Storage boxes for front platform

Canyoneer

Anyone know of a manufacturer who makes storage boxes that will fit on the front platforms of a T@B 320?  This is the space on either side of the LP box.  Thanks.

NATTAB161

I haven’t personally gotten one ☝️ but I see a lot of people mentioning Seabiscuit Metal Designs.  https://seabiscuitmetaldesigns.com/

VictoriaP

All Pro Adventures and Seabiscuit Metal Designs both have these, Here’s a link to one of Seabiscuit’s, there are several sizes: https://seabiscuitmetaldesigns.com/product/tab-boxes-standard-size/

A search of the forum will pull up less expensive non-custom options as well. Many of us have used things like tool boxes and Action Packer tubs for years.

dlb

These https://allproadventures.com/products/storage-tubs look like OEM and have locks.

Binghi

Farmplast 6 gal rectangular milk crates fit very well, and they are stackable. https://www.milkcrates1.com/

pthomas745

I bought mine from here:
https://www.customaluminumboxes.com/
So did several others a few years back.
You should also search your local area for people who make and weld these types of boxes.

newcamp

I don't know so much about this but I have seen someone replace the existing one with a pick-up truck type of storage box. Then you get one big box all the way across, with one lid and one lock. You could pick one with the diamond pattern, then you just the tank and battery in it, but you have to drill some vent holes I believe for the batteries (maybe below). You could also make compartments inside the big box by putting up some walls inside. 

Sydmargo

Make sure the box you install does not extend out past the existing platform.
You can have a problem with the box affecting your turning radius. It can hit your tow vehicle on sharp turns.

rcarlson1957

I use Craftsman Versastack
tool boxes from Lowes. A big one on each side of tub bolted to platform then smaller one on top of each one. 

Barrett252

Do the carriage bolts come up through from underneath the platform with the washer below the platform or does the carriage bolt go down and then you put the big washer on and nut underneath?  I think it would be weird to see the 8 bolts sticking up through the inside storage box

CharlieRN

I went with the Bradley (now Seabiscuit) boxes @Canyoneer.

They are well-made, reasonably priced and dealing with the company was easy. The boxes come with 8 oversize aluminum washers for mounting, but you will still need to buy bolts and nuts. McMaster-Carr is a good source that not only has a much larger selection than your nearby big-box hardware store, but offers higher quality hardware that is often less expensive.

The boxes, whether from Seabiscuit or AllPro, are aluminum, and normally the recommendation is that you use like metal hardware to mount them. I went with stainless hex bolts and nylock nuts however. Perhaps less than ideal from with respect to galvanic reaction issues, but stainless should not be too reactive and is more corrosion-resistant than aluminum fasteners.

CharlieRN

Barrett252 said:

Do the carriage bolts come up through from underneath the platform with the washer below the platform or does the carriage bolt go down and then you put the big washer on and nut underneath?  I think it would be weird to see the 8 bolts sticking up through the inside storage box

I used the large aluminum washers at the bolt head and at the distal end with the nut. In my case, that fasteners are hex nuts with the head in the box and bolt through the platform. No reason you couldn't do it the other way 'round, but you would then have the nut and bolt excess in the box taking up space and perhaps damaging whatever you put in the box.

dragonsdofly

The recommendation to mount any boxes with the nut inside and the head outside is simply to make it more difficult on thieves. If you have a round head bolt with no end tooling (screwdriver grooves) on the outside (bottom) of the box and platform, it is much more difficult for a thief to unscrew the bolt and take your box and it's contents. If you have the smooth screw head in the box and the nut underneath, you give a thief another easy option to steal. While nothing is thief proof, my vote is to always make them work much harder for whatever they are trying take that is yours!

WayneW

The metal boxes look great but I'm too cheap to buy them and I couldn't find any other alternatives, like tool boxes, that I liked so I built my own.  I used 3/8" Baltic birch and finished them with 3 coats of marine spar urethane.  I knocked the outside corners off because I know it would just be a matter of time before I hit a sharp corner on my hip.  They stay within the dimensions of the aluminum rack so they shouldn't interfere with turning or backing

 I have same-keyed locks on them and a gas strut to keep them open when needed.  I originally planned to paint them gray to match the trailer but my wife liked the wood.  We can always paint them later if we want.  Now we'll see how they stand up to road rash.  

CharlieRN

Very nice looking boxes @WayneW. I'm with your spouse on the look of the natural wood finish but share your concern on how well they will weather. As you note, you can always paint them later.

Tabnero

rubbermaid action packer attached with ubolts and straight bottom bolts with large washers. pretty much water proof. I only keep out side use items in them. Anything expensive is either locked in the tub or in the truck. Gas is off when tub is locked which is seldom

bergger

I use the same rubbermaid 8 gallon action packers on our trailer.  Both have items we use around camp, mostly cooking stuff and camp fire stuff like a dutch oven, other cooking utensils, charcoal, lighter fluid, matches, lighters, news paper etc.  These are things we use at the camp fire usually away from the trailer so I just keep it simple and have them held in place with a ratchet strap.  This allows me to quickly remove them and take the boxes over to where I need them then quickly reattach them when we pack up camp. 

VictoriaP

For anyone using ActionPackers, they actually aren’t waterproof, though they’re reasonably water resistant…until you’re driving in heavy rain. Given that many of us store things like electrical adapters in there, finding even a small puddle in the bottom when you reach camp is not fun. On the recommendation of others, I lined the inside groove of the lids with self adhesive foam weatherstripping to seal things up, and have had no issues since. They also are prone to some UV deterioration over time. Mine are definitely faded and showing their age at the 3 year point, but are being retired due to their size rather than condition. My bigger Seabiscuit boxes are due in shortly.

If you have the platform like @Tabnero and don’t have the tire mounted up front, a third ActionPacker should fit in that spot. While my two side ones were bolted through the bottom, the front one has been secured with just a ratchet strap, which works great.

Denny16

Very nice job, and the new boxes look great!

Cheers 

HighSierraBill

Hi - We purchased our front fork storage from Enhanced Performance Systems, San Diego, CA - https://www.enhancedperformancesystems.com/ . They also have AC vent covers in diamond plate as well. SeaBiscuit Metals provided the platform storage units we installed.

Tabnero

I have the mounts sealed and I put a strap across the top. I have had them in a car wash, and the driving rain and have not had water get inside. I think the strap across the top really helps keep the to down even though the handles are locked. If you over tuff it, the top can bow a little. so the method works for me

Maxcamp

Time to seal up the front box, while I had it off for other work.  Every time I open it there's a big pool of water inside.    The lid has a 1/2" gap to rear; the gas and electrical cutouts are huge and admit water.  The gas regulator is unprotected from hits from gear in the box.

1. Removed relict front-mounted battery switch.  My batteries and switch are above passenger wheelwell.

2.  Sealed off right rear box cutout at former battery switch with sheetmetal, screws and caulk.

3.  Aluminum angle on piano hinge closes the rear gap.  Drilled out hinge rivets, replaced with rear-mounted stainless piano hinge and 1/16x1.5x1.5 aluminum angle.  Aluminum pop-riveted using back-washers, flattened rivet backsides and ground partly flush to avoid interference when closing.  Mounted the hinge and angle first; it was necessary to slide the lid forwards a bit for clearance as the pivot point is now shifted. Then riveted the top and caulked the top rivet openings, ground off backsides to within 1/8" thickness.

4.  The gas regulator sticks into the box about 1".  Fabricated a removable seal-welded aluminum access panel over the gas regulator opening.  3/4" hole for gas line to tank.  Used 1/16x1.25 angles and 1/8 alum plate.  One could also pop rivet or screw the assembly together.  EPDM foam tape backside and sheetmetal screws seal it to rear of box.  More practice welding dissimilar thickness metals. Aluminum seems more forgiving than Corten steel (1/4" tubesteel doorframe to Conex box walls) in this regard.

Nucamp did not use any thread sealant on the gas fittings!  Neither in front nor in the (now refabricated) rear quick outlet.   Rethreaded the gas outlet hose while the access panel is loose, then screwed the removable panel into place.  

Yoshi_TAB

Nice work.  Tks for the post on this...I always have water in my bin and it drives me crazy..mine mostly gets in from pooled water on the top and when I open it, it drains through the gap in the back right into the bin.    I wonder why there are not more posts on this issue.  I've added this to my spring to do list.  

subkron

I had the same water in the tub issue on my 400.  I posted this in another thread, but basically I used a rubber sheet as a deflector around the propane hose opening but still allows for air flow into the tub.

I copied this from my other post:

"The rear of the front storage tub has an opening for the propane tank hose which allows water to get into to get into tub when raining or traveling over wet roads.  For the most part the items I have in there are OK with that, but I don't want to have any mold issues if I can avoid it.  I have the trailer in storage but I will try to grab some pics when I can.

Basically I purchased a 12"x12"x1/16" piece of rubber sheet and cut it ~4" (?, will need to check) wider than the opening and a little shorter that the height of the opening.  I then drilled a couple of holes on the tub between the top of the opening and the hinge. From the back side of the tub attached the rubber piece using stainless hardware. Being only 1/16" thick, the rubber naturally "drapes" over the propane hose.  Any rain coming down is then deflected around the opening.  If I was to use a "fixed" deflector I was concerned that as the frame flexes the deflector would contact the T@B or chafe the hose, the rubber eliminates that."

I never did get any pics but if anyone has a question about this lmk.  Had it in place now for over a year and tub remains dry (even after driving 2hrs in heavy rain just this past weekend).

TabTime

We love the Seabiscuit folks in TN. Have 2 of their boxes. 

rh5555

rcarlson1957 said:

I use Craftsman Versastack tool boxes from Lowes. A big one on each side of tub bolted to platform then smaller one on top of each one. 

How are these boxes holding up?  I went to look at them yesterday and was worried by the steel clasps.  Are you having any rust issues?

gulfarea

I have the boxes on mine and the clamps are VERY rusted! Art

Basil48192

@Maxcamp8.  Sorry for the late response...and if you've already covered this elsewhere.  After sealing it up, do you still have adequate ventilation in your propane tank box?  Any storage box that holds a propane tank and regulator must be vented. 
Also, I'm not sure what type of propane fittings you have...but typical propane disconnect fittings use o-rings and/or AN (flare-type) fittings which do not require sealant.  In fact, sealants are discouraged as they can actually hinder the mechanical seal.  Thread sealants are typically only used on tapered pipe threads (NPT).  Again, I apologize if I missed some additional information above.  

Maxcamp

Fair questions.
Plenty of venting in the lid gaps and around the (open to air) gas regulator.  No gasket on lid.
For sealing brass gas fittings (not the tank) see IBC Section 403.8.3 (Threaded Joint Sealing) of the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code.  Yellow Teflon tape on gas joints, white on plumbing.  Dope plus tape is common on todays' poorly machined thread tolerances.

No issues or leaks in David Hess' Seabiscuit side boxes.  Nicely made!  He bent and welded cleanly around the curves on the diamond tread plate.  I decided I was not up to replicating his expert work and used an angle below the lid rather than weld a return to the diamond plate.  Nucamp should commission him for the main box.

Basil48192

Thanks for clarifying...want everyone to be safe!

AnOldUR

Maxcamp8 said:

Plenty of venting in the lid gaps and around the (open to air) gas regulator.  No gasket on lid.

Propane is heavier than air. You need venting at the top and bottom.

5.2.6.1 Ventilation of Compartments Containing LP-Gas
Containers.  Compartments shall be ventilated at or near the
top and at the extreme bottom to facilitate diffusion of vapors.
The compartment shall be ventilated with at least two vents
having an aggregate free area equal to at least 1 sq/in for each 7 lb
(1 cm 2  per 500 grams) of the total LP-Gas fuel capacity ....

So, for a 20lb tank, two 1-1/2" diameter holes (one top / one bottom) should work.

Maxcamp8 said:

For sealing brass gas fittings (not the tank) see IBC Section 403.8.3 (Threaded Joint Sealing) of the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code.  Yellow Teflon tape on gas joints, white on plumbing.  Dope plus tape is common on todays' poorly machined thread tolerances.

This is only true for tapered gas fittings. As @Basil48@Basil48192 said, fittings using o-rings or flare fittings do not depend on machined threads to seal. The threads only secure the connection. Any dope or tape can interfere with the intended seal.

https://www.texasinspector.com/files/Flexible-Connector.pdf

Not trying to be confrontational. Just want anyone reading this thread to be clear on all aspects of the topic.