Cargo Box

[Ron]

Marco,

Do you have a photo of your cargo box, and do you have a swing away hitch carrier or a fixed hitch?

Ron

[markopolo]

Here are the photos Ron: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...hp?f=12&t=2616

I used parts that I already had including a Lund DIY cargo frame, a Plano XXL black cargo box, a dual hitch receiver and heavy duty 22" Accuride slides. The slides are rated for 150 lbs when mounted flat. The Plano XXL box retails for $29 at Walmart around here.

The box can slide to left and to the right giving me access to the rear of the van as needed and the mechanism has worked out very well. It is basically a permanent feature on the rear of my van now. I can use my bike rack and the box together.

[booster]

When we were in Perrot State Park in Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago, we ran into a couple who are avid (understatement) outdoor folks. They had a 2008 Roadtrek C190P and were carrying hiking gear, two full size bikes, and two small (non folding) kayaks. They had built a pretty clever rack on the back that carried the two bikes and the kayaks, all vertically.

I did get some pix, but they had already unloaded the kayaks, and we were heading out, but they were on the passenger side of the rack, vertical, with the open part of the kayaks facing each other.



The bike weight hangs off brackets on the handlebars on top, and the tire pushes on the spare tire cover,




The Kayaks go on the standard Kayak holders and are strapped against them. The kayaks are taller at the ends, so they can't slide down.



It does swing away on a pivot on the passenger side, which I couldn't really see because of the boxes. It must not be very strong against droop when not pinned on the other end, as he added a tongue type support to hold it up when swung out, and interesting idea, as the pivots are hard to get durable without making them bigtime heavy.



It is made of steel tubing, and he said it weight about 100#. With a couple of bikes, the kayaks, and boxes, I would guess he would be a bit over 200# total, maybe with the center of gravity about 10-12" behind the hitch. They said they didn't notice a change in handling with it on.

They may remake it out of aluminum to lighted it up bit. Some built in pads and supports would be on my list to do, also, but it is one of the best carriers for this very awkward stuff that I have seen.

First time using the pix hosted on here, works pretty nice, Marco.

[mlts22]

That guy could make a mint by selling that.

[markopolo]

Originally Posted by booster

........First time using the pix hosted on here, works pretty nice, Marco.

That's great!
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The rack reminds me of what Wilton did - bikes and windsurfers on the rear: http://windsurf.mediaforte.com/roadtrek ... _rack.html
and later, a motorcycle on front http://windsurf.mediaforte.com/roadtrek ... _Moto.html

Very clever ideas.

Originally Posted by Plato

Necessity, who is the mother of invention.

[markopolo]

Just adding these two hitch mounted cargo box topic links so they are easier to find:

#1 older topic but I think it covers nearly all of the brands like Stowaway, Rola, Lets-Go-Aero, etc.: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi....php?f=9&t=379

#2 newer one, pricey but it is cargo and bikes: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...php?f=9&t=2253

[arrveedogz]

a pretty clever rack on the back that carried the two bikes and the kayaks, all vertically.

There's probably a reason that most commercial racks carry their loads horizontally rather than vertically. With all that jewelry hanging on the back, I'd be worried every time I hit a bump. In the event of an accident, this kind of a rig could put vehicle insurance in jeopardy.

I added a bike mount to my Swingaway rack made from a scrounged front fork quick release mount and a bit of wheel tray. The bike stands horizontally on the rack, leaving plenty of room for a Plano XXL and other storage. The rack itself is heavy, so I'm careful to keep the load under its 200# rating.

We're not at this level yet, but it seems like we're heading down that path.

[markopolo]

What an amazing photo - I cannot even begin think of how this came about. Sometimes, for fun, I'll try to imagine the scenario that led to a decision or action. But, I just can't even imagine a guy or couple of guys loading all those bikes on top of the van. That was a lot of work!

[jword]

that photo is priceless! I can't even see if it's photoshopped or not. very funny!