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Old 08-09-2010, 09:56 PM   #1
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Storage Box for Tongue

Hello: here are some pics of a storage box I had made for the tongue of my 17B. It contains my generator, gasoline can, barbecue, outdoor cook stove, extension cords, outdoor carpet, 12 volt pump, propane tank for cook stove and lots of odds and end........and there is still room for more. The box is made of marine plastic welded together with a lid and vent holes for gas fumes etc. It is bolted to the frame so can be removed if necessary. The masking tape was still in place when I took the pics, as I was painting the frame white to match the trailer.
Gabe
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Old 08-10-2010, 11:12 PM   #2
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Re: Storage Box for Tongue

Very nice, what are the vertical legs made of?
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Old 08-10-2010, 11:16 PM   #3
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Re: Storage Box for Tongue

Hi Thane:
The frame and legs are welded aluminum and are bolted to the trailer frame. The box is then bolted to the frame. The box is quite light but tough marine plastic with all sides welded.
gabe
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Old 08-11-2010, 12:10 AM   #4
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Re: Storage Box for Tongue

You seem to be able to pack a lot of stuff in there. Have you checked your tongue weight?
I have my utility box on the back, on a cargo rack and have moved some stuff out of it and to my front compartment in an attempt to keep the trailer balanced. Nothing scientific to my packing, as in I haven't run it over a scale since I added the box and then moved stuff about.

One issue with the box on the back is it adds two feet to the trailer length, an issue when taking a ferry for instance.

baglo
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Old 08-11-2010, 12:22 PM   #5
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Re: Storage Box for Tongue

Well my loaded trailer weigs 2600 pounds and with the loaded box on the tongue, my tongue weight is about 300 pounds which is just under 12% of the vehicle weight. From my reading, it is recommended that the tongue weight should be anywhere between 10-15% of the trailer weight. I do have some counterbalancing caused by my bike which is on a bike rack on the rear bumper, but I have to say that before I added the box and its contents to the tongue, I was having a little bit of "bounce" with the trailer when I hit a bump on the road, which leads me to believe that perhaps my tongue weight was previously not heavy enough. Now, I don't feel anything in the same situation. So far, I am very happy with that box, and there is still room in there for a few more odds and ends. By the way, just like you, my bike rack adds 2 feet to the length of my trailer which does increase my costs when using the BC Ferries.
gabe.
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Old 08-18-2010, 01:16 PM   #6
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Re: Storage Box for Tongue

I am sure you have considered this but be careful when in tight quarters as the corners of you box will interfere with your tow rig in a bind, especially when backing up. I too built a tongue box but kept the dimensions within the frame for this reason. My box was posted previously.

Alan
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