Under storage boxes

[Bus'n it]

My bus didn't have the underside storage bins. No big deal. Have a grinder, can add some. I was looking into these Bawer boxes. They are 18 x 18x48" long. i would put two side by side on each side of the bus. Anyone have any experience with this brand? Its on the high dollar side which is what attracted me to them. I don't want junk and I've been reading the Buyers brand of boxes is junk for almost the same cost.
Whaddya think?

[WIbluebird]

Look around on marketplace. Guys sell those boxes off their semis/service trucks all the time for a fraction of new price.


I lucked out and bought an aluminum box that fits perfectly in the opening in my skirt that was left by the old AC condenser. I only paid $45 for it too


To piggyback on OP, people that did this, how did you mount the boxes to the bus? I'm thinking of using threaded 1/2 or 3/4 inch threaded rod to hang my box.

[Bus'n it]

These are a couple of examples. You could make your own. I would use these brackets and still add bolts at the front inside top of the box through the floor frame channel for good measure. The chassis frame would end up being further back from the box so you'd have to extend the bottom box support rails.

[Danjo]

Buyers brand worked for me. One problem with them though is the packaging that is just a box without padding or handles so when your friendly UPS (they deserve to be called out) chucks it off the truck there’s no protection for it. For those of you ordering under body boxes, take a square and a tape with you to make sure they aren’t tweaked from being thrown

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Danjo

Buyers brand worked for me. One problem with them though is the packaging that is just a box without padding or handles so when your friendly UPS (they deserve to be called out) chucks it off the truck there’s no protection for it. For those of you ordering under body boxes, take a square and a tape with you to make sure they aren’t tweaked from being thrown

Not sure I've mentioned this before, but that box looks really good, like an original part of the bus. Excellent work.

[Bus'n it]

Nice job Danjo! what did you do to replicate the closed end of the rub rails? Looks factory!

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Not sure I've mentioned this before, but that box looks really good, like an original part of the bus. Excellent work.

Thank you for the kind words

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Nice job Danjo! what did you do to replicate the closed end of the rub rails? Looks factory!

I cut the rail and capped it 16 gauge sheet

I didn’t have acetylene and wasn’t able to get hot enough with a regular tip using propane so I resorted to this big ol bushy heating tip, hence the really big braze

[Bus'n it]

Still, that looks amazing. I'm am one for details and you nailed it!

[WIbluebird]

What size/type of threaded rod is that?

And what kind of hardware did you use for the part that went through the bus floor?

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

What size/type of threaded rod is that?

And what kind of hardware did you use for the part that went through the bus floor?

It’s not through the floor. It’s through the C channel cross members. It’s 1/2” all thread and washers and nuts.

[Bon Voyage]

I have a Buyers box sitting in my garage waiting for me to put it in. It definitely seems sturdy enough for anything I could throw in there.

I like how that install above has the bus skin screwed into the box; I hadn’t thought of that but will do that on mind now.

Danjo, did you do anything to the bus skin to keep it smooth where you cut it?

[Native]

That is a VERY snazzy install, Danjo!


When the door is open, how much clearance do you have from the exhaust pipe?

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by Bon Voyage

I have a Buyers box sitting in my garage waiting for me to put it in. It definitely seems sturdy enough for anything I could throw in there.

I like how that install above has the bus skin screwed into the box; I hadn’t thought of that but will do that on mind now.

Danjo, did you do anything to the bus skin to keep it smooth where you cut it?

I used a cutting blade on an angle grinder, followed by a flap disc and a sanding block with some 60 grit on it. When I assembled I used dynatron body panel sealant between the skin and the box.

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by Native

That is a VERY snazzy install, Danjo!


When the door is open, how much clearance do you have from the exhaust pipe?

There’s about an inch. There was less, but I used a longer bolt at the last bracket to get a little more clearance. I had decided that I was going to move the exhaust to exit out the back, but after checking it a bunch while traveling, it doesn’t get warm at all. It’s about 18 linear feet of pipe from the header to that point so it’s given up a lot of heat by the time it’s at the end. I’ll probably still move the exhaust at some point, just got to be much less of a priority.

[Shamoke]

I have been looking at the Buyers boxes as well, it's good to see that they are being used for this kind of application without major issues.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Still, that looks amazing. I'm am one for details and you nailed it!

Did the same when the rounded corners of the RV windows interfered.

[Bus'n it]

Pretty slick! You guys have amazing ideas. Now If I can figure out how the heck I am going to lift up those 10' sheets of 18 gauge on the bus on my lonesome...

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by Danjo

when your friendly UPS (they deserve to be called out) chucks it off the truck there’s no protection for it.

Got a witness. Had to upgrade a PC recently and the parts arrived with one corner of the outer box crushed to 1/3 its original height.

Guess how they were shipped? That's right...

Usually
Pretty
Sketchy

[Bon Voyage]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Now If I can figure out how the heck I am going to lift up those 10' sheets of 18 gauge on the bus on my lonesome...

That’s one of the few things I got help with on my bus. I had a couple of those young missionaries around town give me a hand with it - they lifted and held while I drilled and bolted.