----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2000 =
4:15
PM
Subject: Secure Luggage Rack
Storage
While browsing at our local outdoors =
shop, I
discovered something far less expensive that might be a usable =
solution for
secure luggage rack storage.
A company called Contico, St. Louis, =
www.contico.com manufactures =
polypropylene
(sp?) boxes for all sorts of purposes. At the outdoor shop, I =
discovered
a 32"l x 17"w x 12.25"h footlocker which just might do the trick for =
me.
I plan to go back tonight and purchase one to check it =
out. Since
32" doesn't fill out the luggage rack, I'll have space for a gas can =
since I
haven't found any alternative way to carry one safely. I could =
also
store my folding chairs alongside the footlocker. It has little =
wheels
on one end so that, when it's on the ground, it would be easy to move
around. It is extremely light weight - I could pick it up with =
one
finger on each hand. It sells for $30! And this is not any =
kind of
a discount store.
What I will do if this seems like a =
good thing is
this: remove the luggage rack, drill appropriately spaced holes =
in the
bottom of the luggage rack, to be mated with holes in the bottom of =
the
footlocker. I'll glue bolts upwards through the holes (with some =
kind of
metal reinforcing under the fiberglass) to go into the holes in =
the
footlocker, fasten the footlocker down with rubber washers and =
butterfly nuts
on the inside of the box. The footlocker has a place on it for a =
padlock. If you space it really well, you could have the =
footlocker face
either the front or the back. Since we will be crossing a =
great
number of borders in South America, it occurred to me that I didn't =
want to
have to pop the top at the border so that the border guards could =
search the
luggage.
For anyone who wants a larger storage =
space, I
saw a truck storage box on the website that is 48" long. I'm not =
sure if
that would fit in the luggage rack or not, but it's close. If =
anybody
finds these footlockers on the web, please let us all know. =
Heck, a
discount off of $30 would still be a good thing.
I'll let you know how it works =
out. If it's
not good, I'll go back to the fiberglass lid idea.
Jeanne
'87 Syncro Westy