Rear view of a custom Toyota HiAce drawer system with Easy Access shelving slide and vacuum cleaner mount

Cool For Summer: Custom HiAce Tradie Fit-Out With Drawer Fridge

October 16, 2026

A drawer fridge in a work van? On a hot day between jobs, it makes plenty of sense. This custom Toyota HiAce fit-out from the Lawson Automotive vault combines organised tool storage with a fridge that opens straight out of the sliding door.

It is a good example of a “Cool For Summer” tradie setup: cold drinks and lunch within reach, drawers for the working gear, and an Easy Access shelving slide that brings larger equipment out of the van.

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Drawer Fridge And Slim Drawer At The Side Door

The Kings drawer fridge sits beneath a slim storage drawer, beside a deeper divided drawer. The fridge opens directly through the sliding door, so there is no need to unload equipment from the top to reach what is inside.

The slim drawer uses the space above the fridge for flatter items. Drawer-top shelving adds another level of accessible storage above the system, keeping the fridge and drawer functions together in a compact side-door layout.

Kings drawer fridge and divided storage drawer extended from the HiAce sliding door — Side-door access to the drawer fridge and divided storage drawer.

Drawers Accessible From Both Sliding Doors

This custom layout has one main storage drawer on the driver's side and two on the passenger side, along with the separate slim drawer above the fridge. Dividers help organise smaller tools and equipment rather than leaving everything in one large compartment.

At the rear, twin drawers sit below a carpeted load deck. Access from the rear and both sides gives the customer different places for different equipment, with each opening chosen around how the van is used.

Easy Access Shelving With A Vacuum Cleaner Position

The rear Easy Access shelving slide is fitted on the driver's side. Shortened shelves leave space at the outer end for the customer's vacuum cleaner, bringing it out with the shelving when the slide is extended.

That is the useful part of a custom design: the shelving is arranged around the equipment that actually needs to travel in the van. A bulky item gets its own position, while the remaining shelves still provide accessible storage.

Rear storage drawer open beside the extended Easy Access shelving and vacuum cleaner platform — A rear drawer extended beside the custom Easy Access shelving and vacuum platform.

A Custom Tradie Fit-Out, Built Around The Working Day

For this customer, the combination brings together tool organisation, larger-equipment access and a convenient place for food and drinks. It is a custom build rather than a standard fixed package, and the photos show how the individual parts work together.

If you are planning a similar setup, start with the tools and equipment you carry, which doors you use most, and whether a fridge belongs in your daily work routine. We can then discuss the layout, available space and any existing power arrangements.