Hardigg vs Plano vs Aluminum Med box

[RangeDrive]

I am in the market for a storage box for inside my vehicle but I want it waterproof so it can be stored on the roof rack. I have found deals on them all so that puts them all around the same budget. Here are the 3 options, tell me your thoughts on them

Hardigg military case: Pros: water/airtight, rugged with roller wheelsand good replacement parts. Cons: heavy!

Military Aluminum medical case as seen on Sportsman guide.com. Pros: water/airtight lightweight. Cons: not as durable as other options, no roller wheels.

Plano 1819 case. Pros:lightweight water/airtight, roller wheels. Cons: not as durable as the Hardigg, it is water tight but reviews say it still seeps during rain while stored on the roof.

What are your recommendations ? Are there other options I don't know about?

 

[OCD Overland]

I can only give you comments on the Hardigg, since that's what I have.

Cons -

1. Yes, really heavy.
2. The latches are hard on your hands after a while - I ended up coating them in plastidip so they're fine now.
3. No integrated lock, so you'll have to add one.
4. They don't stay open well on their own - Hardigg makes a stay for them, but like a lock, it's something more to buy and install.
5. If you get water in them, or spill something, you have to sponge it out, since the lip design prevents you from just dumping out the water.

Pros -

1. Absolutely water and dust proof - you can hose them off with a power washer and they'll stay dry inside.
2. Indestructible - I've dropped them from the roof rack onto pavement more than once with no damage to the cases or contents
3. They stack well, with just the right amount of interlocking so they stay stacked while still being easy to slide out.
4. They make great camp furniture once you're unpacked.
5. They make your campsite look like a set from Space 1999.

Since you mentioned wheels, I'm guessing you're looking at the med kit boxes you see on eBay. Personally, I think those are a bit big. The ones we have are the 1818-0603 - that's about as large as I'd want to have to lift onto a roof rack, and we find it's a good module for loading in the car or on the rack.

It's worth waiting around for deals, mostly because shipping them is pretty costly - I ended up buying a whole pallet (I think 18 of them, lol) and having them sent freight, which made it reasonable, on a per case basis. Someday I'll find a use for them.

 

[RangeDrive]

Very good first hand info, thanks! You would happen to want to sell any do you?

 

[OCD Overland]

Sure, make me an offer - they're just taking up space in the basement right now and I could only ever imagine using 8-10 of them myself, if even that many.

 

[RangeDrive]

After some research I think those cases are alittle small for me, I want some that will be alittle bigger for what I'm using them for. Thanks though

 

[OCD Overland]

No problem. Let me know if you ever change your mind - since you're in Little Rock, shipping wouldn't be an issue since we're in Hot Springs several times a year.

 

[Herbie]

Military Aluminum medical case as seen on Sportsman guide.com. Pros: water/airtight lightweight. Cons: not as durable as other options, no roller wheels.

Your link is broken (goes to TV Guide), but I'm going to assume you're talking about the chests that look like these:

If so, let me update your pros/cons:

Pros: Air/water tight. Sturdy as hell.
Cons: Very heavy. The "medium" one (11½. H x 19½ in. W x 31½ in. L) weighs 26lbs empty.

They're aluminum, but it's thick. No wheels isn't really a con for me since I wanted to mount it on my roof rack and leave it there (but it's taller than I'd like, hoping to find a "small" one (7"H).

Another pro: If you can get a set of the Brenner table legs, they double as a table or work surface:

 

[Jason911]

A Hardigg product number is also the dimensions, so the above 1818-0603 is: 18" L x 18"W x 6" Deep with a 3" deep lid.

 

[OCD Overland]

Those are the interior dimensions, though. The boxes I have measure 21x21x11 outside.

 

[RangeDrive]

Well I'll be getting the Hardigg . For $40 I can't pass it up and it's similar in size and weight to the Aluminum box. Although if it doesn't work out I'm going to try the aluminum box and table legs. That looks like it would make a great kitchen kit

 

[Danimal]

I just drove 3,800 miles with a Plano 1819 on the roof. Much of it interstate, and nearly all of it in the rain through Utah & Colorado. While it does a great job keeping water out, it is not water proof. I put gear in it that could handle water, so no worries. The recesses in the bottom held water so my gear was generally not sitting in a puddle. I picked up 2 for $15 each a couple of years ago, so I'm sure not complaining.