http://www.sandmarks.net/CargoBox.html Though I show off some pictures of my latest work in progress. It is a cargo box to hold kayak gear for trips and camping. I bought a class one hitch for _at_ $120 and thought I'd make the rest myself. I bought a hunk of 1x3 square tubing as the main support. Right now I just have my plywood tray bolted on to see how it fits, but I plan to reinforce it with some steel or aluminum angle iron--not sure which yet. The box will attach to the tray in some manner. I figure it can hold my kayak gear and some camping stuff and maybe a bit of firewood. Without the box, I though I could use the wooden tray to maybe haul a small roto-tiller when I need one for the back yard. Maybe someone out there knows the rules in CA for hauling a cargo box??? I hides my license plate, which may be a problem, but my taillights are up high, so they don't get interfered with. When I trip the tubing, the whole shebang should only hang out _at_ 30", less than my kayak when it on my roof. The box has wheels and is of a nice size, so it might make a nice table camping! Mark Sanders www.sandmarks.net _______________________________________________ Info mailing list Info_at_list.ckf.org http://list.ckf.org/mailman/listinfo/info *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Mark, Your cargo box looks lovely and will greatly increase your load capacity. But I am concerned about the structural integrity in the torsional failure mode. Are you planning on welding cross members to the base steel beam? I would highly recommend it. That large box with weight in it traveling at highway speeds and going over road bumps is going to generate some substantial forces and probably some sizable torque about the vehicle axis. Just bolting the tray to the beam may not be enough. All the commercial trailer-hitch load trays I've seen have been constructed of welded steel all around - there's probably a reason for all that strength. I hate to think what would happen if your loaded cargo box broke lose on one of those crowded California Highways... East Coast Mark = *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Neat idea for increasing cargo capacity of a small car. I agree with the Mark of the East. While the occasional twisting as you drive may not be a problem, if the box starts to rock and oscillate you will start to fatigue the tubing. A large mass on a small support is bound to oscillate. This might actually be a good application for more wood as wood does not weaken from fatigue in the same way metal does. But, just adding some brackets that engage on the bumper to hold the platform steady may do the trick. Anything that holds the box steady will go a long way to protecting the platform from failure. Nick On Jun 9, 2010, at 5:07 AM, goffma_at_aol.com wrote: > I hate to think what would happen if > your loaded cargo box broke lose on one of those crowded California > Highways... > > East Coast Mark Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks 54 South Rd Groton, CT 06340 USA Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847 http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Yes sir! I'm going out to look for some angle iron to weld on for the "torsional stability" issue you've mentioned! Although it is large box, I plan to keep the weight in it low. Left Coast Mark Leaning Right On 6/9/2010 2:07 AM, goffma_at_aol.com wrote: > Mark, > > Your cargo box looks lovely and will greatly increase your load capacity. But > I am concerned about the structural integrity in the torsional failure mode. > Are you planning on welding cross members to the base steel beam? I would > highly recommend it. That large box with weight in it traveling at highway > speeds and going over road bumps is going to generate some substantial forces > and probably some sizable torque about the vehicle axis. Just bolting the > tray to the beam may not be enough. All the commercial trailer-hitch load > trays I've seen have been constructed of welded steel all around - there's > probably a reason for all that strength. I hate to think what would happen if > your loaded cargo box broke lose on one of those crowded California > Highways... > > East Coast Mark *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, Jun 8, 2010 at 8:43 PM, Mark Sanders <marksanders_at_sandmarks.et>wrote: > > Though I show off some pictures of my latest work in progress. It is a > cargo box to hold kayak gear for trips and camping. > Great idea. I have a wheelchair lift that just plugs into a CatIII hitch and operates off a 12vdc battery in the trunk. It is rated at 300 pounds and the wheelchair weighs in at somewhere around 150pounds. It bounces around back there considerably. So far we've only used it on the SUV and the pickup truck and they hardly notice. A car might notice 300 lbs back there. Since you have all sorts of nifty camera stuff why don't you take a really good photo of your license place (rear) and then have someone print a full-sized version of it. Then mount a license plate thingie on the storage box. This might cause highway patrol officers to find someone else to give a ticket to. Or not. Cool idea though. :) Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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