# Panel van storage........or lack of...



## badger (May 9, 2005)

Having just bought a small genny and thinking about such things as carrying the damn thing (in the van) and the likley petrol smells that may ensue.................I turned my thoughts to alternatives and I thought..........the genny isn't that heavy.......could I make or better still buy a storage box that will fit on the back door of my boxer, that would take the genny, a can of fuel and perhaps my hookup cables that always seem to get in the way..........NOW Before y'all go giving links to the vaious box manufacturers.....I use the back doors a lot, so I don't want a box that covers the two doors, but I may get away with one that just fits to the one door..not on a tow bar but just bolts to the door.

Is this a good idea or bad idea or is it something that everyone and his dog has already got and I've just not noticed?


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## LadyJ (May 9, 2005)

Hi Badger,

Yes you can get one that will fit on just one door we had a bike rack that just fitted on the one door on the Symphony we had, and there was a box that fitted on the bike rack.


Jacquie


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

badger said:


> Having just bought a small genny and thinking about such things as carrying the damn thing (in the van) and the likley petrol smells that may ensue.................I turned my thoughts to alternatives and I thought..........the genny isn't that heavy.......could I make or better still buy a storage box that will fit on the back door of my boxer, that would take the genny, a can of fuel and perhaps my hookup cables that always seem to get in the way..........NOW Before y'all go giving links to the vaious box manufacturers.....I use the back doors a lot, so I don't want a box that covers the two doors, but I may get away with one that just fits to the one door..not on a tow bar but just bolts to the door.
> 
> Is this a good idea or bad idea or is it something that everyone and his dog has already got and I've just not noticed?


Badger,

I've got this box on the back of my Ducato, it allows you to use both doors. It will give you some idea of what's around.










The chap who made this box has now retired, so don't ask. 

Don


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Wow, thats some box......OK...so its a possibility then.............lead on McDuff......where do I look (have tried the obvious Fiamma and Thule sites )........does anyone have anything suitable for sale maybe?........all info graciously accepted...


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

OK so no ideas then......well I've had a measure and the Fiamma range is out. The smallest too small and the next (320ltr) is too big........I need something no more than 70cm long. next stop Omnistore range.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

This risks getting to be a smug "I'm all right, Jack" thread!

I have one of these:
http://www.auto-boxcarrier.co.uk/site/features.htm
which as you can see mounts on the towbar but swings out of the way if needed.

A pic of it on my van is on my webspace at the mo:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/daburleigh/SWales/slides/IMG_2061.html

However, they seem to have vanished off the face of the earth .....

Dave


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## moblee (Dec 31, 2006)

hi badger,presuming the chaps still about who made your last box,is
there no way he could be persuaded to come out of retirement for a
one-off....



phil


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## 101411 (Oct 15, 2006)

Can you not just stick a standard roof box on the roof and when you need it run it from the roof with the lead plugged in??

How often are you really going to use a genny anyway??

Dazzer


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Dave......very nice too, I have seen their site but crikey what a price!! :? 

Moblee......thay wasn't my van in the pic.......I don't have a box.....thats the problem!!  

Dazzer......I can feel the vibrations from here...... :roll: 

So......so far you lot havn't been much help have you......is there not someone out there that has the know-how to make one? I'm open to sensible suggestions....No?

Nothing for it.....I'll have to visit my favourite store B&Q and get one of those Plastic sheds.............a couple of galganized bolts through the back doors should do the trick. 8O 8O :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

Why not get one custom made?
Someone like www.njaluminiumlinings.co.uk ?



badger said:


> Dave......very nice too, I have seen their site but crikey what a price!! :?
> 
> Moblee......thay wasn't my van in the pic.......I don't have a box.....thats the problem!!
> 
> ...


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## DOC (May 18, 2005)

*Box on back door*

Hi Badger
Have you considered what the weight will do to your door hinges?
Why not bolt a couple of steel tubes to the chassis, mount the box on a couple of steel rods or tubes and slot the assembly into the chassis tubes.
It can be secured with a couple of padlocks through the tubes and lifted out of the way when required.
DOC


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## DOC (May 18, 2005)

*Box on back door*

Hi Badger
Have you considered the outer shell of an old fridge or freezer for
your box (lots at the tip)?
DOC


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## vardy (Sep 1, 2006)

- I've seen boxes like this a few times at the hospital when it was closing some time ago. The kind that are used as safestores (patients goodies used to be locked into them). Bet you could get them on ex-office store sites. Didn't weigh much as I've lifted them, and same size as small fridge. - H


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Well.......onwards and upwards........I actually found a deal at the stratford show. A bike rack for the boxer that just clamps to the rear door. Bargain I thought.

With that fitted, I turn my attention to the box itself. Now my van door is 700mm (70cm) wide.....I returned to the fiamma website to re examine their products and noted that the ultra 180 was 800mm (80cm wide)

I need to look more closly to see if anything will foul if I fitted one, ie could I get to the lock and handle, and will the door open OK.

I think now that this box will be ok volume wise. has any one ever done this ie fitted a box 100mm wider than the door?


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

:roll: .......Hello.........is anyone there?.................... 

maybe I should've asked how to keep chickens or something..... :? 

Never mind I'll struggle through......... :wink:


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## oldenstar (Nov 9, 2006)

I'm here Badger.
Was going to go down that route myself-discussed it with Chelston and it is apparently no problem, other than being careful not to knock yourself out when opening or closing the door-the bike rack itself is wider than the door I think. My doors are 80cm and I was going to fit the Fiamma 360 at 147cm wide.
Changed my mind and hope to go for a top box which will only fit towards the middle of the van but have ordered a telescopic ladder to access the box. Hope it works.


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

In answer to your question:-







No.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

badger said:


> With that fitted, I turn my attention to the box itself. Now my van door is 700mm (70cm) wide.....I returned to the Fiamma website to re examine their products and noted that the ultra 180 was 800mm (80cm wide)
> 
> I need to look more closly to see if anything will foul if I fitted one, ie could I get to the lock and handle, and will the door open OK.
> 
> I think now that this box will be ok volume wise. has any one ever done this ie fitted a box 100mm wider than the door?


I used to have a backbox180 fitted to the rear of our previous Symphony, no probs with clearance. 
Assuming yours is a similar layout, if you fit it to the nearside door then you still have acces to the interior through the other rear door which opens with no probs (apologies for crappy picture).....










pete


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Thanks for that peejay. A slightly different rack but I think it may work. It helps that the box would be off the door of the van by a few inches.
see the pics of the rack fitted (it can go on the other door too I think.)


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

I just looked at this and what crappy pics.............its a good job I dont enter the photo comps :?


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

Whatever you do do not, I repeat do not, have anything to do with autobox carriers.

I "bought" a box from the and it certainly looked great, it appeared well made and well designed. I placed the order at one of the shows and it was never delivered and they did not reply to any of my requests for info. They used a telephone answering service who could only pass on questions given to them.

Fortunately I got my money back from the credit card company.

Their website is nearly always down so be warned.


If you want further information then I can supply what I have on them.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

I have this from their parent company.

Dave

"Hi Dave,

I am in South-Africa at the moment and busy with the setup of our new
manufacturing plant as we could not meet demand there were also some
manufacturing problems that we needed to sort out regarding the lights on
the boxes ,We will be ready before the end of August and will then begin to supply our agents again. Our web site will be back on next month.

Kind Regards

Salvatore"


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## Duadua (Feb 16, 2006)

ryanjjones

Thanks for your lead. Very interesting.

I have just the job for a simple lockable box.

Seem to be reasonably priced and with a good delivery time too.


Duadua


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

The storage problem is now sorted. Bought a used one from ebay, collected and fitted in an evening.

Will post a pic. soon (hope its better then the last effort.)


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Now that you are sorted (well done) I'll hijack his thread to say I'm sorted as well.

Bought a small trailer off eBay. So now before we go away we just decide whether to take the trailer or not.

I've made a list, pro and con trailer, to aid our decision here it is (with reasoning in brackets):

Take trailer if:
Long holiday 
Want tent or other bulky item(s) 
Dogs with us (they need special food so have to take it with us)
Few sites (set up with more creature comforts)


Leave trailer if:
Only a few days (not worth it)
Lots of road miles (reduces speed - law)
Ferry (extra cost)
No dogs (we can mange with a lot less space)
Lots of sites/wild camping (extra hassle)
Narrow roads en-route (can't reverse far can't see trailer)

Obviously some holidays have ticks in both lists but for example we are going to Ireland for 5 weeks with the dogs but intend to stay at only a few sites so we are taking our small tent BBQ and comfortable chairs. It often rains in Ireland. So we are taking the trailer even though that increases our ferry costs.

The clever thing now is not to become trailer dependent  we shall see.


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

Duadua said:


> ryanjjones
> 
> Thanks for your lead. Very interesting.
> 
> ...


No worries. Was that through nja?

As the box I need needs to fit on bak-rak (at abotu 5' angle) AND fit under the bike rack - I need a custom box made. NJA can only go 1528 wide.... I want 1600. So I have a friend who knows a man (etc) who is making mine in his spare time.
Fortunately I'm not in a hurry! 
Probably get it in September


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## bikemad99 (Aug 17, 2006)

badger said:


> :roll: .......Hello.........is anyone there?....................
> 
> maybe I should've asked how to keep chickens or something..... :?
> 
> Never mind I'll struggle through......... :wink:


What sort of chickens were you thinking of keeping. Maybe a big box on the back would do to keep them in.
Reg.


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## ksebruce (Nov 5, 2006)

Rhode Island Reds should be a good start


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

> What sort of chickens were you thinking of keeping. Maybe a big box on the back would do to keep them in.


Well...if you see a cloud of feathers going down the A49........ 

(with a load of bald chickens in the back) :lol:


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## tincan (Jul 31, 2006)

sallytrafic said:


> It often rains in Ireland.
> Thats rich Frank considering what I've been watching on Sky news lately from Blightey.
> For your information it only rains twice a week here - once for 3 days and once for 4 days. Seriously I lived in UK for more than 5 years and found that rainfall was about same as here in Dublin but SE UK was a good deal warmer
> 
> Noel


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

tincan said:


> sallytrafic said:
> 
> 
> > It often rains in Ireland.
> ...


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