storage box on outside rear wall

[solismaris]

I'm considering building a storage box on the outside rear wall of my trailer to hold lawn chairs (just 2) and protect them from road dirt. I'll make it lightweight but sturdy. The question is: how to securely attach it?

This is for a wood-framed, fiberglass-sheathed travel trailer. I'm thinking there must be wood studs behind the wall and I could securely attach the box using lag screws. If only I could find the exact location of the studs, because I don't want to drill a lot of test holes, and don't want to risk weakening the mount by screwing into the edge of the stud rather than the middle.

Sound reasonable? (After all, the ladder is mounted to the rear, and it has no problem with my weight.) Any advice on finding the studs?

I'm not considering using the bumper for support, for several reasons.

But another option may be to "hang" the box from the roof corner. That's got to be strong, right? With this option, the top corner would take all the weight, while the rear wall mounting would only be for stabilization, not support. And I know there's stuctural material there; all those screws at the roof/rearwall corner have to go into something, right?

How about this option?

Or other options I haven't considered?

All suggestions welcome. (Even "Dont' try this." But tell me why not.)

Thanks!

[N-Trouble]

WHy not just put them INSIDE the trailer?? Seems like a lot of needless work to hang a couple chairs off the back, risk them getting stolen or falling off.

[westend]

For a container for two lawn chairs, I'd clamp it to the bumper. I also like Mex's Kevlar suggestion just for the use of the word "Kevlar". Heck, leave a slit/hole in the bottom and you have a bullet proof vest, lol.
I would bet a bag made from rip-stop nylon would work good, too.

If you would rather have a box, I'd suggest to use aluminum panels instead of plywood. It will be more durable and look good without any finish on the panels. At the local metal merchant, I could have the fab shop shear-cut the panels to size. I have an aluminum cutting blade in a table saw. I can saw my own stuff so I sometimes just have them shear/cut a full sheet into manageable pieces.

[beemerphile1]

Look at the paneling on the inside for rows of staples.

I would bolt all the way thru from inside to outside.

[solismaris]

DrewE wrote:
I'd think an electronic stud finder would find them in your rear wall. Sometimes if the conditions are right you can see them by differences in condensation on the wall, too. You may be able to suss it out by tapping on the wall. If there is a window (or more than one) on the rear wall, there almost certainly would be a framing member on either side of the window(s).

I would not necessarily trust the corner of the roof. It's possible there could be a nice sturdy framing member that they're going into, but it could also be that they simply hold one relatively weak piece of sheet material to another.

I'm probably going to take this route. (Good excuse to buy a new tool; my old stud finder was next to useless.)

The suggestion of a Kevlar bag was interesting but I'd prefer a wood box. With true 1x1" (not 3/4") hardwood framing, metal corner braces, 1/2" plywood bottom, and 1/4" on the other sides I think it should be lightweight but sturdy.

Does anyone know the typical size of wall framing members in wood frame trailers? I'd be comfortable screwing into 2x3 or larger, but if it's only 2x2, 1x3, etc. I wouldn't.

[mlts22]

I second contacting the manufacturer. Ideally, you should use some type of bolts which can be secured with Loctite so they don't work loose as you go down the road.

As an alternative, I'd see about a RV dealer bolting a rear mounted hitch receiver, then using a hitch mounted cargo rack with that. The advantage of that route is that if you did want to build something on top of the receiver, it is on a relatively steady surface, and you are not taking any chances with your main rig by adding new holes.

[DrewE]

I'd think an electronic stud finder would find them in your rear wall. Sometimes if the conditions are right you can see them by differences in condensation on the wall, too. You may be able to suss it out by tapping on the wall. If there is a window (or more than one) on the rear wall, there almost certainly would be a framing member on either side of the window(s).

I would not necessarily trust the corner of the roof. It's possible there could be a nice sturdy framing member that they're going into, but it could also be that they simply hold one relatively weak piece of sheet material to another.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/kevlar-fabric

http://www.thethreadexchange.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TTE&Category_Code=kevlar-t...

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/heavy-duty-zipper

Use "perfboard" for a removable floor. Kevlar is insanely tough. Your post indicates you live in Massachusetts. There are a lot of sail lofts there that are fabulously talented with heavy duty sewing. Make the bag as big or small as you wish with a weight in ounces instead of pounds. The seamster sailmaker can double-fold whatever width to make it twice as wide. Use stainless steel roof screws and FENDER washers to attach the bag anywhere you want along the back of the rig. But 24 places shouldn't be excessive. If you want, fish plate the inside top with six-inch wide 16 gauge drilled aluminum sheet metal.

Kevlar breathes "somewhat" but enough to ****** mold & mildew.

The zipper link above leads to marine quality zippers used on sailboats.

The bag comes off when you go to sell the rig and at campfire gossip sessions, the word Kevlar makes the bag the center of attention. There is NO END to variations. Compartments, different floor widths, and lockable, corrosion proof zippers.

Plus Kevlar is a great source of protection in bank holdup getaways 🙂

[scbwr]

You may want to contact the manufacturer and see if you can information re the rear wall construction of the trailer.

Or, have you tried using a good stud finder??

[rk911]

solismaris wrote:
I'm considering building a storage box on the outside rear wall of my trailer to hold lawn chairs (just 2) and protect them from road dirt. I'll make it lightweight but sturdy. The question is: how to securely attach it?

This is for a wood-framed, fiberglass-sheathed travel trailer. I'm thinking there must be wood studs behind the wall and I could securely attach the box using lag screws. If only I could find the exact location of the studs, because I don't want to drill a lot of test holes, and don't want to risk weakening the mount by screwing into the edge of the stud rather than the middle.

Sound reasonable? (After all, the ladder is mounted to the rear, and it has no problem with my weight.) Any advice on finding the studs?

I'm not considering using the bumper for support, for several reasons.

But another option may be to "hang" the box from the roof corner. That's got to be strong, right? With this option, the top corner would take all the weight, while the rear wall mounting would only be for stabilization, not support. And I know there's stuctural material there; all those screws at the roof/rearwall corner have to go into something, right?

How about this option?

Or other options I haven't considered?

All suggestions welcome. (Even "Dont' try this." But tell me why not.)

Thanks!

we use a chair hanger on the rear ladder. a friend's wife made a storage bag for them to protect them from road dirt and moisture. a lot simpler.