Situation
A US-based RV manufacturer was designing a cargo drawer system for overland vehicles. Each drawer could hold up to 225 kg of recovery gear, tools and supplies, and the slide had to lock reliably when closed so drawers did not slide open during steep climbs or abrupt stops.
The existing 500 lb-rated slides on the market used external slam-latches that added cost and installation time. The customer wanted the locking function integrated into the slide itself, with a single release action from the front of the drawer.
Because the vehicles are used in desert and snow environments, the mechanism also had to resist dust ingress and operate from -20 °C to 60 °C without binding.
Engineering response
We adapted our 76 mm heavy-duty locking slide to a customer-specific closed length and added a positive-action lever release at the front of the inner member. The lock cam engages automatically at full closure and is released by lifting the lever, allowing one-handed operation.
To handle dust we added flexible wipers at the front of each ball race and used a high-temperature grease rated for -40 °C to 120 °C. The lever spring was switched to stainless steel to avoid fatigue in cold conditions.
We provided a fitted sample mounted to the customer’s actual drawer box for a 2,000-mile road test before releasing the production drawing.
Verification
Real figures from the project file.
Outcome
The drawer system passed the road test with zero unintended openings and no lock-release failures.
The customer launched the overland package as a premium option and has ordered 6,000 pairs annually across two drawer sizes. Warranty claims for cargo-drawer movement have dropped to nearly zero, and the integrated lock has become a key selling point in the marketing literature.