people who use them, and who have the means to create quality solutions.

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