JB Harlin Posted January 26, 2016 We have been working the last week designing and building a box to haul our large wooden tripods. We have had a similar box in the last two minivans and have hauled our tripods in this manner for the last 18 years or so. The box is made of plywood and covered with speaker carpet. It will haul 4 large Ries wooden tripods. We had to fabricate a custom base that attaches to the seat brackets in the floor of the NV. Here are a couple of photos of the finished install. There is one tripod in the lower left cell in the photo. There will be tripods in all four cells when traveling. www.jbhphoto.com 2 wollip and laharview reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ASD Dad Posted January 26, 2016 That looks really nice! How are they attached to the seat brackets? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JB Harlin Posted January 26, 2016 That looks really nice! How are they attached to the seat brackets? Custom machined mounts from wood and aluminum, using a couple of 'J' bolts. You can see the basic idea in the photos. There are three of these. Once secured to the seat brackets, the box was bolted to the mounts. 1 ASD Dad reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ASD Dad Posted January 26, 2016 Very cool. Thanks for the extra photos. I'm always looking for new ways to bolt things down in my van and camper! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JB Harlin Posted January 26, 2016 Very cool. Thanks for the extra photos. I'm always looking for new ways to bolt things down in my van and camper! This is pretty much a permeant installation. . . it is removable, but will require a lot of disassembly. Ratchet straps would work very well ran through the seat brackets for temporarily holding things in place. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JB Harlin Posted January 27, 2016 (edited) Here is the entry from our BLOG on the project. . . http://jbhphoto.com/blog/2016/01/26/time-for-a-change/ Edited January 27, 2016 by JB Harlin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ASD Dad Posted January 27, 2016 This is pretty much a permeant installation. . . it is removable, but will require a lot of disassembly. Ratchet straps would work very well ran through the seat brackets for temporarily holding things in place. I've done the ratchet strap through the brackets and also have carabiners that I clip in. Both are good but can still have movement unless you really crank down on the strap. Your design looks solid. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JB Harlin Posted January 27, 2016 I've done the ratchet strap through the brackets and also have carabiners that I clip in. Both are good but can still have movement unless you really crank down on the strap. Your design looks solid. It is extremely solid for sure. The box itself is pretty heavy and is designed to carry 4 tripods that weigh between 14-19 lbs each. The idea is the box also acts as a separator between the front seats and the cargo in the back. We have had this same arrangement in two other vehicles and it has worked extremely well for the way we work and travel. I will be looking at ratchet straps, but only to keep things from shifting around, if needed. We did a lot of research and believe the NV is an exact fit for what we do. Are you using your NV as a camper only, or does it get transformed back into a people hauler? Just curious. . . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ASD Dad Posted January 27, 2016 Mine is strictly a people/dog hauler! My camper is a 30 foot long/7600 pound Toy Hauler we tow. We camp at least 4 to 5 times a year and with 3 boys and two large dogs we needed the space of the NVP. 1 JB Harlin reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
