Moving My Spare Tire...No..not my gut.

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So I am upgrading my 3124KS to Timbren 7K axles and will be blocking the suspension up 2 1/4" so I can go to 16" tires. All that I have read about the spare tire on here is how that spare tire holder pinches the sidewall in on the spare (even the 15"). I noticed this when I first got my TM 3 years ago when I put new Commode-Door tires on it before I went truckin down the road to Austin (over 1500 miles). I didn't know what shape the "blimpy" tires were in or how long they had sat there without rolling an inch. A real potential problem waiting to happen and I didn't want to deal with a flat or blowout on the way home. So the first thing I did after plopping down my money was to go to the nearest local tire shop there in Bloomfield Iowa and have them install a new set of "E" rated Commode-Door tires on my TM. At the same time I took the spare down and had them air and balance it as well so if I would need that, it would roll ok. That's when I noticed that the spare tire holder had put the pinch on the sidewall of the wimpy blimpy. Now since I am spending a bunch of $$$$ on new 16" tires and wheels, I don't wish to damage the spare tire rubber and so I am moving it to the back bumper to a more conventional spare holder.
Ok got all that?.....good...So now I am going to have some vacant space under my trailer once I cut off the old spare tire holder. What I want to do is fill that space with some weather proof storage bins or boxes. My problem is that the size of these is a weird size on account of the clearance. My question to the multitudes of Tm folks is this. Are there any people out there with metal fabricating skills who could custom build me some storage bins that I could mount to the outside of the frame?
OH GREAT ORACLE.....HEAR MY PRAYER!
TC

[LoveToCamp]

Look at this thread on outside storage, particularly Post #17. It appears to re-use the spare tire carrier space.

I am still looking for another thread that definitely re-used the spare rack.

A word of caution about the rear-mount spare. I had one on my popup camper, and it ripped off of the bumper mount on some Forest Service road. I welded another one to the bumper, and it stayed. Point is, it shakes and rattles back there, so it must be a sturdy mount.

[Bill]

Thomas -

If you are set on using the space for storage bins, go for it. But another approach is to lower the rack a bit to make space for the bigger tire. Not tough to do, and keeps the tire off the rear bumper. Find one discussion at

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=5828

Bill

[ShrimpBurrito]

That thread LoveToCamp pointed to has a great example -- I'm thinking about doing that, except perhaps in something like expanded metal to conserve weight. I've got two pieces of metal bar stock welded across the tongue there to hold up a small 5-lb propane tank I use for my outside camp stove and grill, so it could just mount on those.

Several years ago, I contacted Partner Steel in Idaho about fabricating a custom aluminum box that I could mount to the frame under the TM. They make very high quality stuff -- I have a camping stove and anodized aluminum griddle from them that are indestructible, and will undoubtedly be passed on to my kids, and if they are willing to let it go, to my grandkids someday. They're also really nice folks. I sent them some dimensions, and they quoted something along the lines of several hundred dollars with shipping (about $400 + shipping). Weight was also an issue, even with aluminum and even before considering everything that would undoubtedly be stuffed inside, considering most TM's are already very close to weight limits on the tongue and axle.

Something like this, made to custom size:
http://partnersteel.com/LG42.htm

Let us know if you end up doing something!

Dave

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Originally Posted by LoveToCamp

Look at this thread on outside storage, particularly Post #17. It appears to re-use the spare tire carrier space.

I am still looking for another thread that definitely re-used the spare rack.

A word of caution about the rear-mount spare. I had one on my popup camper, and it ripped off of the bumper mount on some Forest Service road. I welded another one to the bumper, and it stayed. Point is, it shakes and rattles back there, so it must be a sturdy mount.

Thank you so much LoveToCamp for this reply. I am interested in that post you are looking for. This reply definitely gave me some ideas. Since I can't find anything on the market that would fit the bill, I probably have to build something myself. #17 was good and a big help!
TC

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Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

That thread LoveToCamp pointed to has a great example -- I'm thinking about doing that, except perhaps in something like expanded metal to conserve weight. I've got two pieces of metal bar stock welded across the tongue there to hold up a small 5-lb propane tank I use for my outside camp stove and grill, so it could just mount on those.

Several years ago, I contacted Partner Steel in Idaho about fabricating a custom aluminum box that I could mount to the frame under the TM. They make very high quality stuff -- I have a camping stove and anodized aluminum griddle from them that are indestructible, and will undoubtedly be passed on to my kids, and if they are willing to let it go, to my grandkids someday. They're also really nice folks. I sent them some dimensions, and they quoted something along the lines of several hundred dollars with shipping (about $400 + shipping). Weight was also an issue, even with aluminum and even before considering everything that would undoubtedly be stuffed inside, considering most TM's are already very close to weight limits on the tongue and axle.

Something like this, made to custom size:
http://partnersteel.com/LG42.htm

Let us know if you end up doing something!

Dave

Thanks for the info and I will probably give them a call this week sometime. Aluminum is very expensive to work with so I don't think I could fade that route, so I think I am leaning towards building a sliding frame with a sheet metal box inserted into it. It's just such a weird size and all. Long and shallow, and not very wide, with different dimensions for each side. And that rhymed too!
TC

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Originally Posted by Bill

Thomas -

If you are set on using the space for storage bins, go for it. But another approach is to lower the rack a bit to make space for the bigger tire. Not tough to do, and keeps the tire off the rear bumper. Find one discussion at

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=5828

Bill

Bill you are an encyclopedia of TM stuff. I love picking your brain. I'm just glad you don't charge for the privilege! Yes that mod looks easy enough. Especially the one piece channel iron that you did. Quite ingenious if I do say so myself. But I am set on moving the spare to the back bumper so I can have the storage space under where the spare is now located. It just seem logical to create more storage for the TM related items that normally roll around in the back of my truck. Once positioned correctly, I will weld the new spare tire carrier to the rear bumper so it stays put and doesn't rattle around. I am planning on using a 2" receiver mount welded to the rear bumper. So with the 2" receiver tube (that can be locked into place) connected to the spare tire mount, will make it easy to remove the spare tire and replace it back with a flat if I ever have to. I'll just unlock the pin and pull the receiver from it's mount and place that on the ground to get the spare off completely. Then once off I can re-bolt the flat on it and slide it back into the receiver, put in the locking pin and that's that. It's so much easier for me to stand and lift than to lift on my knees and try to slide that spare in and out (been there ...done that...OOOFF!). This will also shift a little weight to the back of the trailer making more of a counter balance for the tongue weight.
TC

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Got my trailer back from the shop last Monday and I just finished the first of two installments of the on going soggy in my website http://www.trickmytrailmano.com entitled "Spare Tire and Cargo" page 18. So if you're interested in such a thing, go check it out and let me know what you think. As it was, it turned out to be a bit more involved (ain't it always?) than I had figured ...but such is life.

All in all, it came out very good in the end (no pun intended). So back to the drawing board to finish my next page on the axle swap.
TC