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Old 10-12-2020, 02:37 PM   #1
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Two galley boxes instead of tire/box combo on bumper

Soooo, how come I don't see many rear bumpers with boxes on both sides? I have a 275 tire, on my van it fits in the stock location under the van, but I currently have a stand alone Aluminess tire carrier on the back where it sits.

It is a big tire and kind of a PIA to get down off the tire carrier, if I am being honest. It is much easier to lower it down to the ground from the stock location.

Have a lot of you guys encountered a lot of situations when you were off road, got a flat, and after jacking up the van it would have been impossible to get a spare tire out from under the van?

If I were to purchase a rear bumper with swingarms, it seems like it would be a lot easier, than cutting a hole in the back of the van floor, to put 2 boxes on the rear bumper and keep the tire under the van. However, I have almost never seen this(except on the Aluminess site for Sprinter bumpers). Am I missing something with regards to this setup?

Thanks!

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Old 10-12-2020, 02:49 PM   #2
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I'm interested too. I'm supposed to get an Aluminess install this month and 2 boxes makes a lot of sense.
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Old 10-12-2020, 03:24 PM   #3
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If you click around on the forum you will find a few photos with boxes on both sides. I think most people do not do it because they opt to add in a larger fuel tank / house battery / underfloor storage all which take the valuable space where the spare tire is mounted.

I think a much more common approach is to put (2) boxes on 1 side of the bumper. Again if you click around through the photos you will see this setup a few times. One box on top of the other on one side and spare tire on the other.
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Old 10-12-2020, 03:44 PM   #4
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clicker, agreed, there are some examples out there of 2 boxes, it just doesn't seem common.

As far as the two boxes stacked on one side, those boxes look to be about the same volume as the Aluminess Deluxe box, so you aren't really getting any additional storage in that config.

I totally get it when someone has fuel/batteries/water where the spare goes under the van. However, as far as I can tell, many of the SMB(not home builds) do not use that space for water/fuel/batteries, but do use it for the underfloor storage box. I guess what I am really questioning is the cutting a hole to put in a storage box under the van, instead of putting, basically, that same box on the back bumper. I have seen many pictures of people keeping their recovery gear in that underfloor storage box and other things that get muddy/dirty, but it could be that most are using that underfloor box for things they don't want to go outside of the van to access, but I don't know.
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Old 10-12-2020, 03:53 PM   #5
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Member Carlparr has a dual box set up - both large boxes. You can view them in his album
https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...ture39219.html

I have the underfloor storage, and it holds a considerable amount of items that are necessary but not often used (probably 150-200lbs worth - way over the recommended Aluminess box weight capacity). The space underneath also allows for my grey water tank & house battery cage.
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Old 10-12-2020, 08:29 PM   #6
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Thanks Xentrix,

The idea that the underfloor storage box has a higher weight rating is not something I had thought about for sure, and makes a lot of sense as to why you might choose it over a second box on the outside. The Aluminess swingarms are only rated for a max of 150lbs so after a 20 or 30 pound box, you are left far short of your underfloor storage box weight capacity.

As far as your tank and house battery, are you saying you have the underfloor storage, as well as a grey water tank, and house battery all in the space that the spare tire would normally fill?
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Old 10-12-2020, 08:34 PM   #7
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Yes, all that sits behind the rear axle.
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Old 10-18-2020, 02:32 PM   #8
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I have two boxes on the rear of my sprinter. One is the standard 30" the other a custom 36". I use the larger box for my chairs and tables and the smaller one for cables, bbq and miscellaneous items. Keeps them out of the interior of the sprinter.
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Old 10-18-2020, 05:36 PM   #9
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I have 2 boxes on the rear bumper and love the accessibility of them. I see the advantages of the underfloor boxes, more capacity and security, but cant bring myself to go that route. I also use my driver box to carry the kids' bikes which keeps from having a hitch mounted rack.
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