Storage

[filecutter]

Has anyone attached a storage box (tool box) to the rear of their trailer similar to ones found in the bed of pick-up trucks and sold at places like Tractor supply. I realize some modification would be need to make the attachment or maybe use the trailer hitch carrier type. I would be interested if this has been tried.

[planesnut]

I have a 2012 bullet premier 31BHPR that I mounted a box on the rear bumper to hold my Yamaha inverters. The frame and the rear bumper are pretty stout pieces, in my opinion, so I had no question the weight would be a problem. I did have too adjust my sway bar one notch higher, but now it tows like a dream.
I posted some pics in the mod section about a month ago, under "Generators".
Have fun.

[Festus2]

filecutter -

I'd be cautious about adding a toolbox to the bumper without first adding some kind of reinforcement and modification so that it is welded or bolted onto the frame - not to the bumper. A loaded toolbox together with a spare tire is putting too much weight and stress on the bumper IMO.

The bumper may look stout but there have been cases where the welds have failed and the bumper has become separated from the frame.

[Bob Landry]

I had a box custom made that was sized to use as much of the bumper as possible and still allow access to the elecrtical plug, which is in the middle, and that would not obstruct the tail light. I had my local trail shop do some serious reinforcing of the bumper. I removed the bicycle high that was bolted to the trailer frame and had a cross member of tubular steel welded to the frame and then short supports welded from that to the bumper. That gave the bumper suppoer in 4 places and the box carries my air compressor, x-chocks, wooden stabilizer pads, and cords. The bumper also carries a spare tire and it is as stable as a rock.




I would not try to hang anything more than a spare tire on one of these bumpers without first adding additional support. The metal is pretty thin and can tear easily under very little stress.

The next time I'm at the trailer, I'll try to get some photos that show it a little better. The box was around $300 shipped, which is about the same as you would pay for one at Northern Tool, except it's built to the size I specified. Everything available was a little long or a little too high.

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by filecutter

Has anyone attached a storage box (tool box) to the rear of their trailer similar to ones found in the bed of pick-up trucks and sold at places like Tractor supply. I realize some modification would be need to make the attachment or maybe use the trailer hitch carrier type. I would be interested if this has been tried.

There are also a bunch of existing threads here on the rear bumper, rear receivers, rear bike racks, rear utility racks, rear generator racks, etc. The common advice in all of them is that the stock rear bumper is too darned weak, either itself or its mounting system, to support much more than the spare tire. Most of them have 200# weight limit stickers.

If you want to do something back there, look up some of these threads with the search function and see how others have dealt with the issue.

My personal plan (if I ever do anything like this) will be to remove the Keystone slide-out tray and have a standard 2x2 receiver securely fastened directly below each frame rail, probably with reinforcing plates welded in place. Then I can have a tray fabbed up with matching shanks for the receivers that would pretty much support most anything I want to carry back there. I have a online friend who did exactly this so that he could carry a motorcycle. Checkout the trailer section of http://www.everymilesamemory.com for much more detail.

[Bob Landry]

Steve's idea is an excellent one, especially if you are going to carry a very heavy load in the rear and have a ned to carry that much weight.. The bracing on my bumper allows me to carry what I needed to carry back there and the depth of the box that I specified kept it within the same protruded distance as the spare tire. My trailer is a conventional tow, 35' total length, so I didn't want to add any more length to the overall rig.

[Bugle Boy]

Originally Posted by Festus2

filecutter -

I'd be cautious about adding a toolbox to the bumper without first adding some kind of reinforcement and modification so that it is welded or bolted onto the frame - not to the bumper. A loaded toolbox together with a spare tire is putting too much weight and stress on the bumper IMO.

The bumper may look stout but there have been cases where the welds have failed and the bumper has become separated from the frame.

Having done a lot of study and work on root cause analysis I am always concerned about fatigue failure of welded parts from cyclical stresses. That bumper with added weight would be a prime candidate for this type of failure due to the rear of the trailer bouncing over every little bump in the road.

[filecutter]

Thank you all for your help and great ideas......I will check on the other post concering this...Tony

[Bob Landry]

Originally Posted by Bugle Boy

Having done a lot of study and work on root cause analysis I am always concerned about fatigue failure of welded parts from cyclical stresses. That bumper with added weight would be a prime candidate for this type of failure due to the rear of the trailer bouncing over every little bump in the road.

You are correct there. There have been photos posted on various websites showing spare tires, tool boxes, and bicycles in the middle of the road. It's a pretty ugly picture at best.

[eartha]

I have installed a small box for sewer fitting . It is very light so should be no problem. It makes a handy place for the dirty things.