Motorhome Storage
Roof storage
The most obvious place to store large items is on the roof, but that is easier said than done
We have listed some of the problems associated with roof storage
-
Often the roof is already cluttered with roof vents, a satellite dish, and solar panels.
-
The roof shape and strength can be a problem, for example, standard commercial panel vans converted to motorhomes usually have curved and uneven profiles that make it difficult to fit standard roof racks, and vehicles with a square motorhome body are made of lightweight materials that cannot tolerate point load attachments due to the nature of the products used for construction.
-
The height of the roof requires access with a ladder to load and unload the vehicle, which means a purpose-made ladder must be mounted to the rear or the side of the vehicle, or a ladder must be carried somehow which in itself is another storage matter.
The solution
The solution is to have a custom-made roof rack fitted that avoids interference with the existing roof layout and is suitable for the specific items you plan to carry, it is possible to integrate a ladder and rollers at the rear of the vehicle to enable kayaks and surfboards to be rolled up onto the roof rack from the ground
If you have read the information above about roof storage and you are looking for a different solution, perhaps you only want to carry narrow long items such as surfboards and do not require a complete roof rack, then side storage racks should be considered
What are the benefits of side storage over roof storage?
-
The advantage of the side mount brackets is that you can keep the roof clear for solar panels and the satellite dish
-
Loading and unloading the boards is very easy at roughly head height
-
The brackets can be removed and refitted without the need for a ladder, so if you are not transporting your boards just remove the brackets and store them inside your van.
-
The brackets are made of stainless steel, and will not deteriorate due to salt water contamination
-
The lower part of the bracket is padded and covered with a rubber sleeve to protect the boards
The Hardware
The stainless steel brackets are made to fit onto the side of the Fiat Ducato, VW Crafter, or Mercedes Sprinter panel vans and gutter mount brackets have also been made for the Coasters, Hi-aces and Civilians.
Rear Wall Storage
In this blog, we have looked at extra roof storage, and extra side wall storage, the rear wall has been a popular location for storage, mostly used for bike racks, but we have seen and made many boxes in various shapes and sizes.
We have developed stylish fiberglass rear storage boxes that can be bolted onto your standard bike rack at the rear of the vehicle, it is very quick and easy to install using the existing bike rack. The box can also be fitted directly to the rear wall of the motorhome if you have no bike rack, we have made custom adaptor brackets that fit onto the towbar of a vehicle, making brackets is an extra cost but might solve your storage issues
Features of the rear storage box
- White fiberglass construction, making it very lightweight and strong
- Ideal for storing extra gas bottles and the BBQ or other smelly items that you don't want inside the Motorhome
- The door is accessed from above and has a rubber boot seal to keep the water out
- Lined with a foil-based foam to stop things rattling round inside
- Can be bolted or bonded to the rear wall of most motorhomes
- Our workshop can make custom brackets in order to fit the box on your specific vehicle