access the wheel well area

[bike4mee]

I need more storage! I have a kestral model. there is lots of space in the wheel well area but only a little door to get to it. Has anybody had luck enlarging that access door? Seems like a simple process to cut it longer but what structural integrity will I loose? Ideas

 

[buckland]

Have been watching this hoping someone would answer it. There is a heck of a lot of space to store stuff if it is stuff that can get wet.
It seems at first glance it should be doable... but ... why wasn't a single long door panel made to begin with? would make tightening the tie downs a lot easier too. Just have to keep watching.

 

[idahoron]

I pack a ton of stuff in there. Tire chains short shovel, tow straps. I pack a ton of stuff in there.

 

[billharr]

I can not find the thread, not sure what site it was on. But someone put a boat hatch like in the picture on each side of his Tundra to access the area under the camper

 

[ntsqd]

It's all that wasted space that has my contemplating building a hybrid flatbed/utility bed. We use it now, but access is such that we can't use it to the fullest.

About the only thing that I worry about is: What would we put in that space that we don't already have stashed elsewhere? Tools is the only thing that comes up that I'd like to move from where it is now.

 

[Squatch]

Seems for things that you don't want wet like soft goods these could be packed in a dry bag or marine duffle and loaded in there to keep stuff dry. Might be a good way to store bulky things like extra jackets ect.

 

[camper101]

I can not find the thread, not sure what site it was on. But someone put a boat hatch like in the picture on each side of his Tundra to access the area under the camper

I might be wrong about this, but I think the person who did that is The Next Adventures. You can almost see it in his profile picture.

 

[billharr]

I might be wrong about this, but I think the person who did that is The Next Adventures. You can almost see it in his profile picture.

That is it

Now that I have a name I could find the thread here.

 

[bike4mee]

Thanks for the ideas. I decided to cut away an opening in the dinette wall. This wall seems to have no weight above for vertical sheer strength problems. My only concern is torsional strength, that is why I only did the one side. This should give me lots of space to store longer things that can get wet like folding chairs and tables. Sure seems like 4WC could get behind more access to the wheel wells.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks for the ideas. I decided to cut away an opening in the dinette wall. This wall seems to have no weight above for vertical sheer strength problems. My only concern is torsional strength, that is why I only did the one side. This should give me lots of space to store longer things that can get wet like folding chairs and tables. Sure seems like 4WC could get behind more access to the wheel wells.

resize port2.jpg

I thought several years ago about doing what you did.
I also have a dinette in my Bobcat,but haven't gotten around to it yet.
I manage to get thinks stored in the outside areas through the stock openings.
Since I have a Bobcat and it's on a Tundra I have a larger space on the "outside"and can get stuff in there.
Guess if I had bigger openings i would just take bigger stuff.
Looks good though.
Frank

 

[Durango1]

I need more storage! I have a kestral model. there is lots of space in the wheel well area but only a little door to get to it. Has anybody had luck enlarging that access door? Seems like a simple process to cut it longer but what structural integrity will I loose? Ideas

My Hawk has two access doors on either side. I could see no reason for the small size. So I enlarged them front to back by about 50% and after more than a year of quite a few trips have had no problems. (And yes, it IS much easier to access the turnbuckles.)

Steve

 

[bike4mee]

I have both sides now enlarged with hatch covers. This has been real nice for storage in a trip to Texas for 2 weeks we just took.I see no stress issues in the base. It also survived a 100 mile white rim trip halloween near Moab. If anyone is having storage issues consider those wheel well areas.