Side boxes, yes or no?

[Footy Shorts Shane]

I need to build a new trailer for the camper and I'm considering whether or not to have side boxes, or increase the trailer width so as to have greater internal storage. Currently we don't have side boxes, so we don't miss them, but they look like they could be good. Are they?

So, do you have them and are you glad that you do, or wish you didn't? Or don't have them, but prefer it if you did, or happy that you don't?

Shane.

[Nomad]

Hay Shane,

Ive got three along each side of mine.
I use one of the smaller ones for everything electrical. Switches, fuses, circuit breaker, invertor and 12 volt plugs. This way it is separated from the batteries.

Two are for gas bottles, but seeing as they are lockable I can also leave hoses, buckets, and other stuff in there. Another is for ropes and pegs etc. Two for jerry cans, which I can either use for that or if I am going somewhere for a short stay I can use them for other stuff like kids toys and skate boards and stuff.

It leaves a hell of a lot of room in the main part of the trailer for packing general stuff.

I guess it depends on how much crap you want to carry. With two kids I carry heaps. At least I dont actually have to pack the car up. The only thing that lives in there now is the fridge.


Cheers

Nomad.

[BigJules]

Some side lockers would be useful, especially if you can get more weight behind the axle, as I reckon most of us end up filling the front box, regardless of size.
Also, you might need to allow for access to these side lockers when the tent is setup.

There is a limit to how wide you can make the trailer; to suit the tent, optimum wheel track and legally, so I'd be inclined to stick with a fairly standard size for the tub.

[Dreama]

I think they are great. Had them on the old trailer that we tented with.
I did the same as Nomad, each box contained certain things and I always knew where things were.
Gear in the big box on the front always got buried and sure enough you would have to empty the whole thing out to find that special something.
Will be definitely adding some to the trailer we bought, it also frees up a heap of space in the tub as Jules says.

 
Ray

[DAZnBEC]

We added side boxes to our camper when we placed the order. One side has a 230 amp battery and ctek in it and the other I made a shelf and then carpeted inside and that is our clothes storage, you can access this box from inside the tent when it's up.

So to answer your question, I think they are usefull.

Daz

[Footy Shorts Shane]

Thanks all for your comments.

I'm still undecided, as we like to have every thing in the trailer, ready to go. Therefore I'm keen on making the trailer the width of the bed base, with internal tubs (I've noticed on this forum what you guys call a tub, and what a tub is to me, is way different. I think of tubs as somewhere to house a wheel, and not the box of a trailer).

The bloke that we'll use for the canvas, showed me some photos of  camper tents that he has done, with the soft floor not fixed to the bed base, but following the shape of the bottom of the trailer, around the guard, then back down the bottom of the trailer. This exposed the side boxes of this particular trailer, to the inside of the tent. I thought this was a pearler of an idea, as it gives Pony, (my Wife) some where to lock her 9 handbags, 34 cameras, phone etc, all inside the tent. (OK, in all seriousness, she doesn't have that much crap, but it would be handy to have a lockable box, inside the tent).

But.....I don't think I need them on the other side. Can you have boxes on one side and not the other? That would be like shaving one eyebrow and not the other, yes?

Do side boxes leak? Do they fill up with dust, water, mud, sand etc? Are they any good for storing cameras and stuff, or are they like the boot of an old Kingswood?

I'm loving the idea, but are they practical?

Shane.

[cdustbehindme]

do they leak etc... depends how well they are made I would say    personally I dont think you can beat having some quick access compartments (side boxes) that are not cumbersome and take too long and are too hard to get to (as getting into the internal trailer storage at times)  theres lots of things that are good to have handy.... If you can store all your quick to get to items in the camper rather than your car, it makes it easier to keep your car packed standard and  leave lots of room in there instead of having it packed to the hilt with crap that you dont need if you want to leave the camper parked and go for a drive...   

[dazzler]

I would go 8 x 5 instead of 7 x 4.  You can put 'hatches' in the sides so you kind of have the best of both worlds.