Locking Drawer Slides – 60kg ‘Achillies Series’

Light duty locking drawer slide rated to 60kg’s. Available in lengths 350mm to 800mm. Perfect for Caravans and Camper Trailers. Commonly used for toolbox drawers.

Everything you need to know about light duty drawer slides

The Dunn & Watson light duty drawer slides are ideal for camper trailers, Utes, canopies and caravans, and are usually used for toolboxes or drawer systems that require a maximum 60kg load capacity. They are designed with a full extension for easy access to items at the back of the drawers, whilst the locking feature ensures that they don’t suddenly open or close while in transit or parked on a slope. We also have drawer slides with larger load capacities: medium duty 125kg loving drawer slides and heavy duty 227kg locking drawer slides.

What sizes are available?

These light duty drawer slides are available in 350mm to 800mm closed lengths and extensions (see chart below). This means that if you select a 400mm closed extension drawer slide, it will also open to the full extension of 400mm. However, because they are locking drawer slides you need to add an additional 25mm to these lengths to account for the trigger lever located at the end of each slide. So once you have measured the space for your new drawer slides, add 25mm to these figures.

One word of caution is that the longer the closed length and the longer the extension of the drawer slides, the lighter the load capacity. So for example if you decide that a drawer slide with a 350mm closed length with a 350mm extension suits your needs, then the weight capacity of the drawer slides will be 60kg. However, if you prefer a 800mm closed length and a 800mm extension, then the weight capacity of the drawer slides will only be 35kg (see chart below). With so many different lengths and extensions, you shouldn’t have any problems finding the exact drawer slide for your job, but if you still can’t find the right size, give us a call and we can customise a drawer slide for your specific requirements.

Features of our locking light duty drawer slides

• Available in closed lengths and extensions starting from 350mm to 800mm.
• Drawer slides are zinc plated and provide full extensions.
• Trigger lever adds 25mm to the overall closed length of each slide.
• Weight rating based on 500mm square drawer.
• Each purchase contains a PAIR of 60kg locking drawer slides.

Why do I need locking light duty drawer slides?

Dunn & Watson also sell non-locking drawer slides, so you can decide which type of slide is best for your job. The only difference between locking and non-locking slides is the fact that one locks into place and the other doesn’t. Non-locking light duty drawer slides are used extensively throughout the canopy, camper trailer and caravan industries and they are very popular, particularly when the drawers have a front fascia (in this case you can’t access the trigger lever of a locking drawer slide). However, you can add a key lock to these non-locking drawers to prevent them from opening in transit or when you are parked on a slope. The problem is that once they are unlocked with the key, they can freely slide back and forth when you are driving, parked on a slope or if they are knocked. 

This is where our locking slides take precedent because they remain in the open or closed position due to their locking feature. So if you forget to close the drawer and start driving, the drawer won’t open any further and it won’t close; the drawer will remain in the exact same position you left it until you unlock the slide with the trigger lever and either open it fully or close it completely. So the locking feature is a big safety feature, not only keeping your items safely stowed in the drawers, but also preventing people from being injured by drawers suddenly opening or closing.

Our locking light duty drawer slides are very easy to use. You simply press down on the orange trigger lever at the front of each slide and pull the slide towards you to open the drawer; when the drawer reaches the fully extended position it will lock into place. To close the drawer you press down on the trigger lever again and push the drawer closed; once it is fully closed it will lock into place. One point to note is that they only lock when fully open or closed, so always make sure that you don’t leave the drawers lightly open or not completely closed. 

How do I know what size drawer slides to order?

To correctly select the right sizes drawer slides for your job, you need to consider the depth of the space you have available. So if you have 600mm depth available in the back of your Ute for a drawer, then the 600mm drawer slides won’t fit. That’s because you need to add the additional 25mm for the trigger lever, so you will need the 550mm closed length and extension slides, not the 600mm option. 

The next measurement you need to consider is the actual extension of the drawer itself. The recommended minimum extension you need is 70%, because anything less than this means that you won’t be able to easily reach items at the back of the drawer. Also remember that the longer the extension, the weaker the drawer slide and the less weight it can tolerate (as mentioned above). So you might need to compromise between the extension you want and the amount of weight that extension can tolerate (see chart below).

Another factor to consider is the items you’ll be storing in these drawers. That’s because if you want to store lots of small items in the drawer, then you don’t want to struggle to reach them at the back of the drawer. In this case you want a drawer slide that offers a full extension. On the other hand, if you want to store large items in the drawer, then you might opt for a slide with a smaller extension, because these items will be easy to remove from the drawer. So the three factors to consider when selecting your light duty drawer slides are the extension and carrying capacity you require and what you will store in the drawers. 

These Dunn & Watson locking light duty drawer slides have a 60kg weight capacity and are available in a number of different sizes. They are ideal for caravans, camper trailers, Utes and canopies, providing easy access to the contents of your drawers and keeping them locked in place when fully open or completely closed.