A different front storage box option

[Chamberman]

We bought our E19 used last year. We got a nice price on the trailer but it was missing a few options that I really wanted. The front storage box was at the top of that list. I’ve seen a few threads here on the Escape forum of the custom front storage boxes others have installed. Those are very nice but I wanted something more turn-key.

This off season I began looking at manufactured tongue boxes. I stumbled across the inexpensive Harbor Freight 2.31 Cu Ft tongue box. Its not a huge amount of storage space, but it’ll hold most of my wheel chocks, levelers, stacking blocks and a few other items that were being stored under the bed or in the back of the truck.

The size is just about perfect for the front of the Escape. Sure, it could've been a few inches taller or wider, but for the price its hard to complain. I included several pictures of the install. Due to the fact that the bottom of the HF 2.31 box is a thin gauge steel I was worried about it distorting easily. I decided to replace the original 1.5” angle iron brackets that ETI installed with some 2” X 3” angle iron. I also went with a slightly thicker steel in case I decide to move my spare tire up front under the box. I wanted something substantial for the spare tire to hang off of. The 3” portions of the angle iron support the box floor so only about 5.5” of the center of the box is open and unsupported. I also had an issue with the box lid opening too far and slapping the trailer. To correct this I machined a custom aluminum bracket to relocated the stock lift piston attachment point upward approx. 1” above its original connection point. Now the lid stops about 2” from the trailer.

Another thing I modified on the tongue box was the lock. I didn’t like the cheap key lock that came on the box. I bought a pair of black painted 4.5” double hinge hasps and mounted them on the outer edges of the front of the box. I plan to put mirror image locks on them when in storage. The reason for the pair of hasps is that the lid is fairly thin steel and would be easily bent upward if someone wanted to take a peek inside. Having a hasp on both sides makes this a much tougher task. Not impossible by any means, but you’ll need a crowbar now to bend it upward where before with a single lock you could’ve bent it upward by hand. One other thing that I decided to add was a Z-amp port on the DS exterior of the tongue box. This allows me to eventually connect a portable solar panel and keeps me from having to cut into the trailer to add the port. I’m going to use the original battery cables to connect to this Z-amp port and connect it up to an MPPT solar controller inside of the trailer.

Because the tongue box eliminated my single 12V battery box I am also in the process of installing a Li Time 12V 100AH LiFePo4 battery under the DS dinette seat. I’m still gathering parts for this installation, so its in progress…

 

[Chamberman]

A picture of my partially loaded tongue box. Still enough space in there for the wheel chocks once they're pulled out and maybe another item or two.

Also a picture of the beginning of my battery relocation.

 

[jjdeluca]

Looks like a great aftermarket option - nice job!
Jim

 

[HABBERDABBER]

Bravo

The storage box you installed looks like an excellent match.

Forgive me. I'm a quibbler. Would it look better to your eye if it were white, like the trailer?

I'm the last person who should ask that. I made my box during a Covid Winter and out of plywood, and left it "au naturel", wood looking, with multiple coats of varnish. And I also spent a portion of this Winter refinishing it.

Metal is good. Wood is impermanent.
And so it goes.

 

[Ron in BC]

Forgive me. I'm a quibbler. Would it look better to your eye if it were white, like the trailer?

Yes, it could be taller but all in all a much nicer option for a ready made box than some others that I've seen.

I was thinking the same thing about the white. I made two aluminum front and one rear boxes and in the end painted them to match the trailer and I do think that it was a better look. Always an easy option later.

Ron

 

[Chamberman]

Forgive me. I'm a quibbler. Would it look better to your eye if it were white, like the trailer?

I thought about that a lot. In doing my research here I stumbled across someone that had installed an aftermarket black tool box and they swapped out the white propane tank cover for a black one. I really liked that look. The black frame, black tank cover and black tool box all seem to blend together and disappear (well to a point anyway), it really seemed to make the white color of the trailer stand out much more. I'm going to give that a try and buy a black tank cover. If I get tired of it and want it all white then I'll pull the box and get some custom auto paint mixed to match the white color of the gel coat and paint the tongue box to match the trailer. One nice thing about the black color is that I do not have to worry about leaving grimy hand prints on the tongue box. ;D

 

[jack sparrow]

Hey Chamberman, When I ordered my 2023 21ne I didn't opt for the ETI storage box. $1300.00 was really steep for a storage box and the money saved I could add other options that I wanted. I did the same as you by buying the HF box. I had came across another company that had the same type as the HF but thicker material and it was taller and white. I ordered it and a few days later the company said it had been discontinued and refunded my money. So I went with the HF and it works for what I need it for. It looks good and function well. My Escape is trimmed black so it works.


Cheers to ya.... and Happy Trails.... Jack

 

[TETON19]

Chamber man. Great idea. I'm curious if you've had any 2nd thoughts about what you might have done differently. Would also be interested in your interior battery setup as I'm about to switch to Lithium and was thinking along the same lines. At first glance, I didn't see the battery cables that need to be rerouted.
Thank you

 

[Chamberman]

I'm curious if you've had any 2nd thoughts about what you might have done differently. Would also be interested in your interior battery setup as I'm about to switch to Lithium and was thinking along the same lines. At first glance, I didn't see the battery cables that need to be rerouted.

No 2nd thoughts so far, I'm happy with how the tongue box turned out and the extra space it afforded is great.

The 100AH lithium battery pictured was my beginning stages of the relocation. I thought I had pictures of the finished install but I cannot find them on my phone. We do not have solar,,,yet! We're primarily traveling with hook-ups so we'll slowly work into solar in the next few years. I'll add another 100AH battery to match the current one probably in the next 6 mos or so. I used an MRBF terminal mounted fuse and 1/0 cables. I reworked the ground terminal mounted at the rear of the WFCO with a larger copper block to allow for better ground connections.

For charging I removed the WFCO converter and installed a Victron IP22 under the PS dinette. I really like the highly customizable features of the IP22, much better than the replacement converters IMO. The downside is that it only charges at up to 30A which is more than enough for what we're doing. In fact I use it in 15A charge mode and so far 30A hasn't been needed. When on shore power you can switch the IP22 to "power supply" mode through the app and drop the voltage down to 12.8V, or higher if you choose. Thus giving many of the benefits of using a buck voltage converter to keep voltages low enough to not kill your 12V accessories.

I also installed a Victron 9A 12 - 12 DC converter to isolate the vehicle. My take on this is that 9A is more than enough to charge and keep up with any minimal loads while traveling. We do not use the fridge on DC so our load on the DC system is low when traveling.

 

[TETON19]

Thanks for the detailed response. Much of this is still over this newbie's head but I'm learning. I appreciate all the info.