Date: Sun, 7 Jan 2018 01:42:00 +0000
Reply-To: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: UnderVan Storage for tools and whatnot
In-Reply-To: <CAAj276x-rQ7vxmeOmnWHn2s8uSZ3+yog2aQ1vofF8SAaqLMEnw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
I've been following this thread....good ideas. Personally, having the spare tire in the clamshell is easy for me and the extra bit of front end crash protection is also welcomed.
But as a 28+ year Vanagon owner, we are always looking for extra storage space in otherwise unused nooks and crannies. For instance....I keep a fold-up umbrella in the ventilation channel in the driver side front door; and I keep a set of jumper cables, a spare fuel pump, gas filter, and Ignition Switch shoved down in the space on the passenger side next to the radiator behind the upper grill; these are bagged in heavy plastic; works great....5 slot screws and you are in.
I used to carry an old school 1 gallon metal gas can full of fuel inside my Tintop 85 Vanagon under the rear seat; always bothered me a little bit having gasoline stored on the inside of a vehicle.
So I built a plywood box made from 3/4" scrap wood. About 24" long x 8" wide x 6" high. It mounts via screws from above to the under side of the Vanagon; in that "empty" space under the Slider Door. The box has a hinged door with a keyed lock; everything is painted Flat Black. No loss of ground clearance; not noticeable at all really (never been looked at by Mexican officials when traveling to see the whales in Baja for instance); I even put a circle of black electrical tape over the key entrance on the door of the box to prevent ingress of crud into the lock and also to help hide the shiny lock; add a little road dirt and everything becomes pretty much invisible to most folks. I keep the key in my glovebox, and can access this "hidden" storage box with a minimum of fuss in like 15 seconds.
That's where I keep my 1 gallon can of gasoline, and I also keep a 1 gallon can of Coleman Fuel for my old school stove which I use outside.
But such a box would also be a great place to store tools and whatnot. Since I have a Tintop and not a Westy with propane tanks, I'm considering building a 2nd plywood box for the Driver Side.
Rich
San Diego
From: Ralph Meyermann <ralphmeyermann@GMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Saturday, January 6, 2018 7:34 AM
Subject: Clamshell toolbox
Howdy Volks. After going with a rear spare tire carrier, I was pondering
what to do with that available space. I ended up adapting my home made
larger clamshell/tire carrier into a toolbox. I found it handy. Currently I
took it to my machine/Fab shop guys to make a refined design/prototype.
Roughly 27"x 27" the front of it has 45° angles on the sides and 7" tall.
The first quote was $211. I went downs and verified a few design aspects
including a better sealing surface for the lid and how it fastens down. The
first one/prototype is currently being built. Looking at $211-$250 final
cost from machine shop, I don't know what shipping or anything could be
yet. Hopefully It'll be what I envision and be able to have them available
for those with alternative spare tire carriers. Storage is worth it's
weight in gold, Westy or tin top.
|