towbox storage/touring

[mentaliss]

anyone with a tin-top bongo will always find storage inside the vehicle a bit tight so the question is has anyone used the TowBox tow ball attachment system which you can store the tent, etc within the box with reasonable security

[missfixit70]

Not heard of the Towbox before - http://www.towbox.eu/TOWBOX-CARGO/en - looks expensive for what it is, may be worth looking at Bakrak - http://www.bak-rak.com/
Thule easybase & backup box - http://www.roofracks.co.uk/thule/Tow+Ba ... BackUpBox/
Or Fiamma backbox mounted on a bike rack on the tailgate - http://www.agentfiamma.co.uk/fiamma-ult ... 780-0.html

I've got the Bakrak with a big sturdy garden storage box I got for £40 from B&Q, does the job fine had, no issues & been all over Europe with it, You can just see Freewheelers Thule aswell in front of mine


Just gotta make sure the towball & clamp are spotless & grease free before clamping up.

[dvisor]

You might want to think about access to the tailgate with this type of storage. Some of them will drop down to allow you to open the tailgate.

[missfixit70]

Not seen an off the shelf back box system that allows that, would be handy, I know Simon Jones made his own that slid back, but it was never a major issue for me, depends how you use the bongo.
EDIT - just looked properly at the Towbox specs & it does tip backwards to allow a boot to open, not sure that it looks enough for the bongo tailgate though, may not take much to adapt if not.

[mentaliss]

Not heard of the Towbox before - http://www.towbox.eu/TOWBOX-CARGO/en - looks expensive for what it is, may be worth looking at Bakrak - http://www.bak-rak.com/
Thule easybase & backup box - http://www.roofracks.co.uk/thule/Tow+Ba ... BackUpBox/
Or Fiamma backbox mounted on a bike rack on the tailgate - http://www.agentfiamma.co.uk/fiamma-ult ... 780-0.html

I've got the Bakrak with a big sturdy garden storage box I got for £40 from B&Q, does the job fine had, no issues & been all over Europe with it, You can just see Freewheelers Thule aswell in front of mine


Just gotta make sure the towball & clamp are spotless & grease free before clamping up.

Thanks for this, however I did look at most of the alternatives, BAK-RAK is a reasonable cost, stainless steel (for no rust) and does tilt down, Thule easy base unit, as far as I can see does not tilt down and with fully loaded box once attached to the base how do you remove the complete unit without injuring yourself ? the Easy Base has also a powered coated finish which doesn't like salty rain water.... I know! because I live 200yards from the sea and I had to replace my outside house lights ( powder coated) after 2 years due to corrosion.. Im not aware that Fiami makes a true tow bar mounted box if your referring to their roof box or bike rack box you have to be very carefull when opening it when fully loaded as you will get a mouthful of whatever you put in it, I forgot to mention that I have a rear conversion which has allowed me to make use of the worktop as a breakfast bar from the outside with the tailgate up! that's where I believe the TowBox scores cause it can be removed completely by one person from the ball hitch very quickly
PS, I do like your B&Q box ideal

[mentaliss]

Not seen an off the shelf back box system that allows that, would be handy, I know Simon Jones made his own that slid back, but it was never a major issue for me, depends how you use the bongo.
EDIT - just looked properly at the Towbox specs & it does tip backwards to allow a boot to open, not sure that it looks enough for the bongo tailgate though, may not take much to adapt if not.

Yep! the box slides out on the base rack which allowed the vehicle's tail gate to clear and open, the promotion video shows a lady mounting the whole unit to the tow bar mount and taking it off ...... no I haven't got shares in the company But I wish I had!!

[missfixit70]

Didn't realise BakRak now did a tilting one too Looks like they keep improving & coming up with new ideas.
I'd want to check that any of the tilting ones allow the bongo tailgate to open as it's got quite a wide arc of opening being so big.
The Fiamma I mentioned, if you read it, is the tailgate mounted one, I think the boxes usually have a net inside to stop everything inside falling out on you
The Towbox is a neat system, but not very big & I'd say very expensive for what it is - comes in at £713.90 Euros with delivery & VAT, which is @ £620, over 4 times what I paid for mine (basic Bakrak @ £80, 2 clamps @£15, box £40, lightboard I had lying around, but they only cost @£20 new).
I can fit mine on my own easy enough & I've not heard of any Thule related injuries
Hopefully someone's got experience of the Towbox, or you may have to be a trailblazer

[g8dhe]

We have Thule box, and getting it on and off isn't a great hassle - as you undo the nut the Easybase just swivels down to rest on the ground. However if the box is loaded to the full weight of 50Kg then no matter what box is fitted a single person will struggle lifting it after its on the ground simply because of the width / depth & weight! The video where the girl fits it is just the empty animal box!

[mentaliss]

We have Thule box, and getting it on and off isn't a great hassle - as you undo the nut the Easybase just swivels down to rest on the ground. However if the box is loaded to the full weight of 50Kg then no matter what box is fitted a single person will struggle lifting it after its on the ground simply because of the width / depth & weight! The video where the girl fits it is just the empty animal box!

True, but didn't you notice the support frame that comes down onto the floor which also has wheels to manoeuvre the frame.

[g8dhe]

Yes, but I wouldn't want to subject them to 50Kg bouncing about on anything but the smoothest surface, they looked adequate for handling the frame itself, but not so sure about a 50Kg load ?

[mentaliss]

Yes, but I wouldn't want to subject them to 50Kg bouncing about on anything but the smoothest surface, they looked adequate for handling the frame itself, but not so sure about a 50Kg load ?

I see a modification coming, all the best!