rayra
Expedition Leader
Pretty basic stuff, I'm sure it's been covered before. There are many solutions, this one is mine.
Finally purchased my project Suburban a few weeks ago and its inaugural outing will most likely be Death Valley in the winter. Winter or no, it's the high desert and I'm packing a good bit of water. I've had some milspec MWCs for a long time (from LCI, http://buylci.com/ItemDisplayF.aspx?D1=SKILCRAFT-Water-Can-Desert-Tan--5-gal&ItemID=906396 back when they were (3)/$50). These are very durable cans and as long as you keep the threads clean and undamaged, they seal quite well in any position. They're in effect identical to the water cans we beat up in the Marines. I've used the 7gal 'Aquatainer' cubes (make sure to get the threaded vent cap design, not the press-fit) but they are quite thin especially on the bottom. They don't last more than a year or two of regular use.
So I wanted a shallow box design that would fit the MWCs in a couple configurations. I wanted a box for potential leak containment as well as providign a means to strap down the MWCs. 50# hard objects flying about are a Bad Thing. Their dimensions are 7"x14"x19" and it turns out a box built for three upright also works great for two laying on their spines.
So I knocked together a simple plywood box, 3/4", glued and screwed ever 3" or so. The base (and thus the I.D.) is 14" x 21". The side walls are 7-3/4" tall, to form a 7" high interior.
Originally I just wanted a snug fit to socket them in, but reconsidered and decided I'd better lash them down. I'm putting in a shallow platform / drawer system in the cargo area of the Suburban and my intent is the screw this box onto the back rear corner of that platform. I'm also putting a thru-hole in the base by which I can bolt the box down to the rear corner factory cargo tie-down location. The box can also go on the Z-71 roof rack, be trapped by its crossmembers and likewise lashed down. So I also considered a method of lashing them down to the box itself. Given the snug fit of the box, poking a tie-down strap hook thru the side of the box is problematic. So I used carriage bolts. I used a 1" forstner drill bit to make a 3/8" deep bevel on the inside of the box, so the nut and washer on the inside is sunk flush with the interior face of the box. Used a larger fender washer and set another nut on the outside to lock things together and leave enough of the carriage bolt protruding to make a good attachment point.
I also had an attack of the ridiculous and put carry handles on the box. Ridiculous in that it will weigh 100-150# when full.
Some quick passes on my router table with a 1/4 radius bit to round all the edges and handles, and a dual action orbital sander to get rid of any rough edges and splinters.
A quick coat of flat black paint and impatiently mounting the hardware before the paint is even dry
And a demonstration / test tie-down.
If I don't get the drawer system in place before the trip, I can just pass the strap all the way around the contraption and hook both ends into the stock cargo tie down. That'll keep everything together and safely where I want it to be.
Anyway, a wood box. Hardly rocket science. Maybe it'll kick off other ideas for other folks.
Finally purchased my project Suburban a few weeks ago and its inaugural outing will most likely be Death Valley in the winter. Winter or no, it's the high desert and I'm packing a good bit of water. I've had some milspec MWCs for a long time (from LCI, http://buylci.com/ItemDisplayF.aspx?D1=SKILCRAFT-Water-Can-Desert-Tan--5-gal&ItemID=906396 back when they were (3)/$50). These are very durable cans and as long as you keep the threads clean and undamaged, they seal quite well in any position. They're in effect identical to the water cans we beat up in the Marines. I've used the 7gal 'Aquatainer' cubes (make sure to get the threaded vent cap design, not the press-fit) but they are quite thin especially on the bottom. They don't last more than a year or two of regular use.
So I wanted a shallow box design that would fit the MWCs in a couple configurations. I wanted a box for potential leak containment as well as providign a means to strap down the MWCs. 50# hard objects flying about are a Bad Thing. Their dimensions are 7"x14"x19" and it turns out a box built for three upright also works great for two laying on their spines.
So I knocked together a simple plywood box, 3/4", glued and screwed ever 3" or so. The base (and thus the I.D.) is 14" x 21". The side walls are 7-3/4" tall, to form a 7" high interior.
Originally I just wanted a snug fit to socket them in, but reconsidered and decided I'd better lash them down. I'm putting in a shallow platform / drawer system in the cargo area of the Suburban and my intent is the screw this box onto the back rear corner of that platform. I'm also putting a thru-hole in the base by which I can bolt the box down to the rear corner factory cargo tie-down location. The box can also go on the Z-71 roof rack, be trapped by its crossmembers and likewise lashed down. So I also considered a method of lashing them down to the box itself. Given the snug fit of the box, poking a tie-down strap hook thru the side of the box is problematic. So I used carriage bolts. I used a 1" forstner drill bit to make a 3/8" deep bevel on the inside of the box, so the nut and washer on the inside is sunk flush with the interior face of the box. Used a larger fender washer and set another nut on the outside to lock things together and leave enough of the carriage bolt protruding to make a good attachment point.
I also had an attack of the ridiculous and put carry handles on the box. Ridiculous in that it will weigh 100-150# when full.
Some quick passes on my router table with a 1/4 radius bit to round all the edges and handles, and a dual action orbital sander to get rid of any rough edges and splinters.
A quick coat of flat black paint and impatiently mounting the hardware before the paint is even dry
And a demonstration / test tie-down.
If I don't get the drawer system in place before the trip, I can just pass the strap all the way around the contraption and hook both ends into the stock cargo tie down. That'll keep everything together and safely where I want it to be.
Anyway, a wood box. Hardly rocket science. Maybe it'll kick off other ideas for other folks.
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