DIY Top Box

[zbillster_imp]

As much as the Tactical Ammo Box was cheap, worked well and did its job, it just didn't ... um ... look right. (I know, some of you were thinking the same thing ... )

So I still had that Harbor Freight 20% coupon good for another day, so headed down with my bag of moto-trip essentials and test-fitted them in some of their other cases.

Went with the Apache 3800 ... Harbor Freight product number 63927 ... with coupon it was $34.39 + tax. It's the largest of the three available. Comes with lots of foam padding and two padlock holes.

So using the same pipe U-clamps, I marked, drilled and filed the four holes ... install took all of 20 minutes. And with a 7/16" deep socket attached to a screwdriver handle, you can take it off/put it on in about 30 seconds. I ovalized the holes a bit to ease anal-retentive centering ... will probably make some rubber gaskets out of old bicycle tubes for prevent any water inlets.

I also took off all the silly stickers ... they came off easily ... so just looks like a generic box with no markings.

Here it is on the bike ...





View from underneath ... U-clamps around the rack ...



Mounting bolts on the inside ...



Plus you can lay down the thin layer of foam to cover the bottom (comes with the case) ... ...



Now the time-consuming part will be finding the two matching padlocks with shared key from my Mazda pickup days ...