Tested: Expedition 134 storage boxes

There's no denying that a good set of vehicle-mounted four-wheel drive storage drawers are great for keeping things organised on long-distance trips and general day-to-day off-roading.

However, when you are an off-road journo like myself, the reality is you often find yourself jumping from vehicle to vehicle, yet still need to bring the same gear out on trips as you would in your own 4WD. This was my reasoning for purchasing two Expedition 134 storage tubs four years ago at the Sydney 4x4 show, to build myself a neat little portable storage solution.

So why did I decide to buy these units instead of just going to the local hardware store and buying any old storage tub? Honestly, the only answers I have here revolve around the quality of this product and the fact they are Australian made.

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These tubs will outlast cockroaches, they are so well constructed. I can safely say I don’t think I’ll ever need to replace them, which in today’s throwaway society, is a rare and glorious thing. They also have a fair amount of useful features, which might sound crazy that a box has features other than just being somewhere to store your gear, but hear me out.

They are made in Australia on the Sunshine Coast, by actual four-wheel drivers to start with. Secondly, there is no metal used in the construction, which means there’s nothing to rust or rattle down the track. Not that these would ever rust, thanks to the inbuilt weather seal which does an impressive job of keeping all water and dust outside the storage box, meaning you can store precious cargo such as camera gear inside without fear of it getting damaged in bad weather.

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With no metal used in the construction, the Expedition 134 storage boxes are also super light, especially when you consider just how tough they are; the manufacture even lists a load rating of 120kg for the lid, making the Expedition 124 storage boxes a multipurpose tool – I’ve used them as a step or a seat more times than I can remember.

Not that I’ve used this feature too often, as I tend to store the tubs inside my 4WD, but if you do need to strap them to your rack, it’s a piece of cake to do so. The Expedition 134 storage tubs have external tie-down points built-in, which is brilliant to see.

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What else is brilliant (I know it’s a box, but I really like these things) is the fact you can tie down the storage tubs, and still open the lids if you need to access something inside. This is a feature worth its weight in gold, as having to untie items from the roof rack multiple times a day gets really old, really quick. They are also stackable, which just shows you how much thought has gone in to the design and manufacturing process.

In terms of negatives, there’s nothing I’d personally change about the actual product. I’m confident I’ll have these two storage boxes for as long as I’m four-wheel driving. Something that is worth mentioning is the price.

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This is a premium product, and as such it’s certainly not cheap coming in at $179 each. But when you consider the quality, the fact they are Australian made, and that if you were to ever have an issue with say a plastic latch for example, you’ll be able to contact the company for parts instead of chucking the box in the bin and buying another cheap tub from the hardware store.

I’ll have these for life, and if you are in the market for a portable storage solution, I reckon you should take a look at the 55L storage tubs from Expedition 134. Oh, and for anyone playing along at home, they are just big enough that you can fit an entire full-size Ozpig inside. Neat, hey.

AVAILABLE FROM: expedition134.com
RRP: $179