The bins were the containers around which I built my storage drawer and cabinet frame. The photographs show them sitting in the drawer and pulled out with the assembly.
My storage bins positioned in the custom rubber-lined drawer.
Why I bought it
I wanted a storage system for tools, hardware and the other items I used while working on the van. The HOMZ bins were part of the materials for that system.
The idea was to organize equipment in containers carried by a custom drawer. I began with a SketchUp layout and a timber setup on the patio that represented the roof dimensions, then worked on the drawer and cabinet around the bins.
How I used it in my camper van
I made a timber box frame for the drawer, attached its base, and lined the inside with rubber matting. The cabinet frame was arranged to hold two rows of storage-bin drawers.
I fitted drawer slides between the cabinet and drawer, then placed the bins in the assembly. One photograph shows the containers sitting in the lined drawer; another shows the drawer extended out from the timber frame.
The drawer extended from the timber cabinet frame with the bins in place.
My review
The bins gave the storage project a concrete starting point: the containers had to sit in the drawer and remain accessible when it was pulled out. That relationship between container, drawer and cabinet is the useful part of my experience with them.
Working with the bins in the actual assembly also made the project easier to visualize than a list of dimensions alone. The photographs show how much of this stage was fitting separate storage pieces together.
The containers, drawer and cabinet were developed together as one storage arrangement.
Alternative products
Two alternatives to compare
Rubbermaid Roughneck and Sterilite Industrial totes offer other lidded container designs. Their sizes, lid shapes and handles differ from the bins in my assembly. For this kind of project, the container footprint and access to its lid influence the drawer and cabinet layout.
Rubbermaid Roughneck Storage Totes
These lidded plastic totes provide enclosed storage for tools, supplies and household equipment. Their molded handles and stackable form offer another bin arrangement for organizing loose items.
These plastic utility totes combine a storage bin with a removable lid. Their stackable shape provides another container option for organizing equipment and supplies.
