debutante Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 We are new motorhome owners, having bought our first four months ago. We love it, and so far have found only one small drawback - the lack of an outside locker for storage of such things as cables, hoses, etc. So we are considering having a box fitted to the back. As this will have to be fitted to a bike rack (which we don't have), it's a fairly expensive extra (£500 ish). Because our fridge has two vents at the rear (to the side fortunately) we've been advised that the box would need to be fitted to the side of these, so that they will not in any way be obstructed. Does anyone know if this would give an unbalanced feel when driving the van, if the box is full? In addition, are external boxes fairly secure, so that items can be safely left in them when one goes off for the day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 A box on the back puts a lot of extra strain on the back axle, and lifts some weight off the front axle, thus the loss of some traction on the front wheels. I have found room under the cab seats for the items you are refering to. The weight distrabution problems of a back box would not bother me as I have a rear wheel drive 'van, but I still would not have a back box. just something for you to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debutante Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 Interesting point, Ranger, and thanks. I'd not considered the potential front v back axle problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cronkle Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 There is, of course, a weight limit on how much you can load abike rack. Mine is something like 60kg which is the weight of two fairly solid bikes. That is the weight of a fairly smal adult stood at the back of the van as you are driving. You might want to try pulling away with something fairly heavy at the back of the vehicle on a slope somewhere quiet to see what you think. Others who carry bikes on your particular breed of motorhome are in a good position to comment. I'm a bit puzzled by the advice about the fridge vents though, as all of the bike racks I have seen leave quite a gap between where the box would be sat and the back wall of the van. I would have thought that would be plenty for air flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Le Thou Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 HI, and welcome to the mad house, Another alternative would be to have a rear ladder fitted and a roof mounted box and you would expect quite a bit of change from £500, also the weight over the axle would not be an issue. AH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Before having a roof box fitted though check that your roof is strong enough for it. Your 'van is of the older style construction with a light timber frame supporting a thin aluminium outer skin and a thin plywood inner skin sandwiching a polystyrene insulation medium. The roof is unlikely to have much re-inforcing in it and therefore quite likely to not be strong enough for a roof box. Besides a roof box will adversely affect your vehicles aerodynamics and therefore fuel consumption will almost certainly suffer. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Hi Debutante I considered a Fiamma back Box for my Bessacarr E410 (similar size/layout to your Avantegarde 115) but discounted it based on it's impact on the payload capacity. It is exagerarted due to the distance behind the rear axle. I am still considering a "Beanie Box" (in Devon) or "Genie Box" (in West Yorkshire) underfloor locker in the skirt in front of the rear axle. Prices fitted appear to be very similar to a Back Box. If you "search" above there were some previous threads (early 2007 from memory) on these or "google". try "beanie box". The down side IMHO, is the apparent over engineering as they both are Slide-out trays. (for me a simple compartment with a lockable door would suffice & by much cheaper) The upsides. They are very much more attractive than a Back Box. Any weight is contained within the vehicle wheelbase at the lowest possible level, which should be the best position for vehicle stability. What's stopping me - other project - (see "Hot Water Heat Exchanger"thread) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cronkle Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 http://www.beenybox.co.uk/ I can't find the other site but this one shows the principle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debutante Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 Many thanks for all the replies. Some very useful info there, including a lot we'd not thought of. At the moment, we like the idea of the beanie or genie box, and are looking into it. Had a good look round the beanie website, but haven't been able to find the genie one yet. If anyone does find it, I'd appreciate a link, as Yorkshire's a lot closer to home than Devon, and I notice on the beanie site that they don't allow dealers to fit them. Thanks again to all! I'm impressed with my first venture into this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 cronkle - 2008-01-08 10:21 AM http://www.beenybox.co.uk/ I can't find the other site but this one shows the principle I too would favour the Beeny Box idea over a rear mounted box. However if you are getting a bike rack, remember to consult the maker to locate the fitting points. A bike rack stands about 6" off the back of the van and, as long as nothing is obstructed, you can make a box to fit within the frame between van and rack. It is not too difficult if you are a decent diyer and you can get about 4' wide by about 18" high by about 6" deep enclosed storage with opening end panel(s) for access for very little cost. I used lightweight thin exterior plywood and painted it white. As long as you only carry lightweight and low value things in it you should be OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 A quick search for "boxes" (without quotes) will turn up some useful information, meanwhile http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=8345&posts=12 could be worth looking at Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Debutante: These are some more links that may be useful: http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=7651&posts=17 http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=4143&posts=10 http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=2347&posts=15 I recall reading a complaint (admittedly some years ago) about a bike-rack fitted to the rear wall of a motorhome manufactured by the Explorer Group causing the wall to deform. Explorer Group rejected responsibility on the basis that a bike-rack was not a factory option and the rear wall had not been designed with the inherent strength to take one. I don't know if Compass offer a rear rack as an option for your Avantgarde 115, but it might be wise to confirm the suitability of the motorhome to take a rack (as far as the manufacturer is concerned) before deciding to have one fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roamer Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Hi debutante Alternative - have a bulk gas tank fitted (cheaper to refill and no bottle exchange problems) and use the existing gas locker for the extra load space. See http://www.mthautogas.co.uk for options and cost fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hi again Debutante, Roamers idea of fitting a bulk gas tank is a very sound one. An old mate of mine has been fitting one on his 'vans for a few years now, and swears by them, so many advantages. An idea worth thinking about, saves space and cash all in one go, and no bottles running out usually in the rain just as you get up to make the early morning cuppa! Top the tank up every time you top up your diesel. Most Morrisons have got autogas pumps, you can get a list of autogas stations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Back box: In addition to what has already been said, make sure you take into account that having a box on the back will: 1) extend your length for manouvering and also parking 2) may reduce your through vision 3) are not necessarily secure (remember the chap who found his Fiamma key opened several of the company's products!) 4) can be very heavy We had a back box fitted directly to the rear of our first coachbuilt motorhome (it came with it), we removed it and found it was extremely heavy so you may be quite restricted as to what you can realistically carry in it. Beany/storage drawer type fitment: This appears to be a good alternative but I think they are expensive for what they are and again they do add some weight to the van. Fitting a gas tank and removing the bottles: For convenience, being able to use an existing locker at a sensible height is a good idea, and has the benefits already identified in cheaper gas and easier refills when needed, especially when abroad, no worry about not getting a 'compatible' exchange bottle etc. The cost for one of these systems would also be less than fitting a bike rack and back box or even a beany type box. Roof rack & ladder: I wouldn't bother with this unless you really needed to carry large (light) items up there, you'll get fed up of having to scramble up whenever you need anything, such as ramps, especially if it's raining or blowing a gale. The only suggestion I can make is to have a good shuftie round your van and see where you can put the bits and pieces - will the ramps go at the back of the drivers seat? Can you find a home for some other bits and pieces to allow the hoses, cables etc, to go under a seat locker? Are you carrying about items that you aren't likely to use that are taking up precious space? It's amazing what you can get into a motorhome in places you hadn't even considered, once you put your mind to it. Instead of trying to 'add' space to the van, look on it as a finite entity, with no more space to be had and see what nooks and crannies you can find, not necessarily in the 'standard' storage areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Hi, We have an Avantgarde 140 and have the same limited storage space. We have our hook up cable in a cable bag and our fill hose and pump in a plastic bag. These all fit into an ASDA "Bag for Life" which we keep in the bathroom when we are on the move. The levelling ramps I put in another carrier bag and Ann uses them as a foot rest! We have "Silverscreens" that we stuff behind the drivers seat. We also carry a 10 litre bucket to empty the waste water in so that we don't have to go off the pitch, and, because the water tanks are so small, a 25 litre square water bottle that also goes into the bathroom when on the move. We toured for 10 weeks with this solution and it worked out OK. That said we are determined our next van will have storage space accesible from outside! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 :D Buy a m/home a couple of foot longer (which would be the same length as the original m/home plus the backbox) and enjoy the extra space. Rgds Another useless thought I had today ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Your Avantgarde is an end kitchen layout with an oven alongside the fridge, a rear corner washroom, a bench type Thetford WC on the rear wall, and a tip up basin above.For strength, the fixings for a bike rack need to go through the rear wall, and need reinforcing plates for each of the top bolts. To fit these, your oven would have to come out plus, I suspect, the wash basin together with its lower shroud. That is assuming the wall would be strong enough to take the fixings, the locations of which will be dictated by the position of frames in the aluminium clad rear wall. I think the advice to look at Beeny Boxes, a bulk gas tank, and to explore alternative locations is probably the best way to go. The labour charge for just fitting the cycle rack/back box looks likely to equal the cost of the rack. It may be possible to attach the rack without through fixings, but I don't think I'd ever trust such a system. I know it has been done, but I also know that cycle racks have fallen from the backs of motorhomes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livewire Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 We have a beeny box but it was expensive and it is not very large at all, especially when compared to a back box. We had a Fiamma 180(the smallest) that we took off as our van is 6m long, and with the back box, became a little too long to park in a public car park. Personally, if you need external storage, I would consider buying an external locker door and fitting it so that it gives you access to an under bench-seat area. If you need to iscolate the area because you carry wet things, petrol of a spare cassete tank, then you can always form a boxed off area under the seat in plywood or aluminium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamworthkamper Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Nothing to do with back boxes but was wondering about a gas tank.Dose any one know an installer in the midlands? rough price? Theres always the worry about gas bottles when abroad running out and I ve never seen Calor in europe. Is the tank the same as one you fit to a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debutante Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 Thanks again to everyone for taking the trouble to reply. Your comments are all very useful and we are giving the matter a lot of thought. Having read them all, our favoured option is the beany box, and we've been in contact with the company, which we've found is even further than Devon - it's in Cornwall. Anyway if we finally decide on that we'll make a holiday of it when we go there. Thanks again to everyone. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 debutante - 2008-01-10 11:53 PM Thanks again to everyone for taking the trouble to reply. Your comments are all very useful and we are giving the matter a lot of thought. Having read them all, our favoured option is the beany box, and we've been in contact with the company, which we've found is even further than Devon - it's in Cornwall. Anyway if we finally decide on that we'll make a holiday of it when we go there. Thanks again to everyone. :) Hi Debutante I knew there was another company I made initial contact with Try Wyvern Accessories in Shepton Mallet (see MMM) for contact details. Thay are similar cost to Beanie, but nothing to see on their website so I don't know how they compare visually or engineering wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 It's called a Beeny Box, so named after Steve Beeny who was a first class and very thorough engineer and metal fabricator in Redruth, Cornwall. When Steve left Cornwall he sold the rights and the tooling to Paul Stimpson who owned and ran Coachcraft and Leisure based at Scorrier near Redruth. Paul is very experienced in the caravan trade locally selling and servicing and repairing caravans and motorhomes, and known to be very helpful - or at least he was when I last knew him5 years ago! Paul sold Coachcraft and Leisure and, as far as I know, now operates the Beeny Box business from a garage near Camborne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 tamworthcamper: A tank supplying gas to motorhome 'domestic' LPG appliances (fridge, heater, oven, hob, etc.) needs a vapour take-off. A tank designed to fuel a vehicle requires a liquid take-off. The two different tank types are not interchangeable. Price-wise, you might be interested in Tanskavan's "Gaslow" thread of 8 January 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwaviation Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Hi -I have an Autoquest115 and have had the bike rack fitted. You will find that the rack is offset to the left below the kitchen window - It cannot go in the middle due to the oven and washroom. For the same reason a ladder cannot be fitted. The rack is easily removed if required and is proud of the fridge vents by I guess some 20cms, I certainly had no problems with the bikes fitted (with cover) and using the fridge. For storage solutions - I have removed one gas bottle as two is an overkill (one will last all year or about 35 - 40 days) your ramps etc can go in there. I also reversed the door on the cupboard just to the right of the habitation door (the one with the naff cutlery drawer) and removed the pointless shelf, in its place I designed a small removable arrangement that allowed me to store one of those flat pack trolley carriers (for water) plus all the other necessary odds and sods on some customshelving (I can send you a piccie if required). My electric lead goes in a nice bag situated behind the drivers seat. To alleviate the chronic shortage of on board water I use a 20litre plastic jerry can which fits nicely in the habitation door step. Let me know if you want any pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.