Harbor Freight storage

[Living in the Past]

I thinking of mounting one of these http://www.harborfreight.com/steel-trailer-tongue-box-65439.html to the tongue of my stock M416. Last weekend I installed a FJ60 spare tire carrier under the front of the trailer. Fits like a glove but increased the tongue weight more then my bad back likes. I thought about adding a second spare as a counter balance. I spot one of these at Harbor Freight and wonder if I moved the spare to the back could I use one of these as a counter balance and gain some storage. Trailer is currently out of town but has anyone tried one of these? Will it mount and clear the handle for the brake?

Thanks, John

 

[PAToyota]

I have one for my trailer. Nice piece. But I have no idea how it will fit on an M416.

 

[Mark Harley]

Several of the guys over at Expedition Portal have mounted these on their 416 and bantam trailers.
Nice size and solid construction.

 

[Brian in Oregon]

I've thought about adding one of these to my jeep trailers, but as you point out it will increase the tongue weight. I definitely would move the spare tire to behind the axle if I was going to put tools, a battery or other heavy objects in the box.

One issue is clearance to the tow rig. Jeep trailers have a notoriously short tongue, and FJ40s usually have a big tire sticking out. Make sure there is clearance for the box not only for flat turns, but in the vertical plane as well. And remember the box has to be spaced out so you can use the handbrake on jeep trailers so equipped.

My civilian Bantam T3C trailer would be ideal for this box, because I installed a telescoping tongue on it. Clearance to the FJ40 is not an issue.

My M100 is a different story. I'm at minimal clearance due to the size of its spare tire. I might get away with a 20mm/40mm ammo can, but it's going to take a lot of careful measurements and jacking up of the trailer to see if there is enough clearance for the HF box.

 

[Mark Harley]

I was too cheap to buy a tonue box so I built one from used diamond plate aluminum.
24" long 12" deep and 12" wide. Painted it black and used a jeep hood hold down as a
latch.

 

[Living in the Past]

I picked up one of the boxes and mock fitted up to my M416. Probably wouldn't work for my needs. It's a nice box for the cost. On sale for $119 with 20% off that. To clear the hand brake handle it will not clear the lunnette/land land receiver cast housing. Need to be spaced up. I just have a couple of pieces of 2X4 to get the height. Even with the box empty and the space tire carrier moved to the back the tongue weight will still be to much for my back. It also take up all the shape to mount a crank landing leg. Even with the extension I have to convert the the pintle to a a 2" ball I have room to mount the crank leg but no room to swing it up out of the way.

Anyone who has a tongue extension and a large spare mounted to the back this cold be a good option.

 

[Brian in Oregon]

Wow, I forgot how far out the M416 brake handle sits. The M100 sits on top of the sill, and does not extend further forward than the edge of the sill.

Is that another jeep trailer in the background?

 

[Mark Harley]

If you relocate the brake handle it would seem to sit back fine close to the tub.

 

[Living in the Past]

Wow, I forgot how far out the M416 brake handle sits. The M100 sits on top of the sill, and does not extend further forward than the edge of the sill.

Is that another jeep trailer in the background?

That's WWII MBT. The brake handle is tucked tight against the tub like M100 but a different style. The M416 is used on highway all the and I need to carrier a spare. The reason for the box was to balance the load. Just moving the spare to the back I think cause the trailer to fishtail empty which it a lot on the return trip. I hate to add a second spare underneath but I may go that route.

 

[Living in the Past]

If you relocate the brake handle it would seem to sit back fine close to the tub.

Not a bad idea. I would have check and see if the cable could take up that much adjustment. I really like the look of the box on there. Moving the spare to the back is no big deal.