FYI anyone interested.
Attached is a plan of a draw bar toolbox I'm having made for my standard draw bar.
It'll carry 1 x 9 kg gas (310mm D x 470 mm H), a 4.5 kg gas (250 D x 400H), a webber mini Q (710L x 370 W x 380 H) and a jerry can (160 W x 350 L x 470H) or two (as needed). Trying not to add too much extra draw bar weight, just space for stuff I don't want inside or won't fit in the tunnel.
It'll fit over the top of the spare (so I keep the pending heavier duty rear bumper free for a kids bike rack and pole holder). I took the grinder to the small top rail on the front tyre bracket so the spare sits flat in its bracket now rather than the nose up they come from the factory. Nothing else needed to be done; the clamp and nut work in the same place. Means the spare is an even 30 mm raised above the draw bar height rather than 60 mm raised at teh front, 30mm at the back.
Having the box over the spare means the box will need emptying then removing to get to the spare (4 x u-bolts / 8 nuts...a bit of time, no big deal..if i hate that i can make the spare tye bracket swing down like some others on here have).
It'll take 2 x roof rack style bike racks on the top so the adults bikes are carried up front, balancing the weight of the 3 x kids bikes off the back.
Importantly, as the open bed base to draw bar is 560mm, then the 490 mm box plus 60 mm bike rack leaves 10mm tolerance bwteen bike rack and bed base; only the bikes come off before the bed is opened. The bed base will need to be lifted to access inside the box once the bed is open - I can live with that, no particular dicfficulty and much cheaper than adding a front or side opening to the box.
It'll sit approx 20 mm forward of the front wall of the van. There is sufficient draw bar length from the hitch for the WDH chain clamps to fit.
MW Tool boxes in St Peters, Sydney is doing it for me. Good price, over 100% less than some other quotes; in the ball park of many off the shelf alloy boxes (and after much searching I couldn't find anything in the 1200 to 1500L x 480 to 500H x 450W range needed for the spot, all of which would have to have the access for the tyre cut and welded into the base, adding customisation costs to a standard box anyway).
Pictures coming once its made and fitted.
Correction to sketch: Expanda's are 2300 wide, i'd marked it 2100 wide, so the space between the 1400 box and the side of the van is 450mm, not 350. The front corner's shouldn't interfere with the turning circle, and if they do it will only be for very tight stuff, 70% to 90% so won't affect on road driving, just need to be careful with tight reversing.
Attached is a plan of a draw bar toolbox I'm having made for my standard draw bar.
It'll carry 1 x 9 kg gas (310mm D x 470 mm H), a 4.5 kg gas (250 D x 400H), a webber mini Q (710L x 370 W x 380 H) and a jerry can (160 W x 350 L x 470H) or two (as needed). Trying not to add too much extra draw bar weight, just space for stuff I don't want inside or won't fit in the tunnel.
It'll fit over the top of the spare (so I keep the pending heavier duty rear bumper free for a kids bike rack and pole holder). I took the grinder to the small top rail on the front tyre bracket so the spare sits flat in its bracket now rather than the nose up they come from the factory. Nothing else needed to be done; the clamp and nut work in the same place. Means the spare is an even 30 mm raised above the draw bar height rather than 60 mm raised at teh front, 30mm at the back.
Having the box over the spare means the box will need emptying then removing to get to the spare (4 x u-bolts / 8 nuts...a bit of time, no big deal..if i hate that i can make the spare tye bracket swing down like some others on here have).
It'll take 2 x roof rack style bike racks on the top so the adults bikes are carried up front, balancing the weight of the 3 x kids bikes off the back.
Importantly, as the open bed base to draw bar is 560mm, then the 490 mm box plus 60 mm bike rack leaves 10mm tolerance bwteen bike rack and bed base; only the bikes come off before the bed is opened. The bed base will need to be lifted to access inside the box once the bed is open - I can live with that, no particular dicfficulty and much cheaper than adding a front or side opening to the box.
It'll sit approx 20 mm forward of the front wall of the van. There is sufficient draw bar length from the hitch for the WDH chain clamps to fit.
MW Tool boxes in St Peters, Sydney is doing it for me. Good price, over 100% less than some other quotes; in the ball park of many off the shelf alloy boxes (and after much searching I couldn't find anything in the 1200 to 1500L x 480 to 500H x 450W range needed for the spot, all of which would have to have the access for the tyre cut and welded into the base, adding customisation costs to a standard box anyway).
Pictures coming once its made and fitted.
Correction to sketch: Expanda's are 2300 wide, i'd marked it 2100 wide, so the space between the 1400 box and the side of the van is 450mm, not 350. The front corner's shouldn't interfere with the turning circle, and if they do it will only be for very tight stuff, 70% to 90% so won't affect on road driving, just need to be careful with tight reversing.
