So you want to build a chuckbox...

NatersXJ6

Explorer
Hey all,

I recently went on a mission to build a suitable chuck box / camp kitchen to fit in the back of my JKU. It was a fun journey, and I learned a lot. Some of it might even be worth sharing. It is possible that the purpose of my life is to serve as warning to others... and perhaps even inspiration to a few. I promise, for those of you who live by the pics or it didn't happen mantra, pics as soon as the camera finishes charging.

So, every design starts with intent and assumptions:

I got away quite happily for several years using a small action packer for a kitchen. But... everything had to come out every time, and always ended up piled up on the ground. Not very fun to deal with. In addition, I had a very nice, but not very cooking friendly, set of Stansport non-stick pots and pans. They would be okay for backpacking with a large group, but I wanted something more substantial for "real" cooking. Thus, my wife collaborated with Kris Kringle and a new set of Magma cookware showed up at our house around Christmas time.

I wanted to build a chuck box that had the following design elements:

1) Fit between my ARB Fridge and the other side of my JKU on the cargo slide that I built for the back.
2) Fit water jugs behind (between back seats and the back of chuck box).
3) Hold a roll of aluminum foil and a roll of paper towel.
4) Hold my new pots, and all other assorted kitchen utensil except for Dutch Oven (that is only occasionally along for the ride).
5) NOT intended to hold stove or fuel.
6) NOT intended to hold water or water filtration.
7) NOT a pull-out permanently mounted system. I like to cook away from the car.
7) Be light enough I can lift it in and out of the car easily.
8) Have some sort of handles that would allow it to be strapped down.
9) Have space above it to store dry goods or other gear between the box and the shelf above it.
10) Be small enough to fit in bear boxes in public campgrounds.
11) Have a door that folds down to create a work surface.
12) Look decent, not perfect, but if I'm investing time and money, it should look decent.
13) This is NOT a "budget build" although I try to make reasonable value choices.


So I thought long and hard about building from sheet steel or aluminum. Both of those would allow the maximum interior space for the overall volume occupied. Ultimately I rejected sheet steel because I don't have a nice box/pan brake, and couldn't really justify the cost of one for this project. I also rejected aluminum for similar reasons, and the consideration that I barely (barely) have TIG skills, and certainly don't have them for aluminum. I was also concerned about the aluminum powder that seems to build up in the bottom of my truck toolboxes, I'm thinking that could be possible in an aluminum chuckbox too. In the end, I chose 3/8" Baltic Birch Plywood. It is lighter per square foot than 0.125 aluminum, more workable with my current skill set, and has a really good classic look when finished with black cherry stain and brass hardware. I'll go over more of the wisdom(?) of that choice when I get to lessons learned. There were definite pros and cons to that choice.

More to come... this might be a slow string of posts... pics soon.
 

NatersXJ6

Explorer
My early measurements indicated that I could fit a box 21.5" wide, 14-16" deep, and up to 20" high. I knew that I wanted to build box joints (finger joints) for their strength, beauty, and ease of construction. Those of you that have built finger jointed boxes before probably just fell out of your camp chairs laughing at me. I'm now a proud member of that club too... more on that to come. The other advantage I saw to finger jointing is that all measurements would be made to the final outer dimension, as the joint would be equivalent to the thickness of each piece, so no added space would be needed for other sorts of joints.

I settled in on 21.5 x 14 x 14, with a vertical divider at 10-3/8 (the width of the Magma set) with a pretty snug drag of the pots along the walls. They won't be sliding anywhere.

Having never worked with baltic birch before, I went to a local hardwood supply, and bought sheets in 1/8, 3/8, and 1/2 inch. I didn't buy 1/4", and sort of wish I would have. Initially, my thought was to cut as much as possible out of the 3/8, to save weight, and laminate on the 1/8. It ended up looking like this would be too thin / fragile, so I just made the thing out of solid 3/8. This turned out really nicely, although I think that if a version 2 is ever built, it will have a 1/2" bottom and door with 1/4" walls and top. The baltic birch was really nice to work with, but it did chip out passing through the dado blades more than I thought it would. There definitely seemed to be something to do with outside veneer grain orientation. Cutting across the grain seems cleaner than cutting along the grain. Overall, I was impressed with the wood. I never found a void at all, and most of it didn't warp. It was generally easy to work, and cut and planed nicely. It was a little awkward starting with 5x5' sheets. They fit strangely in the pickup, jamming between the bed rails at one point, and most of my tools for breaking down sheets are designed to work with 4x8' stock. Once I got used to it, it became easy.
 

tarditi

Explorer
Definitely need pics.

I built a patrol box myself and did lots of research afterwards, having not been 100% satisfied with the initial product (it was too large, and too unwieldy).

I opted, instead, for a Dosko Campmate and it was perfect. That said, it is nice to tailor your design to fit your exact needs, and there is a lot of personal pride in making it yourself.
 

NatersXJ6

Explorer
Disney? I've been tithing 30ish percent of my pay to Disney for so long now (2 little girls) that I just thought everyone's life included background music by Disney.
 

NatersXJ6

Explorer
With Pics!

Okay, I'm back at it with mildly out of focus pictures! I find that so many of my projects look better out of focus...

So,these are taken at a level that I consider about 90% complete, but fully functional. There will likely be a second version in the future, but I think this will run around with me for a few years to really let the issues and lessons learned sink in.

IMG_3556 Resized.jpgIMG_3557 Resized.jpg

As far as the contents go, it took a bit of thinking to decide what to include and what to exclude. The list so far:

Magma Pot Set
Magma Omlette Pan
Potato Masher
Cutting Board
2 9x13 Cake Pan / Drawer / Basins
Cork Screw
Can Opener
Stainless Flipper
Stainless Whisk
Spatulas
Bamboo Spoon
Bamboo Turner
Bamboo Slotted Spoon
Silicone Ladle / Big Spoon Thing
Silicone Turner
5 Knives - Various sizes and blade types
Flatware for 4
6 Plates
6 Bowls
4 Drinking Cups
1 Roll Shop Towels
1 Roll Aluminum Foil
Dish Towels
Dish Cloths
Scrubbers
Soap
Hand Sanitizer
Headlamp
Matches
Measuring Spoons
Measuring Cup
Pot Strainer
Pot Holders
Grater
Ziploc Bags

Other stuff I can't remember right now... probably...
 

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jgaz

Adventurer
Nice Job!!!!! Your pics don't do your finger joints justice. I love that type of joint.

Did you use a router or table saw to cut the joints? Homemade or commercial jig?

Do you have an estimate on the empty box weight?
 

NatersXJ6

Explorer
Thanks! I need a different angle to show off the joinery. I cut them on a table saw with a home made Jig. My next story segment will be about that, and I'll throw a pic or two of the jig I ended up with... there were several along the way.

I haven't weighed it yet, because I still expect to add some brass corner protection but it is definitely a one or two finger carry when empty. Maybe 6-8 lbs? It might be up to 10.
 

joelbert

Adventurer
I built one of these once for car camping, but when it was all said and done, it was heavy (loaded or unloaded), unwieldy, and not rain proof. After a season or two and discovering this forum, I have since migrated my kitchen to an alu-box. When closed, it's rain proof and supposedly critter proof.

http://www.equipt1.com/i/aluminum-cases/in-stock
 

aaen

Adventurer
Don't use an aluminum box, your kitchen stuff will all get covered in a fine aluminum powder. Only use them if they have been clear coated or have the plastic liner in them.

Although, I do like your thought process. I am in the same boat to be honest, I am trying to find a box that has dividers already in it I can use for a camp kitchen setup. I want to keep the stove separate as I do not want a 100lb kitchen chuck box I have to drag around. Ideally, a rubbermaid bin would be awesome, one of those roughneck ones, think that is what they are called. But I found out they leak in the rain, and I had wet camping gear on my last outting.

Anyways, if anyone has ideas on a premed box that would work with dividers, it would be appreciate. I imagine the front runner box would work as well.
 
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joelbert

Adventurer
I'm not sure where all the "fine aluminum powder" is coming from that's going to cover everything. I haven't had that problem. It might be conceivable that some powder could be generated I guess if everything slid around like crazy.
 

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