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GU Patrol Rear Drawers DIY (with Fridge Slide)
The GU Patrol (Y61) is one of the most-built touring wagons in NZ and Australia, and the patrol4x4 forum has years of DIY drawer builds. This guide pulls together what works: the dimensions to check, how to deal with the uneven rear floor, mounting points, and a realistic budget with a fridge slide.
Dimensions: measure, then compare
RigBlueprint's vehicle research file records these GU figures. Both come from an owner forum post and are rated low confidence, so treat them as a starting point and check them with your own tape:
| Measurement | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Width between wheel arches | 1115mm | nissanpatrol.com.au forum archive (via vehicles.json) |
| Cargo floor length, rear seats up | 915mm | same |
There's a useful cross-check from a commercial product: MSA's GU double drawer system is listed at 1045mm long, with each drawer 530mm wide and 275mm high (PPD Performance listing, recorded in vehicles.json). Those are product dimensions, not vehicle dimensions, but they show what fits.
Measure the width at the height your carcass will sit. The GU's side trim and arch covers aren't square, and owners report different usable widths depending on whether they cut around the trim. The measuring guide shows where to measure, and the GU vehicle page has the full dataset.
Height depends on how far your rear seats recline. The taller the unit, the shorter it has to be to clear the seat backs. Check with the seats in the position you actually use.
Layout: drawer + fridge slide
The most common GU layout is one drawer on one side and a fridge slide on the other, with a flat top for soft gear.
- Fridge bay: size it to your fridge footprint plus the slide's frame. See 12V fridges for footprints. A bought slide saves a lot of fiddling: the Kings medium (up to 60L, 100kg, twin locking runners) is A$139 or NZ$189; the Dune 20–60L is A$149 at Anaconda (RigBlueprint retail_prices.json, 16 Oct 2026).
- Drawer bay: give it the rest of the width.
- Vent the fridge. One GU builder jigsawed air holes in the side panel next to the fridge (patrol4x4).
Dealing with the uneven floor
The GU's rear floor isn't flat. Owners have handled it three ways (patrol4x4: GU III rear drawers):
- Full ply base (one owner used 15mm) bolted to the child-restraint mounts.
- Strips: three 100mm-wide strips across the low spots, building up from those, with L-brackets into the third-row seat bolt holes. This is lighter and cheaper.
- Levelling boards along the front and rear edges of the unit.
Mounting points
Use the factory anchors, never just friction:
- Cargo tie-down points: Kings' fitting instructions for their drawers in a GU use the factory tie-down bolt holes. They discard the hooks, keep the bolts, use thread-locker and fit flat washers (4WD Supacentre fitting PDF).
- Third-row seat bolt holes: an alternative anchor (same PDF).
- Child-restraint anchors: used by forum builders (see above). Check you still have a restraint point for any child seat you'll fit.
Recess the bolt heads and washers so they sit below the base surface. One builder spade-bits the holes so the base sits flat (patrol4x4). Fit a cargo barrier as well. A patrol4x4 member recommends one "no matter what else you do" (patrol4x4).
Budget
Owner-reported GU builds (older prices, AUD):
- Under A$500: 2 sheets of 12mm marine ply ($150), 2 pairs of 100kg 900mm runners ($200), marine carpet ($50), screws, glue and latches (patrol4x4).
- Under A$660: drawer and fridge-slide unit, estimated at 45–55kg built (patrol4x4).
Current prices (retail_prices.json, 16 Oct 2026; ply_prices.md, 15 Oct 2026):
| Item | NZ | AU |
|---|---|---|
| 12mm ply sheet | NZ$57.50 | A$46.00 |
| Drawer runner pair, 1000mm | NZ$105.67 | A$99.97 lockable |
| Drawer runner pair, 800mm | NZ$88.87 | A$139.81 extra heavy duty |
| Fridge slide (Kings medium) | NZ$189 | A$139 |
| Latches, handles, trim | see drawer hardware | same |
For comparison, a bought Titan 1070mm drawer system (wagon size) is NZ$1,150 (retail_prices.json).
Build tips from GU owners
- Make the side-boxing templates before the unit goes in. You won't do it afterwards (patrol4x4).
- Rout shallow slots for the panels (4mm x 12mm) for a stronger, squarer carcass, and screw every 100mm (same thread).
- Fit and test the fridge slide on the base before you add the side panels.
- It's a two-person lift. Plan how you'll get it in.
Related
- GU Patrol vehicle page · GQ Patrol
- Free DIY ute drawer plans: the same cut-list method works for wagons
- DIY ute drawers on a budget
- Gear: recovery gear · camp kitchen · portable power