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Anchoring Drawers and Load Restraint: What NZ and AU Rules Say

A drawer unit, fridge and gear can easily add up to well over 100kg sitting behind you. One NZ retailer's buyer guide puts it bluntly: "A loose 80kg drawer becomes a missile in a crash" (Shield Offroad).

This guide sets out what the official NZ and Australian guidance says, then how DIY builders can meet it.

This is general information, not legal or engineering advice. If you're unsure whether your mounting is strong enough, get it checked by a qualified person (for example a vehicle engineer or a canopy or fit-out specialist).

New Zealand: NZTA and the Land Transport Act

• The law: anyone driving or loading a vehicle "must ensure that any load carried in or on the vehicle… is secured and contained in such a manner that it cannot fall or escape from the vehicle" (Land Transport Act 1998, s 9).
• NZTA's light-vehicle guide (cars, vans, station wagons, utes, 4WDs and light trailers with a maximum laden weight under 3.5 tonnes, or loads under 500kg) says objects should be restrained by being "securely packed inside compartments that are rigidly attached to the vehicle", held in racks or frames "rigidly attached to the vehicle", or held by lashings to "appropriate anchorage points (rails, hooks or eyes)" (NZTA: Guide to safe loading and towing for light vehicles).
• Loads move in every direction: "forwards when the vehicle brakes, sideways when the vehicle turns, backwards when the vehicle accelerates, upwards when the vehicle goes over bumps" (same guide).
• Lashings: combined lashing capacity of "at least twice the weight of the load", with a minimum of two lashings. If only breaking strength is shown, lashing capacity is half of it (same guide).
• Inside wagons: "Seat backs (especially folding seats) may not be strong enough to restrain a load placed behind them." Options include lashings to anchorage points fitted within the vehicle, a load retaining wall or beam, or a full or partial cargo barrier constructed to AS/NZS 4034.1 or 4034.2 (2001). Also: "Don't rely on the 'grip' (friction) between an object and the floor" (same guide).
• WoF and modifications: We couldn't find a "self-certifying" category in NZTA's Vehicle Inspection Requirements Manual (VIRM). What the VIRM says is that "All modifications must meet WoF or CoF requirements. However, not every modification requires LVV certification." Modifications listed in the VIRM tables don't need low volume vehicle (LVV) certification unless they exceed a certain level, and above that level a WoF can't be issued until LVV certification is done. The manual also lets an inspector refuse to inspect a vehicle that "has an insecure load" (NZTA VIRM: In-service certification, Introduction, section 3). So whether or not a drawer fit-out needs certification, the vehicle still has to meet WoF requirements. If your fit-out touches seats, seatbelt anchorages or vehicle structure, ask your WoF inspector or an LVV certifier whether it needs certification.

Australia: NTC Load Restraint Guide for Light Vehicles

• Which rules apply: the laws in QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS, SA and the ACT refer to the Load Restraint Guide for Light Vehicles (2018), and you must comply with the performance standards on page 19 of the guide (NTC). NT and WA have their own references (same NTC page), so check your state.
• Performance standards: the guide's summary says a restraint system must be able to withstand 80% of the weight of the load forwards, 50% sideways and rearwards, and 20% upwards (if the load isn't fully contained) (NTC Load Restraint Guide for Light Vehicles 2018, PDF, p. 2). The legal wording on p. 19 expresses these as 0.8 g deceleration forwards, 0.5 g deceleration rearwards and 0.5 g acceleration sideways, each applied separately. The 0.2 g vertical figure applies "if friction or limited vertical displacement is relied on" (same PDF, p. 19).
• Containing: a ute tray can contain a load if the load's centre of gravity sits under the side of the tray. Heavy items may still need separate tie-down or other direct restraint (same PDF, p. 13). Tool boxes connected to the vehicle and cargo barriers are also listed as ways to contain a load (same page).
• Penalties: you can be fined "even if your load doesn't come loose" (Transport Victoria).

What 80% forwards means for a drawer unit: the restraint on an 80kg loaded unit must be able to withstand a forward force equal to 80% of its weight (about 64kg-force). The NTC says loads restrained to the performance standards won't fall off under expected driving conditions, including emergency braking and minor collisions (PDF, p. 2). That's why screws into thin sheet metal, adhesive, or relying on the unit's own weight aren't enough.

How DIY builders meet it

The official guides don't prescribe specific hardware for drawer mounts. Below is common practice from builders and fit-out suppliers. It isn't a certified method.

1. Use factory anchor points first. In wagons, use the cargo tie-down bolt holes or the third-row seat mounts. 4WD Supacentre's fitting guide for its Titan drawers in a GU Patrol uses the factory tie-down hook bolts, with thread-locking compound and the supplied flat washers, and names the third-row seat bolt holes as another option (4WD Supacentre PDF).
2. In tubs and trays, through-bolt with high-tensile bolts and spreader or backing plates where the mounting surface is thin, so the load goes into the tub or canopy structure rather than through lining or carpet (Oz Canopies, a retailer). Seal every hole.
3. Rivnuts (nutserts) "go in like a pop rivet but [are] a nut to bolt down to" (Tinker Design canopy build), so they're useful where you can't reach behind the panel. They're only as strong as the sheet they're in, so spread the load with a plate.
4. Bolt the drawer and fridge slide to the unit, and the unit to the vehicle. A fridge slide that's only screwed into ply can tear out.
5. Add a cargo barrier in wagons. NZTA lists AS/NZS 4034-compliant barriers as an option (NZTA guide, above). A patrol4x4 member advises: "Fit a cargo barrier no matter what else you do" (patrol4x4).
6. Latch every drawer and lid. See drawer hardware for latches.
7. Restrain heavy gear inside and on top. Fridges strap to the slide's tie-downs. Water and batteries need proper brackets (see water storage and portable power). Recovery gear goes in a bag or box that's strapped down (see recovery gear).

Quick check before every trip

• Mounting bolts tight? Check after the first corrugated trip, too.
• Drawers latched, and fridge strapped?
• Nothing loose on top of the drawers above the tub sides or seat backs?
• Lashing capacity at least twice the load weight (NZTA)?

Related

• Canopy false floor: bolting through the floor
• GU Patrol rear drawers DIY: mounting points in a wagon
• What ply for ute drawers
• Drawer runners compared

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