need extra storage for the trail??

[beags86]

this thread goes out to tri5ron.

well, i decided that i needed some more storage for our 400ex's
well i started looking around stores for a small water and dust proof container. i was thinking something small i could find a place under the seat, or behind the front bumper of even maybe by the oil tank somewhere. well after a few days of looking around alot of big box stores. i was left emptyhanded. so i thought, well i'll try habor freight.. yeah yeah yeah, i know - don't start. well anyway i found a little box that i liked, even though it was a bit bigger then i needed. so i bought it because i had an idea. so i had some small sq tube so i got busy building a mount for it heres what i came up with. tell me what you think.

[beags86]

another shot of the frame

[beags86]

with box mounted

[beags86]

another

[beags86]

so far i have went riding to times with this and i just pulled it apart to paint the frame. so far it seams to be a nice little unit. , its keeping the dust out for now at least.

[beags86]

heres a small pile of things i am able to put in there with a fair amount of room to go. first aid kit, knife,leatherman, flint, flashlight compass, heat blanket, trail map and registration. i still have room for my wallet, keys, phone and few small tools and what not

[Wildbrain]

Looks like a nice storage unit. I wonder if it will keep water out?
Have you tried to get anything to drink in there yet?

[honda400ex2003]

very nice! hopefully ron will see it, he hasnt been on for a few weeks. He must be riding and such and is too busy for us :( box looks great though, almost like a 6 pack cooler setup without the sides. I like the handles on the sides too, it will be nice if you get stuck or something. steve

[Scro]

A large PVC pipe with a screw on fitting works great. It can easily be mounted right behind the front bumper. It doesn't weigh much at all.

[chevella]

That is nice. I did something similar with a pelican case. It doesn't have as much space, but is water and shock proof. It makes a good place for a cell phone, car keys and other small items you want to keep dry.

[MidnightBlade]

dang, and i just bought a bigger backpack. lol

[CJM]

Looks very nice, I wonder is the box waterproof tho?

[beags86]

Originally posted by Scro
A large PVC pipe with a screw on fitting works great. It can easily be mounted right behind the front bumper. It doesn't weigh much at all.

yes i have seen this done, (no offense to anyone that has done this)
but that is a little to red-neck for me. and after thinking about it a bit i wanted something easy to open and get to.

[beags86]

Originally posted by Wildbrain
Looks like a nice storage unit. I wonder if it will keep water out?
Have you tried to get anything to drink in there yet?

the first time i had it on we got rained on the way home and everything was dry after a about 20 minutes of rain. that was in the back of the truck.
right now i am still unsure if it is going to stay dry, so i am not going to tell anyone it is waterproof. and hence why the trail map and registration is going into a plastic baggie for now. everything else- a little water won't hurt.

yes i was able to put three 8oz water bottles in there. but i have a camelbak so i am pretty much set anyway.

lastly, i should point out this this is one the back of my 05. my ladys ride. and shes's not the type to run though puddles or water, she pretty much drives around all that stuff. so with the excecption of rain water shouldn't be a huge deal.

[beags86]

Originally posted by honda400ex2003
very nice! hopefully ron will see it, he hasnt been on for a few weeks. He must be riding and such and is too busy for us :( box looks great though, almost like a 6 pack cooler setup without the sides. I like the handles on the sides too, it will be nice if you get stuck or something. steve

that is kind of what i had in mind, but i couldn't find a used 6 pack rack, and didn't want to pop 100 for a new one. i have 14 bucks in the box. the rack was free. had the metal, built it at work.

a lunch cooler will sit on there just right, if i need to i will remove the box and just strap down a small cooler.

[tri5ron]

Beags,
That is some very impressive A.A.D.S. work. LOL!
That rack really does look top notch and very professional.
I like it alot !
(I also like the LED tail light,... is it a brake light too?)

I have used the same and similar larger boxes from HF for a variety of things. they are pretty cool boxes with the sectioned foam interiors, that you can easily custom cut to your own equipments needs.
I use one for my video camera, and all of it accessories...
another for my wifes full SLR set-up complete with multiple lenses, and accessories...
another for our ETX Telescope accessories...
and yet another as a nice transport case for many of my pistols (and of coarse,... accessories).

HMmmm,... maybe you could fab up a bracket with some quick release pins, and then you could switch between box or cooler very quickly and easily.
If you WERE to fab up a bracket like that, I'd also add a matching set to the TOP of the box, so that you could ALSO take the box, AND the cooler at the same time.
I have a picture in my head of how that could work, yet still be appealing to the eyes, and not too intrusive.

Geez,..... can you say A.A.D.S. here??? LOL!

I'm thinking that it would be fairly easy to waterproof the box.
see if you can take all of the "innards" out, and run a bead of silicone rtv, all around the interior seams, (think of how a fish aquarium is sealed with clear silicone rtv).

Then,... with the box sitting open,... lightly sand or steel wool the mating edges of the top and bottom, to rough the surfaces just enough to allow for a good bond.
then clean with rubbing alcohol, and apply a light bead of rtv around BOTH the top and bottom mating surfaces.
Spread that thin bead lightly with you finge to make it a thin layer on each half of the box, (i.e.- box half, and lid half.
do not close the box until completly dried and cured.

This may be a possible method to make the box virtually waterproof.

Or POSSIBLY,... ( if the constuction of the box will allow for it ),

Maybe you could cut some thin rubber to make a gasket of sorts that could be pinched/sandwiched between the box and the lid. ???
I'm thinking of some rubber something along the lines of a bicycle innertube, or similar.

Of coarse, you could just go COMPLETLY off the deep end of "Nutsville",...

(that's the place in my mind where i feel most comfortable),

...and mount a small amp inside the box,....
some surface mount speakers to the top of the box,...
and plug an IPOD into it,...
for the Ultimate OffRoad ATV mounted BoomBox !!!
(HEY !!! I think we may be onto something here !!!)

Hell, I'm heading out to the garage right now and firing up my welder,...

What time HFTools open in the morning ??
I need to go get me one of them there boxes !!!

Excellent work you've done there.
I REALLY like it when guys do their own thing, and kind of "cut their own trail" with a great idea.

Kudo's to you, Beags !!!
Ron

[honda400ex2003]

Welcome back Ron! tI was good to see the notice that you saw the thread. :D steve

[MidnightBlade]

tri5ron
lemme know how that trip to HFT turns out for you, oh and give your welder my last respects:p

[beags86]

Originally posted by tri5ron
Beags,
That is some very impressive A.A.D.S. work. LOL!
That rack really does look top notch and very professional.
I like it alot !
(I also like the LED tail light,... is it a brake light too?)

I have used the same and similar larger boxes from HF for a variety of things. they are pretty cool boxes with the sectioned foam interiors, that you can easily custom cut to your own equipments needs.
I use one for my video camera, and all of it accessories...
another for my wifes full SLR set-up complete with multiple lenses, and accessories...
another for our ETX Telescope accessories...
and yet another as a nice transport case for many of my pistols (and of coarse,... accessories).

HMmmm,... maybe you could fab up a bracket with some quick release pins, and then you could switch between box or cooler very quickly and easily.
If you WERE to fab up a bracket like that, I'd also add a matching set to the TOP of the box, so that you could ALSO take the box, AND the cooler at the same time.
I have a picture in my head of how that could work, yet still be appealing to the eyes, and not too intrusive.

Geez,..... can you say A.A.D.S. here??? LOL!

I'm thinking that it would be fairly easy to waterproof the box.
see if you can take all of the "innards" out, and run a bead of silicone rtv, all around the interior seams, (think of how a fish aquarium is sealed with clear silicone rtv).

Then,... with the box sitting open,... lightly sand or steel wool the mating edges of the top and bottom, to rough the surfaces just enough to allow for a good bond.
then clean with rubbing alcohol, and apply a light bead of rtv around BOTH the top and bottom mating surfaces.
Spread that thin bead lightly with you finge to make it a thin layer on each half of the box, (i.e.- box half, and lid half.
do not close the box until completly dried and cured.

This may be a possible method to make the box virtually waterproof.

Or POSSIBLY,... ( if the constuction of the box will allow for it ),

Maybe you could cut some thin rubber to make a gasket of sorts that could be pinched/sandwiched between the box and the lid. ???
I'm thinking of some rubber something along the lines of a bicycle innertube, or similar.

Of coarse, you could just go COMPLETLY off the deep end of "Nutsville",...

(that's the place in my mind where i feel most comfortable),

...and mount a small amp inside the box,....
some surface mount speakers to the top of the box,...
and plug an IPOD into it,...
for the Ultimate OffRoad ATV mounted BoomBox !!!
(HEY !!! I think we may be onto something here !!!)

Hell, I'm heading out to the garage right now and firing up my welder,...

What time HFTools open in the morning ??
I need to go get me one of them there boxes !!!

Excellent work you've done there.
I REALLY like it when guys do their own thing, and kind of "cut their own trail" with a great idea.

Kudo's to you, Beags !!!
Ron


thanks for the kind words, its nice to see someone that appreciates someone elses work.

yes the led is brake light as well

yeah i have a few other of those boxs, i have all my airbrushing stuff in one, pinstriping stuff in another, handgun in another, and i think i have one more laying around, lol

i like that idea about the cooler, i can see it as well in my head, to bad i had'nt thought of that before, i could have built it for the cooler and made the little box like a drawer that pulls out of a frame work. (frame work for the cooler)

i might be adding a cooler real soon, lol, got to finsh another project first though.

i also thought of the bike tube waterproof idea, lol

hmm. i was pretty sure i was the only one in "nutsville"

what kind of welder do you have? - i have a lincoln precision tig 225. (even though i built the rack at work)

beags

[tri5ron]

Originally posted by beags86

i like that idea about the cooler, i can see it as well in my head, to bad i had'nt thought of that before, i could have built it for the cooler and made the little box like a drawer that pulls out of a frame work. (frame work for the cooler)

i might be adding a cooler real soon, lol, got to finsh another project first though.

i also thought of the bike tube waterproof idea, lol

hmm. i was pretty sure i was the only one in "nutsville"

what kind of welder do you have? - i have a lincoln precision tig 225. (even though i built the rack at work)

beags

LOL! You and I would be DANGEROUS together !

I can see it now,
close the garage,...
turn on some tunes,...
crack open a cold brew,...
pull out the chopsaw,...
crank up the juice,...

And,...
STAND BACK ! We're gonna build sumpthin' !!!
ROTFLMF'nAO !

My welder is nothing special, and will handle most of what I do.

It's a Miller 115v, model "Millermatic 135", with a 80lb bottle of 75/25 %.
My Christmas wish list, is the Aluminum spoolgun and controller and another bottle at 100%

I can always borrow my buddies old stick machine for when I need to burn some big stuff.

Do you have any experience or thoughts on those new Inverter Arc/Tig units ???

I realize the duty cycle is probably real low, but they seem kind of interesting to me for some reason.

[beags86]

Originally posted by tri5ron
LOL! You and I would be DANGEROUS together !

I can see it now,
close the garage,...
turn on some tunes,...
crack open a cold brew,...
pull out the chopsaw,...
crank up the juice,...

And,...
STAND BACK ! We're gonna build sumpthin' !!!
ROTFLMF'nAO !

My welder is nothing special, and will handle most of what I do.

It's a Miller 115v, model "Millermatic 135", with a 80lb bottle of 75/25 %.
My Christmas wish list, is the Aluminum spoolgun and controller and another bottle at 100%

I can always borrow my buddies old stick machine for when I need to burn some big stuff.

Do you have any experience or thoughts on those new Inverter Arc/Tig units ???

I realize the duty cycle is probably real low, but they seem kind of interesting to me for some reason.




Does your 56' sit in your garage? i hope so but i also realize you live where it never snows and is 70 degrees all yr.

i need some garage art in the background.(mind you said garage art can be running or not)

the beer would have to be some of that Russian Imperial Stout you were talking about in the open forum. no light beer allowed in my garage!

nothing wrong with that welder, i am sure it gets the job done. anyway i have used the inverter type welder before. they are nice. nice and smooth welding current. lightweight and small. but at the same time they are costly and alot more fragile. but the also use less power, now for a someone that doesn't use it all day or everyday, the avg joe it wouldn't be noticeable on ones monthly bill. but another good thing is that you can get a bigger machine then a standard transformer machine. because the inverter welders run off of less volts, (meaning the inverter type vs. the transformer type - the inverter could be bigger running off of the same power).

anyway i prob wouldn't buy one, simply do to cost, even with all of the good things about them, i look at it like this, a transformer machine will do everything i need them to do and i would be able to save the money to put into parts for projects or more tools.

but thats just me.

lastly it depends on the model and brand, but the duty cycle wouldn't necessary be lower. i did a quick search and found that some of them had 100% duty cycle(i was unsure about that myself) which is one thing i like since i have shutdown my lincoln a time or too.

later, beags

[tri5ron]

SSOoooooooo,.....
lets see the pics of the new/improved, quick change, slider mounts,with the quick release pins, to facilitate the storage box/6 pac cooler swap !

we want it to also include a solar powered, LED strobed whip, and a GMRS antenna on top.

your not slacking off are you ????? :D :p http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n148/tri5ron/popcornsmilie.gif