Aluminum Underfloor Storage Box $300 (15.5"x15.5"x32")

[jegojola]

Hi Sam, Are you still making the underfloor storage boxes?
I am looking for one for a 2001 E350 RB.
Thank you,
Dan

[northleftcoast]

Hi Dan. ,

I’m still making the boxes. Send me a PM with the details of your build (see my post #30) and I’ll forward an invoice to you to get started. I could have one shipped this week.

Thanks,

Sam

[jegojola]

Sam ,
Thank you for the quick response. I am in the process of mounting house batteries under the van.
After that I will have exact measurements for the underfloor box.
Dan

[jimtmcdaniels]

That's great that others wonder why Ford didn't put under floor storage boxes in, like we are starting to see some of in newer pickups and SUV's.
Great work on creating and showing us these!

I HAVE 3 QUESTIONS, what do you members say:

1. I wonder if these storage boxes can be more easily and affordably made like 3/4" exterior plywood with metal L angles screw or bolted in at all the edges and top mounting lip stress points?
Would the wood weigh less?
I mean, if this storage box was more doable for the DIY'r with common tools and skills and off the shelf affordable material from our local home improvement stores, many more of these could be customized and installed by the owners of the many thousands of vans on the road.

2. To me, it seems wasteful to not use the sheet metal cut from the van floor as the door/lid for the storage box. Why can't it be reused, hinges could lengthen it in one direction but hmm the sides would need to be lengthened and the sharp edges covered?

3. For the extended van bodies, there is a large area between the under frame members that is before the spare tire area. That area interests me for a storage box and then I can keep my spare tire under the van.
Why isn't this area being used for a storage box?

Take care

[BrianW]

^^ Sure, no reason you couldn’t do all of those things to your van. I’m sure wood would work too. Just be sure to varnish really well or epoxy or something for weather protection.

Another option some people do (and SMB too) is recess battery boxes on the rear outside empty areas underneath the rear of an EB van. I’ve thought of doing that on mine.

[MSD]

Over time wood is not going to hold up, it can't handle the daily temp changes. I built a prototype rear cargo box out of 5/8 Baltic birch. Sealed it really well with fiber glass resin, then glassed all corners, then wrapped it in carbon. I'll add that I vacuum bagging the whole thing... Let a buddy use it since I was going to build the main box out of Vinyl Foam (Divinycell). After a year of use I noticed the carbon had discolored, on further inspection I noticed the the wood was rotting out inside the wrap and corners started to fail. Just a heads up... I thought I built a pretty bomb proof wood/glass/carbon box not the case! The Vinyl foam has held up great with no issues I'm more than 3 years in. Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

[jimtmcdaniels]

ThankX for the input and discussion all, very interesting!
Hmmm!
I suppose the auto makers would use a thick plastic as the sweet spot but I don’t know how a dyi’r could make it from that.
Maybe a salvage yard gas tank of a right size..

[BroncoHauler]

Not to put a damper on the discussion, but this thread is a For Sale thread by a member here. How about starting a new discussion thread so Nothleftcoast can keep this thread focused on selling his product?




Herb

[northleftcoast]

Lots of good discussion here. The boxes that I make are aimed at the adventurous DIYer. The install takes enough cutting, grinding, drilling, and thoughtful layout that most will feel satisfied with their time put into that. By the time an average consumer sources all the material, rivets, screws or otherwise fabricobbles six sides of a box together you could have a box for a couple of tanks of fuel for your van.

Will a DIY box be weatherproof, durable, corrosion resistant? YMMV. My original box has been hanging under my 2003 e350 EB for over 150,000 miles. My current welds are a lot more refined than my original work, but I still see my first few boxes outliving the steel van bodies they are bolted to.

Shoot me a PM if you are interested in one. It’s a side hustle for me building them, but I do enjoy doing it and I feel like I provide a fair price for what you are getting.

Prices are on post 30 in this thread. http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...tml#post178874

[vandiesel]

I put one of Sam's boxes on my old van which my friend owns now. Still going strong and very well made and thought out.