Switch from plastic to diamond plate LP cover - advice wanted

Marceline

I have managed to acquire a Boondock/Outback style diamond plate LP cover to replace my original plastic cover. 
I would love to hear from anyone else who has made this change.
Should I remove the original cross rails or leave the rails and just remove the propane holder & battery box? Does it matter?
Is the floor of the diamond plate cover strong enough to hold a battery or should it be reinforced somehow?
Any other tips would be appreciated.
Thanks!

Verna

@Marceline, have you been able to get an answer for your question?

Marceline

Hi @Verna
I never got any replies so I just proceeded with the project.
It became apparent that the old rails would have to come off because the propane carrier is welded to the rails.
It looks like the bottom of the boondock box is sturdy enough to support the propane bottle & battery. If I ever switch to the dual 6v setup I would probably find a way to add more support.
I did have to move the propane regulator as it was mounted too high for the aluminum cover.
And I added a screen to the rear of the box so that I don't have to worry about small stuff (work gloves etc) falling out the back.

Verna

Great job! I have some decorative aluminum that I will be cutting and attaching to the inside of the rear of the aluminum box. I keep my wheel, spray lithium and wheel chocks in there along with the propane tanks and I don’t want to lose any of them. 

DesertDweller

@Verna Hello and Happy New Year.  I am a new member and new T@B 320 Boondock Lite owner since early December.  I have almost lost a dump hose through the back of the diamond plate propane box and was wondering what other owners have done to reduce that risk.  I assume it is open in the back to allow any propane to escape as well as venting gases from the battery.  I was thinking of just attaching some webbing to the rear of the box (something along the lines of what pick-ups have in lieu of a tailgate).  I tried to find some discussions of this with the search function, but I must not be keying in the correct words.  Do you know of any other suggestions for blocking the back of the box without preventing the venting?   This is a great forum.  Thanks for your work on it. 

N7SHG_Ham

I think an expanded metal would be a good choice? https://www.metalsdepot.com/steel-products/steel-expanded-metal?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwYfmhcLA3wIVjsVkCh3YQQtnEAQYASABEgKKDPD_BwE

Marceline

@DesertDweller
Here is what I used, although the expanded metal solution mentioned above would be more robust. I just use it to keep items like work gloves from blowing out of the box. I will attach it with pop rivets.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JD4QF6/

DesertDweller

@N7SHG_Ham; @Marceline Thanks for each of your suggestions.  N7, I assume the expanded metal would need to be welded on?

N7SHG_Ham

Might be able to use sheet metal screws with large fender washers. The folks at the link have aluminum also which you would want.

DesertDweller

@N7SHG_Ham. Thank you and Happy New Year. 

ADRawli

Just did this to my tub. Used “pen enclosure wire” ( fancy chicken wire) cut to size with heavy duty wire/bolt cutter, and six 1/4x1 inch bolts with large fender and lock washers to hold it on.  I drilled 1/4 inch holes through the aluminum first, which made it easier.  Maybe someday I’ll go to the expanded metal, which looks a lot more professional, but for now I’m pretty happy with the outcome.

Marceline

ADRawli said:

Just did this to my tub. Used “pen enclosure wire” ( fancy chicken wire) cut to size with heavy duty wire/bolt cutter, and six 1/4x1 inch bolts with large fender and lock washers to hold it on.  I drilled 1/4 inch holes through the aluminum first, which made it easier.  Maybe someday I’ll go to the expanded metal, which looks a lot more professional, but for now I’m pretty happy with the outcome.

Glad you got this sorted out. I haven’t attached my backing yet because I need to retrieve a rivet gun from a friend. 
I would keep an eye out for corrosion around those bolts. Steel and aluminum aren’t great friends. 

ADRawli

@Marceline. Good advice.  I’ll keep an eye on it, maybe add some plastic spacers on each side of the aluminum sheeting along with stainless steel bolts.  For now, my T@B is babied, spending about 95% of the time in an enclosed storage unit, out of most elements. But if I get my way, that percentage will drop as we get “ out there” more, so more rain and exposure.