18' Series The Old Toolbox Debate

[Jeremy Johnson]

Finished this on the weekend. If I could weld, it would have cost about $700. Final cost, just over $900. Tried to get a custom made box and prices were about double that. Took the cheap option. Quite happy with the result. Fits gas bottles, Weber Q, generator, should we choose, and some other misc items.

 

[Drover]

Thats a tidy set up but what is the thing everyone seems to have with gas bottles in boxes, I've actually found having them in the open to be better than when they where in a box.

 

[Jeremy Johnson]

Looked at installing them in front of the box but that would have been more work/welding/adjusting brackets to fit? I reused the existing gas bottle holders in the box, even used the same bolts. Still have plenty of room and plenty of extra storage. I do see your point though. @Drover

 

[bigcol]

my like that - very nice...........

well, @Drover by having them IN the box - they are better protected than being outside
yes its annoying to turn on & off all the time
but
sticky fingers & thieving snots cannot "borrow" nore can they damage them

 

[Drover]

Oh yeah I like the job just mentioning the bottles in general.............not going to go off topic though.

 

[Dobbie]

I like it too....having spent hours talking to toolbox people.

My concern, maybe unnecessary, is the need for some sort of stone protection.

I reckon the stones would bounce off the box and cause damage without a stone guard of some sort....that's why I'm still talking with manufacturers as I want a stone guard.

But getting closer.

 

[achjimmy]

I've tried a variation of three boxes on the front of our vans. First a big plastic box, second the ultimate with slide and drawers for BBQ and gen set to allow the bed to drop down in the Expanda. That was great but the weight killed the single axle vans ball loading and payload And now the third, just a basic kinchrome gull wing tool box $500 off the shelf with a few home grown mods. So far the best it's waterproof enough, holds the generator, fuel, BBQ camp oven and bits and bobs. Yes I had to move the gas bottles and it wouldn't as good as a side opening on an Expanda but then with drawers a side opening is a cluster ...... And you can't find anything and with drawers there goes your payload!

 

[achjimmy]

I like it too....having spent hours talking to toolbox people.

My concern, maybe unnecessary, is the need for some sort of stone protection.

I reckon the stones would bounce off the box and cause damage without a stone guard of some sort....that's why I'm still talking with manufacturers as I want a stone guard.

But getting closer.

Stonestomper can't go past em. The stone shields work well if you make ur own so it covers and clears everything but then they also end up heavy. Additionally what we found was an improvement in economy going from a vertical stone Shield to a stomper

 

[MickL]

Has anyone worked out how much weight from the actual tool box ends up transferring to the ball weight prior to packing it? I'm looking at 3 different tool boxes which come in @ 30kg for a 1550 wide and @ 36kg for a 1750 wide or 1650 gull wing. All could work for me as I mainly want it for the Weber and shade walls etc but don't want to overload the front too much....

 

[Dobbie]

That's how our dilemma with the toolbox started.

We estimated a full size box (up to 1.8m in length) and up to 0.5 m high would increase the ball weight by about 20. Add the contents of the box and it could go up by that much again.

That could be wrong but we put a set of ball weight scales on, loaded the draw bar with whatever we could find around the 50kg weight and in approx the same position the box would be and that was our scientific experiment.

So we didn't get the box!

 

[MickL]

Yeh I'm leaning towards the smaller lighter box for that reason alone. Just trying to thing of any other ways to carry the weber etc as I'm adding 25kg+ in box just to carry a 10kg item! Seems crazy! Having said that though if I go the diesel heater it will give me somewhere to stick the fuel tank and also will keep things neat and tidy so might be worth it....

 

[Dobbie]

We tried a temporary weber storage with a plastic crate...relatively strong...and Weber size. Then cut up two polystyrene containers, one to place the weber on and the other to go over the top. That kept the Weber immovable in the crate.

We then added angle iron to the draw bar and a stone shield. The crate sat on the angle iron and the base of the stone shield and the whole thing was strapped down over the lid.

That temporary approach lasted over 18 months with no movement at all and travelled over 15,000 kms.

Temporary became permanent and addition to ball weight was negligible....about 5kgs.

It's not as secure as a proper lockable toolbox but it did work surprisingly well.

Wouldn't suit everybody but we are very very careful with weight.

 

[Jeremy Johnson]

We have a stone stomper for the van also and it works great.

Tool boxes 34 kg, frame 6 kg.

We will take it to Jayco and get a confirmed ball weight amount from previous to now. I don't think the weight is proportionate. IE add 40kg on drawbar at rear, might only add 20 kg to ball weight? That is not fact by the way, just a guess as weight is not right on the end of the draw bar? Happy to be informed though.

My biggest issue was carrying the weber in the small door and taking out, that was one of the main reasons for getting the boxes. The second big reason was for extra storage, the front storage was a nightmare for me being disorganised!!!! Sullage hoses, power cables, kids chairs and table, water hoses, all light but bulky will go in the front boxes now.

 

[bigcol]

because I moved my spare wheel to the back & made a fold down holder... by the time I added the tool box and the "good quality gear" in the tool box, it was about 10-20kgs heavier on the ball....

@Jeremy Johnson a few people on here mount the chairs & tables under the lid for the beds..... clears up room inside & in the front box as well.....

 

[Jeremy Johnson]

Hi @bigcol , I have looked at the above option, mounting tables under lid. Would love to do it. I feel that there is not enough room between the bed bottom and lid?. We have a 16 model, and it looks pretty tight. Do you know if this will work with the 2016's?

 

[Dobbie]

It's a great idea and many have done it successfully....including some from WA.

Pool noodles were a popular added extra, I think.

I also measured for a 16.49.3 and felt it was a bit tight so found it easier to set up the back of the vehicle with a shelf so the tables etc could just slide in easily.

Glad I did as my drilling skills would have probably caused more problems than I would have saved.

 

[17triton]

Hi @bigcol , I have looked at the above option, mounting tables under lid. Would love to do it. I feel that there is not enough room between the bed bottom and lid?. We have a 16 model, and it looks pretty tight. Do you know if this will work with the 2016's?

The blowmould tables from Bunnings are pretty thin and should fit in ok. I got a bit of aluminium chanel and sat the table in that and held the top in with a couple of small padbolts. It could stay under the bed if not needed.

 

[bigcol]

We have a 16 model, and it looks pretty tight. Do you know if this will work with the 2016's?

well, its hard to say, as my 16.49.1 is a 2013 model, and there is plenty of room

I put a piece of ali angle for the table to sit on, and have the 2 straps from either side
on the front bed is the same, but the annex mat travels there
I think there is a picture on my build page

 

[spiderpig]

Ive already moved our spare from the draw bar to under the rear of the van in preparation for one day mounting a toolbox on the drawbar, moving the spare should hopefully offset alot of the weight added to the towball weight by the tool box + extras in it.

I think im pretty keen on a front door drop down box, like the ones built for under trays of utes etc, that way it can still be accessed with bed end down, like this one but wider, https://www.toolex.com.au/products/511132

Think i would prefer to mount the bottles on the outside of the box, that way i dont have any ventilation issues, but not sure how i would make the supports strong enough on the outside ends of the box to hold the gas bottles strongly. (I dont trust the box wall to be strong enough to mount the gas bottle bracket directly to it. So with this in mind i can see why a full width box with the bottles inside is a good option and its not like its that hard to sort the ventilation out. Mounting bottles in front of the box on the drawbar isn't really an option with our standard length draw bar.

I like a couple of custom made ones ive seen on here so might end up going that way, will prob kick myself if i try and do it on the cheap and go a pre-built box that isn't up to the task....

 

[spiderpig]

These are the 2 custom design boxes i like the most,