Airstream Interstate roof storage

[Mr. B]

The rear box would block sensors and interfere with blind spot assist system in the newer Sprinters thus completely disabling it on the entire period of accommodation in the rear hitch. Therefore, the second benefit of a small rear trailer is up. Btw, the price of a good new one is under two thousand.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

...The box may be capable of supporting a 300-pound static load, but that doesn't necessarily translate to a 300-pound dynamic load.....

BINGO. Or anything close to the forces that might be generated by 300 lbs. or less in the wrong dynamic situation.

When I first saw the off-the-shelf boxes, I said to myself, "I'd like to see one of those suckers survive IH-10 from Baton Rouge to the Neches River. I think it would be done for by Laf." My husband and I had our first exposure to just how bad a bad freeway can be on that stretch - while on our maiden voyage back to Houston from Memphis, where we purchased our Interstate. The 2500 Sprinter is not as rough as the 3500, but on a wretched freeway in an advanced state of disrepair, it makes little difference. I was sitting in the back as he was driving through Louisiana and I swear that my bottom left that seat countless times (I wasn't joking in previous threads about being catapulted into lower earth orbit). I was belted in but I felt the breeze beneath.

And what goes up must come back down - with tremendous force (with the number of engineers here, I'm betting that someone proposes some reasonable equations for this scenario).

In our case, on that freeway, I told my husband something along the lines of, "In these conditions, you just have to slow waaaay down to minimize the impact on the rear end - there's nothing else that can be done. Otherwise the cabinets might come loose and I might lose some teeth if I continue to sit back here."

[Mjgman]

That's what happened, I 10 west Florida to California is not all smooth, tons of bumps and pot holes. I'm really surprised I didn't lose it and cause a bad wreck.. They should at least have a safety strap that is attached to the box and the hitch.. Four small brackets and 8 small nuts and bolts is not much to hold 300 lbs..

[LB_3]

Mr. B,

Looks like you could fit that motorcycle in that trailer. You need to head to the Cabot Trail.

[Mr. B]

Originally Posted by LB_3

Mr. B,

Looks like you could fit that motorcycle in that trailer. You need to head to the Cabot Trail.

Thank you ). Actually yes, it fits there alright

[LB_3]

I'm one of those internet engineers and the cargo box in the first photo looks like it was assembled improperly to me.



The bent flange on the bracket that wraps around the square post should not be used to support that silver bar since it doesn't even come flush with the edge of the square post. Any rocking load from an uneven weight distribution in the cargo box then creates a bending moment on the flange instead of applying a shear force on the base of the flange which is orders of magnitude stronger.

[73shark]

As a recovering retired EE, it appears from the photo that the square(?) tubing is not stout enuf or there needs to be more of them. While I can think of several ways to beef it up, will leave that to the MEs.

[Mjgman]

Here is the response I received:

Thanks for the sending the image of the ‘Hat Brackets’ on your GearSpace where you added another nut.

This bracket, the Hat bracket, is designed to have its ‘ears’ or ends deflect up when the locking nut
is tightened, so just letting you know that the Hat brackets have a slight upward bend
by design.

The upward deflection of the Hat both puts tension on the nut so be doubly sure it does not back up and this
deflection also centers the female tube inside the hat bracket.

Please feel free to call me to visit more if you like.

Best,


Not sure if he knows his own product very well.. The brackets were flush when I left and I don't think the nuts are supposed to almost fall off..

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Mjgman

Here is the response I received:

....

Not sure if he knows his own product very well.. The brackets were flush when I left and I don't think the nuts are supposed to almost fall off..

Road conditions can, and do, produce strange results at times. Driving on rural highways southward to Abilene back in March, some of the roads were so rough in a particular fashion that all of our rear flap windows shook open. I would not have thought this possible, but I watched the rear view mirrors as it transpired. The infamous Texas plains winds were extremely high that day and that might have been a contributing factor. The windows never shook open on rough freeways before. Apparently I needed certain state highways for that to occur.

So, nuts are not supposed to almost fall off but windows are not supposed to shake open either. Products must be designed for the entire range of foreseeable real-life conditions, not just average conditions, or they will not necessarily behave as expected or represented.

[InterBlog]

It appears that we are dealing with another excised thread here. I’m still not sure what the opposing poster’s specific complaint had been, but in the interest of clarification, it might be beneficial to articulate the difference between engineering and science, with the intention of perhaps avoiding future misinterpretation of the type that can sometimes result in thread excising.

The practices of engineering and science are intended to complement each other, and in fact, they only serve us properly when they do. As an a propos illustration of this, given historical comparisons of the Interstate to a space shuttle, Columbia’s failure mode was confirmed conclusively using science, not engineering. The engineering calculations strongly pointed toward a particular failure mechanism, but calculations are just calculations – they are not real life – and some key decision-makers initially would not take them at face value because calculations alone can inadvertently underweight or overlook the contributions of key variables such that the results become misleading. It took rigorous and repeated applications of the scientific method to back up the engineering, and it did so in a manner that was so elegant that I don’t think anyone predicted that aspect of the outcome, neither engineers nor scientists (hence the hyper-educated onlookers’ collective and startled cry of, “Whoa!” at the final moment of experimental truth).

This Forum appears as if it may contain a disproportionate number of engineers, but I have a Master’s degree in science. Rather than roughly applying physical theory and running approximated calculations through my head, I instead view much the world through a de facto lens of null and alternative (alternate) hypotheses. With respect to the issue on the table that had become contentious, which was Mjgman’s experience with the GearSpace, it is entirely possible to confirm its failure mode (and thus its future potential for additional failure) every bit as rigorously and conclusively as was done with Columbia. The null hypothesis is that the consumer product known as GearSpace performs as represented. The alternative hypothesis is that it does not. If I were designing an experimental regime intended to prove or disprove the null hypothesis, I would be going about it very differently from how I might comment on a Forum. But I don’t have that luxury, because however interesting such testing would be, it’s not likely to happen given the practicalities involved. That being the case, we are left with guesses that are based on the available information. Those types of guesses may be at best only semi-educated out of necessity, but they are not random, not the product of any ulterior motives, and they do have a basis, however rough it may have to remain. And in this case if I were compelled to predict, my money would be on the alternative hypothesis.

[Mjgman]

I received another response from the owner. All products will have some issues and will not be perfect, I accept that and can deal with just about anything..

It comes down to how the company that I purchase a product or service from responds when said product or service fails to meet expectations...

The owner of the box company has been very responsive and informative, he has even emailed me his personal cell phone.. To me that means a lot, I can deal with some flaws as long as the company is willing to help and figure out a solution.. Which this company is more than willing to do..

[LB_3]

Sounds like a stand up company. Keep us posted, several of us are looking for that better mousetrap.

[NOLA_russ]

We purchased a Lets Go Aero GearSpace 34 several months ago, switching from their GearCage model that wasn't a good fit for our purposes. We've taken several trips, including a 2K+ mile trip over Memorial Day, and are quite happy with its performance. Lots of space, the tub is a sturdy heavy plastic, and the fit and finish is good.

We have the optional wheels, which make pulling it away from the doors easier and less cantilevered. The wheels lower and raise easily once you get the hang of it. They also making removing the box altogether a one (fit and persistent) person job.

When pulled back the box allows both doors to open fully so we can sleep with the screen down when the weather allows. This was a key requirement.

We carry two folding bikes, camp chairs and table, propane heater, electric fan, a canopy shelter, and the like--less than 200 lbs. Roads in NOLA can only aspire to third world standards, but we've had no mechanical issues. That said I made a point of checking every bolt when I installed it and periodically since.

I also had good support experience with the previous product. Your mileage may vary, but it's working out well for us so far.

[InterBlog]

Still working on this issue, contemplating various configurations, especially with weight being kept in mind. Ultimately what might work best is a mounting system that could accept either a box or a tray, depending on the needs of the trip, with a tray weighing much less.

Well, if the needs call for tray only, then I'd like to get a simple cargo cover to use in conjunction with it. Question as I pound my head on my desk: Why are virtually all of them black? Black, in the southern United States, enclosing a cooler? Why not just take a blow torch to it?

Maybe it's because the manufacturers figure that black would show less dirt, or because it's the cheapest way to incorporate some UV stability to the fabric, but one would expect there to be a reflective option somewhere in the mix. If there is, I haven't found it yet.

[InterBlog]

The hitch carrier issue has been discussed at length across several threads, the most recent (and contentious) of which has been this one.

After finding no reasonably durable or secure solution in the commercial market, my brilliant engineer husband designed and fabricated this minimalist hitch carrier to fit our needs. It's built like a brick outhouse despite weighing just 57 pounds unloaded. We haven't subjected it to the ultimate road test yet, which is the crumbling IH-10 through the southeastern U.S., but I'm willing to bet that it will do just fine (it was certainly unaffected by a gallop down IH-45 the Gulf Freeway). Details, design rationale, and theft-deterrent issues are discussed in the blog post linked below.

I know I'm going to get some good-natured ribbing along the lines of "Oh! How cool! You built a dog carrier!"


The dog is simply there smiling in the photo to mirror her owner's state of absolute delight at finally seeing the successful delivery of this project, which was almost two years from conception to completion.

CUSTOM HITCH CARRIER FOR THE AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE

[Boxster1971]

Nice work! I came across this strange rear storage box on a recent trip to Winnipeg. It has three trailer hitch jacks that fold down to remove this beast from the van. I imagine when loaded it is very heavy and probably exceeds the 500 lb. weight limit on a Sprinter hitch.




- - Mike
2013 Interstate Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[InterBlog]

One of LB_3's original ideas was to weld additional receivers onto the existing hitch assembly that came with the Interstate. Then we realized less is more - we wouldn't need any additional receivers unless we were carrying the weight that demanded them. And by the way, additional receivers are really freakin' heavy in themselves (we bought some). So we deleted that idea (and now I have to do a return shipping on those danged things).

This is a Class B - everything needs to be scaled down. So we took a hard look at what we need right now, versus what might be nice to have. It came back around to the simplest possible configuration. Which actually turned out to be an unexpectedly versatile configuration. Especially if we start welding up additional little supplementary brackets for items such as bikes or a BBQ. We could put a lot of stuff on that rear end now. Maybe not all at once, but any given trip doesn't demand everything at once (not the kinds of trips we do) - it only demands certain stuff. And that's the key.

[LB_3]

We looked at building a swing basket but the hinge alone is about 25 lbs and the total weight was going to be well over 200 lbs. I wanted to use the additional receivers that IB mentioned to keep the basket from rocking but two additional receivers would add 16 pounds to the vehicle and would increase the weight of the basket by another 8-12 lbs. Given that we're less than 400 lbs from max vehicle weight with only a half full fresh water tank, an extra 30 pounds felt like a luxury. I purchased a hitch tightener to reduce the rocking. It works well for now but it hasn't seen a lot of miles yet.

[BurntAsphalt]

Originally Posted by Mjgman

I received another response from the owner. All products will have some issues and will not be perfect, I accept that and can deal with just about anything..

It comes down to how the company that I purchase a product or service from responds when said product or service fails to meet expectations...

The owner of the box company has been very responsive and informative, he has even emailed me his personal cell phone.. To me that means a lot, I can deal with some flaws as long as the company is willing to help and figure out a solution.. Which this company is more than willing to do..

Have you gotten a resolution on your Gearspace 34 bent crossmembers? Just got back from a long trip to the Northcountry with our new Gearspace 34. I want to love this thing but there are a couple of issues that aren't acceptable for a hitch mounted box in this price range. First of all, it has gobs of storage and would be easy to go over on the weight limit. For this trip I had less than 175 pounds and the heavier items were centered over the large support members. The crossmembers were slightly bent during the trip (not as much as yours). The other issue is even when the bus is parked, I've had up to a cup or two of water get into the box after a steady rain. I called the company but the owner was not in. It's too big to ship back but I would be willing to make repairs myself if they send the parts.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by BurntAsphalt

..... The other issue is even when the bus is parked, I've had up to a cup or two of water get into the box after a steady rain.....

Just as an FYI in case this might be a consideration for anyone, most of the high-end coolers on the market right now (Yeti or other brands) are not only water tight - they are air tight, so much so that storing dry ice in a Yeti could be potentially hazardous due to pressure build-up (reportedly said by a specialty meat shipper via one of the recent trailer threads).

It was mentioned previously on at least one thread that the Stowaway also leaks. If someone absolutely had to have a dry exterior gear space for whatever reason, buying and mounting a large one of these coolers would pretty much guarantee it.

After we got our hitch carrier completed, it suddenly occurred to me that there's no law that says I have to only carry food in that cooler. Depending on the needs of the trip, I could carry pretty much any cargo I needed to, as long as it would fit. I mean, we went to tremendous trouble to build that carrier, so why not use it in as many different ways as possible?

A larger cooler on a hitch carrier would be even more versatile than ours. Some of them are pretty large - as in, offshore fishing expedition large. The Yeti Tundra 250 for instance. It would be well-proportioned to the rear end of the Interstate (although as I mentioned previously, if I were buying all over again, I would choose Cabela's).