Didn't have money to buy a wagon gear tail gate storage, so I decided to use what was accessible to me.
I decided to use 3/16" aluminum for the frame and the lid, hardware is stainless steel (nuts, bolts, latch, washer) I really wanted to make everything flushed so that I can sit on the tailgate comfortably, slide gear in and out without getting snagged by the bolts. I counter sink the stainless steel Allen hex bolts, I also hid the hinge so that it's not protruding to the surface, it sits slightly lower than the lid and frame.
My 230 pound friend decided to test it out by sitting on the lid to see if it would cave in, but it did ok, nothing moved or bend under his fat ass.
I think it's strong enough to hold up two 230 pound guys, but I will never know because he's the only hevay friend I have, except one bald guy I know of that recently went to yellow stone, but not mentioning any names. My friend suggested he wants a basic ruler on his lid so can measure his big ego and occasional fish that he may catch, so a 4 feet ruler was added.
It's no wagon gear stuff, but that's best I can do with what I have. It took me 3 days to get this done and another day to go buy the hardware, it was hard work but I like so far, maybe I will make some minor changes soon. I may have enough material to make two more if anyone is interested, I can finally purchase some diapers and milk for my baby boy and my daughter arriving in 2 weeks.
Here are some photos:
This is where the lid meets the frame, a very nice and snug fit.
Hinge is out of the way:
This is to show that the hinge is below the surface:
Counter sink stainless steel Allen hex bolts:
I decided to use 3/16" aluminum for the frame and the lid, hardware is stainless steel (nuts, bolts, latch, washer) I really wanted to make everything flushed so that I can sit on the tailgate comfortably, slide gear in and out without getting snagged by the bolts. I counter sink the stainless steel Allen hex bolts, I also hid the hinge so that it's not protruding to the surface, it sits slightly lower than the lid and frame.
My 230 pound friend decided to test it out by sitting on the lid to see if it would cave in, but it did ok, nothing moved or bend under his fat ass.
I think it's strong enough to hold up two 230 pound guys, but I will never know because he's the only hevay friend I have, except one bald guy I know of that recently went to yellow stone, but not mentioning any names. My friend suggested he wants a basic ruler on his lid so can measure his big ego and occasional fish that he may catch, so a 4 feet ruler was added.
It's no wagon gear stuff, but that's best I can do with what I have. It took me 3 days to get this done and another day to go buy the hardware, it was hard work but I like so far, maybe I will make some minor changes soon. I may have enough material to make two more if anyone is interested, I can finally purchase some diapers and milk for my baby boy and my daughter arriving in 2 weeks.
Here are some photos:
This is where the lid meets the frame, a very nice and snug fit.
Hinge is out of the way:
This is to show that the hinge is below the surface:
Counter sink stainless steel Allen hex bolts:
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