Rubbermaid storage container mounted to front platform

sbhtennis

I wanted a low cost way to add some storage to the front platform. This Rubbermaid container has stayed waterproof and was a doable project for a novice mechanical person. Also inexpensive. Got the fasteners at Home Depot and the container from Amazon. It can be locked if you use teeny locks. Or you can zip tie it closed. I will just put some water bottles and a short hose and water filter etc in it. 

I hope I resized the photos correctly.


From top to bottom and left to right:

The Trailer platform the storage container is going on

The 4 holes that I drilled into the bottom of the container to line up with the big holes on  the platform

My 2” bolt, lock washer, flat washer and fender washer ( the big one) and 3/8” nut

Inserting bolt and flat washer into inside of container 

On the underside of the platform I placed the Fender washer , locking washer and nut

Fender washers covering up all 4 holes and bolts tightened- I read not to over tighten lock washers so just mostly a moderate tightness with my wrench 

For insurance I added another nut to the bolt

The final product 


I have not yet driven with this. I will add a strap around it attached to the trailer as extra insurance from any loosening of hardware, but it seems quite secure. 

Tabaz

SBH - I did the same thing years ago.  The only problem I had was how to lock it.  After much trial and error, I came up with this:


A little clumsy, but works like a charm.  The washers keep the handles from sliding down and releasing the lid. No need for additional strapping.  The tub isn't going anywhere.

bergger

Nice job.  I also mount the 8 gallon action packers on the platform of my 2021 400.  They work great.  I bought all the hardware to bolt them down then ended up just using a ratchet strap as I realized I like to remove the often for loading and moving them around camp.  

db_cooper

I did the same, but used giant zip ties to attach to the bottom and one to the vertical U shaped rail.  I drilled holes for water to drain out as well.  I use a cheap luggage lock, that doesn't really lock it (if you open from the other side first it will open up),  but it is there to keep honest people honest.  I only keep leveling blocks and other cheap stuff in there,  very handy.

sbhtennis

@Tabaz. That’s a great idea 

Tabaz

SBH - looking at the above photos, I noticed that the washer may be on the wrong prong of the lock.  However, I've had the same setup for a few years now, so maybe the handles don't slide down regardless of which prong the washers are on.  Hmm.

4ncar

@sbhtennis: you say your a novice, but your solution is sound! Buen trabajo!

sbhtennis

@Tabaz. Do you mean the split washer might have a right and wrong side?  I’ll research it 

Tabaz

No need for research - I just went out and pushed both handles down as far as they would go with the washers on the "wrong" prong.  Using super human strength, the lid would not budge.  So it looks like either lock prong will keep the lid from releasing.  This begs the question "Are locks even needed to keep the lids on in transit?"  Answer - from Tommy Lee Jones in the water tunnel with Harrison Ford in the movie Fugitive - "I don't care."

PNWtabber

I like this solution.  A little concern if the boxes I bought at Costco might be too "brittle" of plastic to mount in this way, but they were cheap, so perhaps I'll give it a try.

I thought I would just bungee cord the boxes to the platform, but the edges of the holes in the platform are surprisingly sharp and started shredding the bungee cords immediately.  No telling how long they would last.

@db_cooper -- how have your zip ties held up on the bottom?

bergger

When I mounted mine I wanted to avoid drilling holes in them.  I simply ratchet strap them to the platform.  They have never moved at all, the lids are held on tight and everything has stayed bone dry in them.  Since I only have firewood, charcoal and other fire/cooking stuff in them this allows me to remove them easily at camp and carry them over to the area I am cooking or building fire.  I keep nothing of great value in them. 

PNWtabber

bergger said:

When I mounted mine I wanted to avoid drilling holes in them.  I simply ratchet strap them to the platform.  They have never moved at all, the lids are held on tight and everything has stayed bone dry in them.  Since I only have firewood, charcoal and other fire/cooking stuff in them this allows me to remove them easily at camp and carry them over to the area I am cooking or building fire.  I keep nothing of great value in them. 

I am considering straps, as well.  I mostly want to store my leveling blocks and such, so they are easily accessible and keep the filthy things out of the trailer and car.  They get pretty muddy in the PNW rain.

PNWtabber

@bergger -- do you run the straps through the holes in the platform?  If so, how do they stand up to the abrasion?  I was surprised at how sharp the edges are.

VictoriaP

@PNWtabber Straps should be run around the bins and platform, not through the holes. Going through the platform holes will eventually wear through anything fabric or plastic. But be aware that the angled supports beneath the front and rear edges of the side platforms can also be sharp.

Honestly, bolting first my ActionPackers and then my Seabiscuit bins down to the platform ranks as one of the easiest projects I’ve tackled, and it’s been WAY easier to open and close those bins than the one I ratchet strap to the front section of the platform. I wouldn’t hesitate to bolt them down; standing out in the PNW mud and rain while dealing with wet straps is a nuisance.

techietab

PNWtabber said:

@bergger -- do you run the straps through the holes in the platform?  If so, how do they stand up to the abrasion?  I was surprised at how sharp the edges are.

That seems like a bad idea.

I do something similar with Husky 5 gallon storage bins and do NOT run the straps through the holes. If you're using the sort of strap that doesn't have a ratchet mechanism and a hook at both ends of the strap, then you're not using the right kind of strap for this application and will eventually have wear issues from friction due to wind/vibrations. 

Use this kind of strap. Put the hook on the shorter end of the strap through the hole nearest the center-front of your boxes, then run the strap over your boxes to the rear, apply the other hook on rim (or a hole) on the underside of the rear of the platform, then hand-tighten so that both hooks hold snugly before applying more strap tension with the ratchet mechanism. I tuck the excess strap length into my center box so it doesn't end up flapping around in the wind and I don't have to bother with tying it up.

bergger

PNWtabber said:

@bergger -- do you run the straps through the holes in the platform?  If so, how do they stand up to the abrasion?  I was surprised at how sharp the edges are.

@PNWtabber, I do not run the strap through the holes as they do have sharper edges as mentioned above.  I simply run it around the middle of the box and connect the strap on the backside.  I have traveled around 5k miles so far and the boxes have not moved and the straps have not loosened.  I cut the straps a bit shorter and tie the strap onto itself and tuck the little tag end under between the box lid and the strap so it does not flap around.  The straps I'm using are about 20 years old so I think I am going to get some new black or gray ones to match the trailer better.   One box has either a bundle of wood in it or a large bag of charcoal and the other has some outdoor cooking items and other fire starting things.  Or sometimes I only need to bring one box and simple mount that one for the trip.  This method is super simple, versatile, cheap and has worked well for me.

PNWtabber

@bergger thanks for the photo, it helps.  I was looking at straps yesterday, but they all had hooks on them.  Your strap appears hookless?  Or are the hooks attached where they don't show in the photo?  Thanks.

bergger

Sorry, yes they have hooks and I hook them together behind the box.  Once I put it on I then cut the strap shorter and melted the ends so there is not a lot of extra strap to tie up and secure. 

PNWtabber

@bergger This seems like a good (read:  cheap, easy, and effective) solution!  Thanks.

VictoriaP

@PNWtabber “Endless” ratchet straps are good for this sort of thing. (No hooks) https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BNRB7WL/ This is what I use on mine on the front generator/spare tire part of the platform.

bergger

@VictoriaP those are nifty! Maybe that's what I'll use when I replace my old orange ones.

PNWtabber

I thought I had seen these before, @VictoriaP, but couldn't find them at either Home Depot or Lowes.  Thanks.  It's possible that I even have some in the garage -- somewhere. 

VictoriaP

@bergger So useful around the house too. I used one to tether a twelve foot ladder to a nearby rail the other day, and was pretty floored to realize how much more stable it was to climb versus having someone holding it to steady things. 

@PNWTabber I couldn’t find them locally either, the link is what I bought from Amazon last winter. I have a double handful of the ones with hooks, but find these more useful for the types of things I need.

TravelPod

Just another idea.  I used 2 DeWalt Tool boxes.  I think someone else has done this before too.  I left a space so I can plug in a solar panel.