Re: Aluminess Boxes
@ Dave: Thanks. Good reply. Have you had much problem with the outer corner of your upper galley box catching trees, brush, and stuff? I don't understand your "damper". Detail it a little more for my dumb brain and where are you putting it?
I think now the best way is for me to get Aluminess to make me a bumper with stacked galley boxes with top rail on the passenger side, including the extra hinges you talked about, but install it in the usual place and exposing the tail light as normal. For the tire mount, I'll ask them to beef it up including extra hinge mounts, too.
I'm trying to make use of the now-wasted space above and in front of the tire. I figure I have about 5" above the tire until I reach the top of the stacked galley boxes. A box ~5"H x 35"W x 16"D is NOT insignificant so long as I don't put really heavy stuff up there. The 315 tire should be 13.5" thick. Since the tire hangs down below the bottom of the boxes at little, that still presents available space in front of ~33"H x 35"W x 2.5"D. For most van owners that's tiny, but for off-roaders it's perfect for recovery ropes, shackles, extra winch line, and maybe the hard-to-find-room-for spade on the Pull Pal. Additionally, the "corners" of the tire would be perfect for wheel chocks. Finally, if I could put a little box on top of the tire, I can add rails (without the center) and create a space to haul something wide up there, if ever needed. So, I'm not going to give up on the tire side.
You pointed out if we do any DIY to the Aluminess set-up, we'll have to remove and re-powder coat the whole side. Good point; but in spite of that, I'm going to see about having what I want custom made and added to the Aluminess tire swing away somehow. I need the proven tried-and-true Aluminess swing away pivot, bearings, and center latch. I see no sense in trying to create something that already works fine.
JC
__________________
JC
1999.5 E-350 RB cargo 7.3
|