Back Box

[cvclaydon]

While Helga provides a Tardis like ability for storage, with a 7 year boy and his associated scooters, bikes, football, lego etc, we needed more storage space. The only viable option was to have a back box fitted. The fiamma ones are eye watering expensive, and even second hand on eBay they fetch good money. Finally I found a local one, and  while it was dirty and a bit bashed with broken locks it would do the job.

Fitting was the next hurdle, they are designed to fit on the bike rack, but when I offered this one up on the rack, it stuck out a long way. Back to google and we decided on the kit to bolt it directly to the back of the van.

So off with the bike rack, and on with the brackets. I fitted it high so we can still put a bike rack on the tow bar, and also so the fittings are hidden behind the trim in the bathroom.

The box now sits tight to the back of the van.

[cvclaydon]

Having same problems, with multiple pics, so..

A quick visit with Helga to the local car paint shop , and a few rattle cans of colour matched paint along with plastic primer and clear-coat where purchased.

In my paint shop (well shed at work with lots of dust sheets) I prepared and sprayed it over 3 days. Very happy with the result, it is a little more shiny than Helga, but she is a little dirty and hopefully the box will weather a bit. New locks fitted (with the same key!) and all looks good. Will probably move the camera for a better view when reversing.

 

[cvclaydon]

One winter project done, a quick look at the next one!

[Barry & Maggie]

Wow!  That does look good – almost as if it was a Hymer standard fitting.  Painting it silver was a very good move.

What ‘fridge are you fitting?  And why?  Problems with the original?

Thanks for posting this info.

Barry

[cvclaydon]

Fridge is working fine, but we have had issues with the three-way ones in our old van in warmer climates, struggle to work effectively when over 25 degrees. In our old van I put in a 12v compressor fridge, ice for the gin when we had 40 degrees in Morocco 🙂

Installing an isotherm 12v fridge, other advantage is capacity will go from 90litres to 130. Also fitting optional controller which ‘over cools’ the fridge when extra power is available (when driving/solar panels) so energy is ‘stored’ in the food/drink in the fridge.

Do have the old fridge available if anybody needs one, will go on eBay soon, was working when removed from Helga who is the 2006 model with slightly bigger fridge.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by cvclaydon.

[Fred & Gill]

Another quality job CV, fitting the back box.

Did you get the paint matched by the paint shop and put into a ‘rattle can’, or do you mean off the shelf from a car parts shop – could be helpful to other silver owners to know.

Thanks for the photo of the fridge, it doesn’t look so daunting now…..contemplated replacing mine a year or two ago when I was experiencing some issues, which thankfully I managed to work through.

Fred

[cvclaydon]

Hi Fred

Silver was mixed by the paint shop, took Helga along and he matched it, there are thousands  of silvers, but no ‘Hymer’ one. Its a mix of a  BMW and an Audi silver. Have a label of it which i will take a pic of and post, has lots of numbers on there in case I want more.

Just waiting on the fridge control unit to come in so i can tackle the instal of the new one.

Chris

[Author]

Posts