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Old 05-19-2010, 07:56 AM   #41
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

Hi,
I just built mine out of 16 gauge steel last week end. It is 34x22x15 deep. I got lucky, the depth is perfect. It is just as low as the hitch...
Whoa 35x27??? you really went for it!! every inch of room!
I thought mine was already a little big and I think I will make the hatch not the full size of the opening. doesn't really have to be..
Looking good, good job Teeots!

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Old 05-19-2010, 06:32 PM   #42
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

Quote:
Originally Posted by jtolittle
Hi,
I just built mine out of 16 gauge steel last week end. It is 34x22x15 deep. I got lucky, the depth is perfect. It is just as low as the hitch...
Whoa 35x27??? you really went for it!! every inch of room!
I thought mine was already a little big and I think I will make the hatch not the full size of the opening. doesn't really have to be..
Looking good, good job Teeots!
Love to see a pic sometime. Steel would be great but I don't weld (yet). Ditto on the smaller hatch opening.

The depth on mine is 22 but still might change. The 27 just makes sense because that brings the front of the box up close to the frame cross memeber. '

I cut out the floor and jacked the box up through to check the fit.

[img]http://sportsmobileforum.com/gallery/images/upload
/9c2f1b40e2969c1e186aa13481712e52.jpg[/img]



Fits good through the hole. I need to sleep on the overall dimension decision. I will probably cut it a couple inches shorter so as not to ruin the clear overhang in the rear. It does look a lot better now that it is up in its position, the bottom is about 2" higher which makes a big difference.
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Old 05-19-2010, 06:42 PM   #43
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

XL storage:

one of the best things i have on Wilson

fully packed:
roof= kayak, 4 bundles of wood, 10 gal of water
inside= food and clothes for a week
thanx to my XL storage i have all my counter and floor space available

bw out
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Old 05-31-2010, 11:25 AM   #44
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

WOW it has been a busy couple of work weeks which makes the van project a bit frustrating. Not enough time to really set up, work, and clean up after work. I finally got the underfloor storage box finished and installed. Still needs a few minor tweaks like a finish coating of ? inside. After building the box to fit in the space, and shaving a few inches off the height, I put 3 layers of fiberglass cloth and resin on the outside. Then I used rubberized undercoating (3 large spray cans) over the fiberglass to paint the exterior in black, durable finish.

I stood in the box while i finished the insulation and sub-floor. it is very strong. I attached the part of the box that extends up through the metal van floor with angle steel. Through bolted the box and then large self tappers for the van floor. I hated putting screws through the floor but it really firmed up the installation. I ran them through rtv sealant and intend to go back under the van and heavily undercoat those areas to prevent water infiltration and rust. At the front of the box I bolted through the crossmember of the van's frame using 3/8" bolts x2. I made spacers to fit between the van frame member and the box using 2 1/2" schedule 80 pvc conduit cut to the precise spacing. The bolts run through the pipe pieces and with large fender washers on the inside of the box, i was able to really crank this thing into place.

With the box in place, I could finish the insulation and sub floor install. The underfloor box extended up through the van floor the same height as the insulation thickness (1") which allowed the 3/4"sub floor to go right over the box opening. Then the hatch cover which is a fair amount smaller than the actual width of the box was cut through the sub floor and set in place. I need to paint the rear part of the subfloor as I dyslexified the final sheet and then had to flip it over to install it. it gives me an excuse to paint the whole floor one more time.







The box is approximately 19" deep inside, and the underside of the box has 19" of clearance above the ground, sticks down about 2 1/2" below reciever hitch, and about 8' below the frame.

BIg benefit to having the insulation and floor down: SO MUCH QUIETER INSIDE
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Old 05-31-2010, 11:53 AM   #45
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

Nice job buddy

where is the Hatch sourced from??

bw
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Old 05-31-2010, 06:41 PM   #46
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

Quote:
Originally Posted by billwilson
Nice job buddy

where is the Hatch sourced from??

bw
The hatch is a Bomar brand. I bought it from Hamilton Marine. Im sure West Marine or others would carry Bomar brand. Lots of different sizes and shapes available. Most are white.

Now I will look for a clever lighting solution for inside the storage box.
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Old 05-31-2010, 07:35 PM   #47
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

Quote:
Originally Posted by teeots
Now I will look for a clever lighting solution for inside the storage box.
Clever is fill it to the brim, then you don't need a light!
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Old 05-31-2010, 08:14 PM   #48
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

Quote:
Clever is fill it to the brim, then you don't need a light!
That's what you call "Thinking outside the box." No, wait a minute.
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Old 05-31-2010, 11:10 PM   #49
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

looks real good...nice job...blkjak.
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Old 06-04-2010, 02:08 AM   #50
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Re: Sheneeda, The van

Awesome stuff Man! ...and can't wait to see those 34's on there!

I cringed a little tho at the ground clearance of the in-floor box. But I suppose that just depends on how gnarly you plan to push your rig off-road. Triple check those mud holes

As for working with steel....I've found the sheeting surprisingly affordable and I also found a very competent guy at a local HVAC shop that can quickly cut, bend and fully spot weld the seams of various projects I've asked of him. Tho the shop rate is $80hr, most of my orders get done in less than 30min charge time (they don't have a minimum charge).
Sealant and exterior coating and you've got a sealed box...and one that is likely lighter than 3/4 plywood with multiple coats of fibreglass resin
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