The brilliant TruckVault product blends into the cargo spaces of sport utility vehicles, light trucks or vans and even the trunks of some sedans. Once bolted to the floor, the carpeted, unit hides any evidence of the secure drawers until a door or lift gate is opened. Indeed, the TruckVault has long been popular with gun owners and law enforcement agencies. Now, it promises to become an essential accessory for digital photographers in the new millennium.

I’ve learned that it pays to give myself plenty of time in the field. Invariably, when I lift the tailgate on a job to reveal the hidden drawers, I hear immediate exclamations and questions about this unique product from other photographers. I always try to answer their questions, but finally started carrying and handing out TruckVault brochures, just so that I could get to the work at hand. An average installation ranges from about $900- to $1,500 for an SUV (depending on the vehicle and options purchased) and can securely hold two camera systems with lenses, tripods, light stands, small strobes, a laptop and many accessories.

TruckVault models are available in two exterior heights (7.5-inch Regular and the
12-inch Magnum. Custom units can be made to order for an additional fee.

A special order is worth considering, since the interior drawer height of the Regular TruckVault model is too short for most professional, SLR-type cameras and lenses. The Magnum, on the other hand, can hold a set of golf clubs (with shoulder bag) but may be too tall for most shooters’ camera gear. Length and width varies with vehicle specifications. (The company offers several other innovative storage products, including a TrunkVault for sedans and the SeatVault, which bolts under the rear bench seat of most extended-cab pickups.)

My TruckVault is a custom, two-drawer, 10.25-inch (exterior height) unit. This is slightly shorter than the Magnum model. Medium and large format cameras might benefit from the taller, Magnum design, but a Vault with a lower, interior drawer height is better for smaller camera systems.

In fact, determining your ideal interior drawer height requirement may be essential to getting the most out of the product. My TruckVault drawers, for example, have 8 inches of interior height. But they could have been as short as 7.25 inches and still accommodated my 35mm SLR or digital cameras and big barrel lenses. A reduced height also lowers the platform above the drawers, and that, in turn, allows extra equipment cases such as strobes, light stands or hot lights to be easily stored on top while leaving room for the driver to see out a back window.