Rear door mounted storage boxes

[GeorgesADV]

Not sure if I'm in the right forum, if not please let me know which is best.
I recently bought a Chevy Express 3500 which I'm converting to campervan. I would like to mount 2 storage boxes to the rear doors and would like to know if anyone has done it and how did you do it? Pictures?
I don't want to go the route of a new bumper because they are too expensive, I just wanna know if it's possible to mount to the rear doors two boxes to carry tools and other camping equipment

 

[SoCal_80]

Not a Chevy but i have a box mounted to the rear of my Sprinter. That said i think mount anything that heavy and adding more weight inside the box will be a challenge if only mounted to the rear doors. My box and tire carrier on the other side mount to the door hinges and then to the door (just to keep things from moving but no weight on the door). Wondering if someone makes a hinge mounting box for your van? (And i agree this is a better option than adding a heavy bumper just to carry the boxes).


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[SoCal_80]

A Quick Look and found Aluminess and others make a rear tire carrier. not inexpensive but perhaps you can use one of those as your mounting point for the box?


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[GeorgesADV]

A Quick Look and found Aluminess and others make a rear tire carrier. not inexpensive but perhaps you can use one of those as your mounting point for the box?


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Yes they do and I already looked at it but $1300 just for one side is too much, I would be looking at 2600, a full bumper with mounting for a box on one side and a tire on the other would set me back $3400, way to high

 

[SoCal_80]

Agreed. Expensive!


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[Herbie]

I was able to do this by building racks that hung on the rear doors, using an "over hinge" to take the weight. My first one was built from a modified $5 junkyard RV tire carrier, the second was built from scratch. Once I had the racks, it was easy to bolt on carriers for jerry cans, pelican cases, whatever. I attached mine to the inside of the door skin so that they pivoted with the doors.

Retro Post: Astrolander Rear Door Rack - Version 2

Another Retro Post. This time, we're catching up on some (not-so) recent changes to the rack system mounted to the rear doors of the Astrol...

herbiesworld.blogspot.com

Dutch Door Rack Simplification

" Simplify, and add lightness " - Colin Chapman It's not just for race car engineers, it's good for overlanders too. Like a lot of folks in ...

chooseadventures.blogspot.com

EDIT: Since the Express doesn't have exposed hinges, you may need to get a little deeper - but I've seen spare tire mounts for the rear doors that involve drilling through the door skin and then bolting into a bracket that either bolts-to or sandwiches the rear hinge that's inside the door - again, to shift the weight to the hinge, instead of the "skin".

 

[GeorgesADV]

I was able to do this by building racks that hung on the rear doors, using an "over hinge" to take the weight. My first one was built from a modified $5 junkyard RV tire carrier, the second was built from scratch. Once I had the racks, it was easy to bolt on carriers for jerry cans, pelican cases, whatever. I attached mine to the inside of the door skin so that they pivoted with the doors.

Retro Post: Astrolander Rear Door Rack - Version 2

Another Retro Post. This time, we're catching up on some (not-so) recent changes to the rack system mounted to the rear doors of the Astrol...

herbiesworld.blogspot.com

Dutch Door Rack Simplification

" Simplify, and add lightness " - Colin Chapman It's not just for race car engineers, it's good for overlanders too. Like a lot of folks in ...

chooseadventures.blogspot.com

View attachment 861849

Yeah, that's what I would like to mount, maybe pelican or similar boxes, nothing too heavy.
The advantage you have with the Astro is you have hinges outside I believe, the Express has hinges on the inside, not as easy to create something

 

[jhl99]

I have a Promaster.... it has relatively flat body and door panels. I mounted some low profile 80/20 to the back door with stiffeners on the inside of the door. I then mounted a Rotopax 2 gallon tank to a piece of plywood which mounts to the 80/20 (Fuel for the diesel heater). Maybe 20 lbs of weight. The Promaster has some skids that the lower portion of the door rides on when closed (see red arrow), so I'm not that concerned about the load on the hinges. Fuel tank is removed in the warmer months.

 

[Blowby]

I was in a similar dilemma several years ago and didn't want to add a new bumper, but also did not want to load up the rear door hinges.My solution was to utilize the 2" tow hitch.Ended up purchasing the Rak Attach swing out and then made various attachments to add versatility to what I need at the time.Had to add supports for strength but was able to utilize the tow hitch mounts themselves.Am also able to unload the box by myself by utilizing a roller lift jack.

 

[GeorgesADV]

I have a Promaster.... it has relatively flat body and door panels. I mounted some low profile 80/20 to the back door with stiffeners on the inside of the door. I then mounted a Rotopax 2 gallon tank to a piece of plywood which mounts to the 80/20 (Fuel for the diesel heater). Maybe 20 lbs of weight. The Promaster has some skids that the lower portion of the door rides on when closed (see red arrow), so I'm not that concerned about the load on the hinges. Fuel tank is removed in the warmer months.

View attachment 861988



View attachment 861990

That is a great idea and the chevy express doors also sit on skids plus I would also add support on the inside of the door.
I have also thought about the idea of the diesel heater mounted outside. You not concerned with people messing up your diesel or connections outside?

 

[GeorgesADV]

I was in a similar dilemma several years ago and didn't want to add a new bumper, but also did not want to load up the rear door hinges.My solution was to utilize the 2" tow hitch.Ended up purchasing the Rak Attach swing out and then made various attachments to add versatility to what I need at the time.Had to add supports for strength but was able to utilize the tow hitch mounts themselves.Am also able to unload the box by myself by utilizing a roller lift jack.View attachment 861991View attachment 861992View attachment 861993View attachment 861994

That is also a great idea and I like what you did but I wanted to mount the two small boxes to the doors so I could leave the trailer hitch to mount a tire carrier.

 

[jhl99]

You not concerned with people messing up your diesel or connections outside?

Nope. Hasn't been an issue. I don't really park in questionable areas.

The black cover hides the fuel tank. The fuel line is in some wire loom, so it isn't apparent that it is fuel line. There is quick release (with internal check valves) in the fuel line right as it goes under the body, so for more 'stealth', I can disconnect the fuel line and store it under the black cover.

For what is worth, I'm using 'Push to Connect' fittings that are usually used in compressed air applications. They have been working good for 2 years. Additionally, I have shut off valves at the fuel tank and near the heater (If I ever had leak, I don't want to siphon the tank). There is also a Tee in the line with shutoff valve on the Tee. There is a dip tube in the fuel tank, so there are no penetrations in the tank below the fuel level. To prime the system, I open the valve on the tee, which feeds a short tube to a catch pan (Actually a cleaned out plastic salad dressing bottle), I then pressurize the fuel tank with a bike pump using a Schrader fitting installed in the fuel tank cap. Once I get the flow going, and air out of the line, I shut off the valve on the tee and drain the residual back into the main tank (This the reason to use the salad dressing bottle, it necks down so there is no spillage... everyone hates spilled diesel!).

I know, off topic, but that is the low down.

 

[Roamin' Chariot]

The original question was door mounting boxes, so here's a pic of what I did to make a door mounted rack on my Savana van.

It's hauled full gas cans, etc. to Alaska and back. I can stand on it to access the roof. I borrowed the idea from a post on this forum, Tlow's I think?, who mounted a tire rack to his door. Anyhow, I mounted directly to the hinges on the outside mounts and then just plates on the sheet metal near the inner door edges for inside mounts. I used Thule bars as I had them laying around and I was thinking it would take standard roof rack attachments.

Just a thought

 

[GeorgesADV]

The original question was door mounting boxes, so here's a pic of what I did to make a door mounted rack on my Savana van.

It's hauled full gas cans, etc. to Alaska and back. I can stand on it to access the roof. I borrowed the idea from a post on this forum, Tlow's I think?, who mounted a tire rack to his door. Anyhow, I mounted directly to the hinges on the outside mounts and then just plates on the sheet metal near the inner door edges for inside mounts. I used Thule bars as I had them laying around and I was thinking it would take standard roof rack attachments.

Just a thought

I haven't actually looked at the hinges on the inside, I will look into that, thanks

 

[Roamin' Chariot]

Here's the only pic's I took of my mounts. These vans have welded on hinges. I drilled bolt holes to do the 4 "outside" mounts (at the hinges). Not pictured is the backing plates on the "inside" mounts (at the seams between the doors), internal to the door. I used the largest section wide steel angle that fit.