Adding rear storage

[maczero]

Hi guys!

I'm a newbie to the site and the world of rv'ing. I bought a '94 Coach House a few months ago. I really am impressed with the amount of storage this thing has but I could always use more. So I was thinking about mounting something on the spare tire support arms.


The area to the right of the spare tire seems ideal for mounting a gas can carrier but I was thinking about going with something more functional. Some sort of interchangeable mounting system that I could use to carry different items (cargo box, gas can, grill or even mini-bike). Has anyone built something similar to what I'm thinking? Also anyone have an idea of the weight load that the support arm could hold. I'm hoping that it could handle around 150 lbs. in addition to the tire.

[mlts22]

I wonder about adding a hitch receiver, then mounting a cargo container onto that. A hitch receiver would give you 200-500 (rating will depend on how it is installed) pounds of usable weight, and with an enclosed cargo carrier, a good amount of volume that is lockable.

[booster]

There have been more than a few folks report sagging hinges on the Dodges due to the tire weight, so I think I would be hesitant to add much weight to the door. Most folks use hitch carriers if they need more space, but also be aware they can affect the handling, especially on the short wheelbase Dodges.

[maczero]

Originally Posted by booster

There have been more than a few folks report sagging hinges on the Dodges due to the tire weight, so I think I would be hesitant to add much weight to the door. Most folks use hitch carriers if they need more space, but also be aware they can affect the handling, especially on the short wheelbase Dodges.

I'd prefer not to rely on a hitch carrier just in case I'm towing the car or if I ever get any toys that need to be towed. Thanks for the heads up about the hinges. I already have a bike carrier thats mounts above the spare tire. I'll have to pay attention to see how the door hangs with just the bike carrier mounted before I add anything else. If it doesn't seem to be doing any damage then I think I'll still go ahead with trying to add a gas can carrier or maybe a small cargo box.

[mlts22]

If you are looking to add a gas can carrier, I might recommend RotoPax. You would have to take off the continental spare tire cover, but there are mounts for gas cans that bolt onto that location. The RotoPax containers use a T-handle (optionally locking) to stay in place.

They are fairly pricy, but the four-wheeling type like them and they don't fall off, provided the pack mount is installed right.