DIY Top Box - Pelican Case

NUTT donated to me one of those eBAY Pelican Cases a while back, and I am finally getting around to putting it together for use.

Admittedly I did not put much thought or effort into this project. Infact I am putting very little effort into this project.

I think I have only $12.87 invested into this. The big ticket items were a can of Spray Can bed liner paint, and 1 small sheet of sheet metal from Northern Tool. And maybe 2 hours (4 beers) time spent.

On with the pics...

The start:






I cut strips of sheet metal and used adhesive silicone (RTV Black) to "glue" it to the sides with the large holes. I then squirt some silicone in each of the remaining holes left by the smaller screws I pulled out of the case.



I then riveted the strips of metal to the case as added insurance.... My first attempt at installing a rivet ended up with the rivet pulling through the case. So a run back up to Lowes to fetch some fender washers at $0.04 ea, I did this...



I know its not pretty, but this is going on my KLR, it will fit right in...

I then took a wire brush wheel and then gave all the smooth parts some character...



I wiped it down and cleaned up any dust loose contaminants before applying the bed liner paint.....

finished product....



Then added a reflective sticker.... why not???



I am going to add a second coat of paint later on, but for now... I am pleased with my half brained attempt.

I am securing it to the KLR's tail rack using a trick that HAIRSMITH told me about. Pretty simple really, I am just using the existing tail rack bolt holes, by installing longer 6mm bolts than the stock bolts I pulled out.

Hey Duke! That's cool. Pelican's are great. I rigged a locking quick release on mine. Check it out.

That bicycle lock is pure genius!

I am also going to steal your marine pad eye trick as well....

dixonduke said:

That bicycle lock is pure genius!

I am also going to steal your marine pad eye trick as well....

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GO FOR IT! I bought that Bell u-bar at Target. It has a better lock in it than the one they "sell for less" at Wally World.

This rig has been on the bike a little over a year and I really like the way it works. The only issue I can think of, if you can even call it that, is the lock gets a little gritty being in line with the back tire. I just shoot a little wd-40 in it every once in a while and it's fine. Hope this helps.

Oooh, I likee...

KP, you are a genius!!!!

Oh man that is great. I bolted my Stormcase on with u-bolts and would really like to make it removable.

DDuke, what are the aluminum side panels for?

Coolhand said:

DDuke, what are the aluminum side panels for?

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I chose that method of covering the breaches to the water tight integrity of the pelican case, i.e. covering holes.

Ahhh, copy that... existing holes. Rhino liner looks great, nicely done.

Nicely done on both bikes.

Well my reflective stickers didn't stick too well. I am now officially done tinkering with it (for now anyway).

After another coat of bed liner and mounted.



Bike doesn't look too bad for being almost 10 years old.

dixonduke said:

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Nice. Duke where did you get that reflective tape anyway? Cycle Gear is insanely proud of theirs, and unfortunately I can't just snake the fancy marine SOLAS tape we have at work

Coolhand said:

Nice. Duke where did you get that reflective tape anyway? Cycle Gear is insanely proud of theirs, and unfortunately I can't just snake the fancy marine SOLAS tape we have at work

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I snagged it at Northern Tool, back in the Trailer parts section.

You can get reflective tape at any trailer supply store. I bought several feet at Gooseneck here in Bryan for a couple of bucks.

dixonduke said:

Well my reflective stickers didn't stick too well. I am now officially done tinkering with it (for now anyway).

Bike doesn't look too bad for being almost 10 years old.

Click to expand...

Good job, Duke. That bike doesn't look half bad for it's age. But then again, I may be partial. I trust it is running as good for you as it did for me. I see you have added some other farkles and it still has the tool tube I made intact.

Steve

:LOL: Thanks Steve. But you would be very disappointed in me, I don't take nearly as good of care of it as you did! You at least rode it frequently, and kept it much cleaner than I have.

I saw a pelican case mounted on a replacement pillion plate on a BMW 1150GS on Adventure Rider and thought of doing the same thing with a case I got from a friend.

I am curious about one thing, however. Has "vibration" ever been an issue for any of you long time users of this type of application?

I'm slightly paranoid of jamming up the "computer" known as a DSLR and presently just put the camera with lens on it in my tank bag rested on top of some additional polar fleece and rain gear for protection from that vibration.

Maybe I'm a little overboard since the same cameras put food on my table, or at least used to prior to 2009.

I have let my dslr ride in my top box or right side pannier of my GS on a cross country trip last year, and it lived in the top case of a Honda Transalp in Scotland for 2000 or so miles. In both scenarios, it stayed in its camera bag, which was on top of my cold weather layering clothes (fleece, rain paints, ect...).

Speaking of my GS and only my GS, a laptop has ridden with me for well over 30,000 miles, its home is in a padded sleeve that I picked up from Best Buy years ago, and in the right side pannier. No problems, yet.... knock, knock.

The dslr has ridden with me on the KLR but only in its backpack/camera bag, which I wore.

Looks great Duke! When I first saw the picture of the orange box with holes I cringed to think you were bolting it to the GS. Once I saw the finished product I think it would look pretty good on there though.

That lock is genius KP600.