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Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:09 pm

I've seen a few folks have adapted the large plastic storage bins to ride on the rails of a Fiamma bike rack. How well do these work? Is there any concern carrying 50-75 lbs of stuff in one of these storage boxes (firewood, beer, etc.)? Does Fiamma sell anything purpose-built for this?

Besides the difficulty in raising the hatch with bikes, the only complaint I have seen on the Fiamma is potentially scratching the paint at the mount points. Is this something that could be solved with some thin rubber placed under the mount points?

Only occasionally do I bring bikes with me but I always have the need to store stuff outside the van. I have a storage bag in the cargo space right now but it isn't the easiest to get in and out of.

Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:26 pm

Quote: Is this something that could be solved with some thin rubber placed under the mount points?
They actually come with rubber there. The problem is that road grime gets in there and acts as a abrasive between it and the paint.

Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:34 pm

kshbaja, I've been contemplating the very same thing and am glad you posted the question. I'm also thinking of the Stow Away swing-away basket carrier as an alternative:
http://www.stowaway2.com/p-6-hitch-rack-swingaway.aspx
There is also a 4 bike carrier that can be added to this rack system. What are you thinking?

Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:48 pm

I don't have a hitch, so that one wouldn't work for me. I contemplated getting a receiver hitch, but the mixed reviews about the strength of the GW and VC options had me concerned. Even going with a hitch you are still limited to either storage or bikes, but not both at the same time. This limitation is on par with the Fiamma/rubbermaid bin option.

I didn't price out a lot of hitch accessories, but I'd imagine the cost of hitch + cost of bike rack + cost of storage tray would be significantly more than cost of fiamma + cost of rubbermaid storage container.

Its not my intention to turn this into another "best bike rack" thread, just hoping for some feedback from some folks who might have adapted their Fiamma bike racks to carry a storage bin.

Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:27 pm

They actually make a box specifically for this purpose but sadly it is only available in the UK. Here is a link:

http://www.fiammastore.com/Fiamma-Storage-Boxes-for-caravan-and-motorhome

Scroll down near the bottom. I too have pondered this and would love to have a storage box. These would be awesome, a bit pricey, but then again what isn't nowadays.

Craig

Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:45 pm

CREGAN wrote: They actually make a box specifically for this purpose but sadly it is only available in the UK. Here is a link:

http://www.fiammastore.com/Fiamma-Storage-Boxes-for-caravan-and-motorhome

Scroll down near the bottom. I too have pondered this and would love to have a storage box. These would be awesome, a bit pricey, but then again what isn't nowadays.

Craig

£370?!?!?!?!?

It would be pretty easy to make one from 1/2" plywood, some 1/4" ply shelves, with just the back side hinged to get access to the shelves. Depending on how bad cabinet shops in your area are hurting for work you could get one made up for a reasonable price. Fasten it to the rack with a few U bolts.

Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:49 pm

The price for the fiamma boxes did seem very high.

I did a little more research and found that the rack has a max load rating of 50kg. You could probably build a decent storage box with enough weight leftover to carry what you need.

Wed Jun 16, 2010 6:33 pm

I made my box with a Rubermaide 48-GALLON ACTION PACKER CARGO BOX. I installed some 1x3 wood strapping on the bottom and then attached some 1 1/2" ABS pipes on the wood strapping. The tricky part was positioning the pipes so I could still open the lid while installed on the bike rack. It's watertight and lockable. I also use a ratchet strap and strap the box to the bike rack on it's upper cross bar to take some of the weight off the rails and it makes it less "wobbly".

Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:25 am

Pascal,
How difficult is it to lift the hatch with the box installed?

Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:46 am

Something soft sided might work well if you laid a piece of masonite in the bottom as a floor. You could strap it around your rack after that.

http://www.amazon.com/Rola-59102-Expandable-Hitch-Cargo/dp/B000E7WLJW/ref=pd_sim_auto_4

Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:46 am

That looks like a good option. Perhaps a piece of plywood could be bolted to the PVC tubes and used as a flat surface/tray to support the bag. Some tie downs, like those in the cargo bin, could be added to the plywood to allow the straps to connect the bag to the PVC/plywood tray. Its about the same price as the similarly sized hard plastic containers. It would certainly be lighter than the hard cases. Hmmm...

Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:59 am

kshbaja wrote: That looks like a good option. <snip> It would certainly be lighter than the hard cases. Hmmm...
Use trash bags to keep goods dry inside when weather is threatening.
And you can stash it inside, collapsed, when not in use.

Big fan of soft side bags, here..

That one linked looks like it would fit in the Westy luggage rack up top, too.

Thu Jun 17, 2010 6:32 pm

singler3360 wrote: Pascal,
How difficult is it to lift the hatch with the box installed?

Not doable. I take it off when we get to our destination. Same thing with the bikes. I never attempted that because it's too heavy.

Plywood would work as well for fastening the ABS pipes to but I was trying to keep the weight as low as possible on that rack, so I used 1x3 strapping.

Regarding the bag idea. I have the gowesty bag for the front rack (you can see it in the picture). It's a pain when it rains because it gets wet inside and stays damp for a while. The box has never let any water in so I prefer it to the bag.

Fri Jun 18, 2010 6:52 pm

Pascal wrote: It's a pain when it rains because it gets wet inside and stays damp for a while. The box has never let any water in so I prefer it to the bag.

The Vanabag leaks when it rains!? Really?

Sat Jun 19, 2010 9:32 am

My Vanabag leaked last weekend as well. It's advertised to be waterproof, and MOSTLY, it is. I opened mine up and found some water in the bottom, not much, but enough to soak through a tent and some other items in the bag. Kinda disappointing for sure...and yes I know how to close it correctly.