DIY Qubelok/Connect-IT Storage Unit

[grazza]

(also posted on Patrol forum, might interest people here too)

Here are some pictures of my new DIY storage unit which I made out of Qubelok/Connect-IT.
Qubelok is available from Capral Aluminium and Connect-IT (what I used) was from Bunnings (not all stores) This stuff is 25mm aluminium box tube and various plastic connectors.
I used boxes from Ki-Tab and the fridge slides from eBay, some plywood for the top and slide and I had some spare marine carpet lying around.
Total storage = 180L, the unit without boxes or fridge-slide weighs exactly 16kg! - Very easy to put it in the back, a 5 min job.

Advantages (to me) of a box storage unit over drawers:

• I do more weekend camping than touring and boxes can be taken to the campsite without going back to the vehicle.
• I need to be able to remove the whole unit as I need to use the back for other things.
• The boxes are ready-to-go on the garage so its quick to get away.
• I wanted the fridge low.
• I was easy and relatively cheap to make.

Disadvantages

• Have to remove other boxes to get to the gear at the back boxes. This would be more of a problem when touring.
• The bottom of the boxes need to be clean to slide. This might become a PITA.
• Not as strong as heavy drawers - time will tell.

I put some really heavy stuff in the top boxes and they all still slid in and out easily. I need to hit some serious corrugations to see if it deforms at all, if necessary I can rivet through the joiners or put L pieces where required.







































-Grazza

[steveoo]

i really like that!! how much did it cost you all up?

[grazza]

All up was about $450.
The boxes were $26 ea, lids $7, fridge rollers $90.
I did not keep track of all the receipts and I have a lot of excess aluminium offcuts and joiners...
It would have been cheaper to get the aluminium and joiners from Capral but Bunnings was more conveinient. If I did it again I would not go with the black aluminium as it was about 50% more.

I cut the aluminium using the wrong tool for the job - a drop saw with a wood blade. Nice cuts but take it really slow.

[GUJohnno]

The mill finish ally from Capral is about $20.50 + GST (trade price) and the black is about $24.00 + GST (These are 6.5 meter lengths.
The joiners from Capral range from about $1.20 - 2.00 each.

I'll be starting mine next week but with drawers no boxes.