Nearly a decade after launching what has to be the market's most recognized pickup drawer system, the innovators at Decked are back with a new-and-improved lineup split into midsize and full-size truck drawer systems. The Idaho crew has taken feedback from among its quarter-million customers, creating drawers that find the ultimate balance in organization, payload friendliness and go-anywhere off-grid ruggedness. Meet Decked, the Second Generation.
Since launching in 2014, Decked has built itself into a top name in pickup truck organization. Not only does its dual-drawer system bring glove-like fit and fast-access organization into pickup truck models of all styles and sizes, it offers ultra-durable HDPE and steel construction that holds up to the elements and handles up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of deck-top storage. So you get the flat box floor you already love, albeit a little higher, plus a pair of 200-lb-rated (91-kg) drawers locked up behind the tailgate.
We've checked the Decked drawers out at various shows and can confirm the smooth operation and general bombproof look and feel. In fact, we imagine the company could do nothing for years and continue selling first-gen drawer systems to eager buyers like it was going out of business next week. Instead, it's been closely tracking customer feedback through more than 250,000 sales and channeling its findings into a proper second-generation redesign.
“After 10 years of listening to the feedback from our most rigorous testers and critics, and constantly improving the products we were selling, it was time to scrap the old playbook and start over from scratch," Decked marketing VP Greg Randolph said in this month's announcement. "That meant redesigning the product the way we knew it needed to be built. This is a total redesign with new molds and tools as well as our very own in-house manufacturing."
The biggest change comes in a proper split into two distinct products, one for full-size pickups (and cargo vans) and one for midsize trucks. The midsize version undergoes the most dramatic overhaul, getting fully reimagined for the smaller pickup boxes and lower payloads of midsize trucks.
Instead of merely selling a downsized version of the full-size two-drawer system, the new midsize system has been developed from the ground up for midsize trucks. Decked has combined the two asymmetrical drawers of its previous midsize offering into a single 42-in-wide (107-cm) "super drawer" that stretches from wheel well to wheel well, better utilizing the bed's dimensions and eliminating wasted space. The drawer also gets 15% more extension out of the pickup for easier access to the last foot or so of drawer storage under the deck. The company says the new system offers 30% more drawer space in total.
Payload of the new midsize system shrinks in half to 1,000 lb (454 kg) to better align with the lower payload capabilities of the midsize truck market. The new single-drawer system does have the same overall 400-lb (181-kg) weight capacity as the pair of outgoing drawers, ensuring it can still carry all kinds of gear and tools. It weighs roughly 200 lb (91 kg).
The full-size double-drawer system doesn't get completely overhauled but does feature a less tapered drawer shape that's nearly square, adding 10% more cargo capacity to each drawer. Like the midsize system, it benefits from an extended pull length that delivers easier access inside. The 2,000-lb deck payload remains the same, and the unit weighs between 200 and 220 lb (91 and 100 kg), depending on bed length. Each drawer can handle 200 lb of cargo.
Both full- and midsize systems employ a new below-deck access configuration. Decked eliminates the triangular corner "ammo can" compartments, adding in side access panels atop the deck. This opens up storage cubbies for longer items, such as camping chairs, and also provides access to truck-integrated electrical outlets. While the previous cubbies included fixed storage compartments, removable storage canisters on the new design increase flexibility. Each compartment is covered with a lockable weatherproof top.
Another major update is the inclusion of eight deck-top tie-down rings on the full-size system and six on the midsize version. These tie-downs alleviate the problem of the Decked drawers hogging the truck's own bed tie-downs, offering a way of securing cargo stored on top. When not in use, the D-rings lay flat, countersunk into the deck top. Decked says that each one provides a 400-lb rating and steel-to-steel connection with the turnbuckles that secure the system to the truck bed.
Decked also says it's improved the impact resistance and waterproofing of the drawers. It still stresses that the system is not 100% airtight but says the redesign should better prevent contents from getting dirty from kicked-up dust and debris.
Finally, Decked has expanded its accompanying lineup of fully sealed dust/waterproof D-Co toolboxes and gear cases, offering six different sizes, each with a Stable Stack design that fits the bottoms neatly with the tops for versatile stacking. Several box models are also designed to fit neatly inside Decked drawers.
Made from mineral-reinforced polymer, the new box lineup appears to be an intriguing alternative to cargo boxes from the likes of Front Runner and Pelican. Decked says the boxes are tough enough to get run over by a truck and keep on hauling.
The new full-size and midsize Decked drawers retail for US$1,600. They are built in the US and include a lifetime warranty. D-Co box prices range between $90 and $300, depending on model.
Source: Decked
