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  • Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

    Whatever you want to call it. I think they are a great idea for car camping and am in the process of designing one to build and was wondering if anyone has one and what they like and don't like about it.
    “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
    – E. B. White

  • #2
    Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

    I finally built a chuck box last year. Planning first will make the box much more useful in camp. Figure out what you need and want and design around that. Do you want to just store gear or use it as part of your camp kitchen? Try to keep it as small and light as possible. The tools you will need are basic, Table saw, with a dado blade, crosscut box, screw guns, clamps, palm sander, and basic wood working skills. I use to design and build custom furniture so this was very easy for me. Even so there is a lot more time in it than it looks. Here is a link to my box.

    http://www.campingforums.com/forum/showthread.php?4993-Camp-Kitchens&p=29166#post29166

    There are a few outfits the sell pre-made boxes, just Google chuck wagon box, one of those per made boxes might work for you.
    I’m a self-made man, I started out with nothing and I still have most of it!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

      I thought I had seen a thread on this but couldn't find it. I have looked around online and haven't seen anything premade that I like...Especially for the price. I would rather make something myself that is exactly what I want then overpay for something that is sort of what I want.

      If you don't mind me asking, what are the dimensions of your box and what did you use for the legs?
      “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
      – E. B. White

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

        I used AMT ¾ conduit for the legs, the size is 34”L 18” H 18” D. I used ½ Baltic Birch for the case.
        Here is a photo of the leg detail.
        I’m a self-made man, I started out with nothing and I still have most of it!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

          You would have to see my wife's cooking gear. For 2 people. Chuck box? Chuck wagon is more like it. She doesn't understand the concept of "minimal".
          2018: Any way the wind blows; doesn't really matter to me....Too Meee....

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

            Great use of the emt and the cotter pin. I dont think that will work with my design. Same concept but with 1x1's instead. I also think you got the length right. I was going to go 40"L 20"H 18"D but I think I am going to knock 6" off and match your 34". I am, like you suggested, trying to keep the weight down but will, in the end, make it as heavy as it needs to be for what I want.

            One more question if I can. Is there an advantage to the piano hinge over a couple regular hinges?
            “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
            – E. B. White

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

              Originally posted by Irate Mormon View Post
              You would have to see my wife's cooking gear. For 2 people. Chuck box? Chuck wagon is more like it. She doesn't understand the concept of "minimal".
              Thats funny. I asked my wife what she needed to go camping. She said a tent with at least 2 room and a screened in porch. :|
              “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
              – E. B. White

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

                This is a quick sketch of what I am planning. Obviously there will be some shelving inside. It is basically a couple doors that swing open. There will be storage in the doors. Once the doors are open a couter will fold down hung on chains. Also have a 3" deep storage in the back for ax, saw, shovel, etc. Criticism and comments are greatly desired.
                Attached Files
                “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                – E. B. White

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

                  The plywood I used on my box is 12 mm thick so the screws are 7/16” long. Using a piano hinge with a lot of small screws will be stronger than a couple of box hinges. I added a piece of ¾ solid wood to the top and bottom of the drop front shelf to give the hinge screws more bite. Screws are not going to get a lot of strength going into edge of plywood. I also installed a mortise lock that needed more than ½ of material. Your plan looks to be interesting. But I do have a few questions,

                  How will you lock the swinging doors closed while not in use? I built a tool cabinet like that with magnetic catches, but I don’t think that would work with something that you plan to travel with. And how deep is the inside of your box not including the swinging doors, drop down shelf, and back space for your other tools. The collapsible dish drain pan I use is 16” deep. A few other items are 15” deep. This might help you with your layout. Draw the box to scale with all the things you plan on storing in it. I used plastic boxes to hold a lot of small things and they also do double duty as my dish washing basins.
                  I’m a self-made man, I started out with nothing and I still have most of it!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

                    I like the idea and particularly the heavy-duty design elements of your approach. I don't like the fact that they are hard-sided, meaning more wear & tear inside my Prius. As an alternative I go with a soft-sided version made by Kelty. Not as feature-laden as the hard-sided, but much gentler on my interior...



                    “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
                    ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

                      Originally posted by Old Time Camper View Post
                      The plywood I used on my box is 12 mm thick so the screws are 7/16” long. Using a piano hinge with a lot of small screws will be stronger than a couple of box hinges. I added a piece of ¾ solid wood to the top and bottom of the drop front shelf to give the hinge screws more bite. Screws are not going to get a lot of strength going into edge of plywood. I also installed a mortise lock that needed more than ½ of material. Your plan looks to be interesting. But I do have a few questions,

                      How will you lock the swinging doors closed while not in use? I built a tool cabinet like that with magnetic catches, but I don’t think that would work with something that you plan to travel with. And how deep is the inside of your box not including the swinging doors, drop down shelf, and back space for your other tools. The collapsible dish drain pan I use is 16” deep. A few other items are 15” deep. This might help you with your layout. Draw the box to scale with all the things you plan on storing in it. I used plastic boxes to hold a lot of small things and they also do double duty as my dish washing basins.
                      I have been thinking about how to lock it. I have thought of chest latches, window latches, hasps and bungee cords. I am leaning toward hasps because they can actually lock but I don't know if I will use 2 with one from each door to the top of the box or one that secures the doors to each other. I know I don't want to have anything on the top of the box as that will be work space for me. I hadn't considered the mortise lock. Are they hard to install?

                      The inside of the box is tentatively 16" deep. I am going (hopefully sometime this week) to gather everything I want to put in it and see just how much space I will need. Hopefully that will also help eliminate any "should have dones".
                      “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                      – E. B. White

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

                        That isn't a bad little kit there tplife.
                        “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                        – E. B. White

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

                          I finished building my chuckbox and started painting it last night. I might have gone a little overboard with the size. It is pretty heavy even empty.
                          “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                          – E. B. White

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

                            Originally posted by Irate Mormon View Post
                            You would have to see my wife's cooking gear. For 2 people. Chuck box? Chuck wagon is more like it. She doesn't understand the concept of "minimal".
                            I suspect your wife and I could sit around the camp fire with total ease.
                            Some of youse can't resist buying extra tents for fun; I can't resist buying camp kitchen stuff .
                            I'll post a what I like and don't like response a lil later cuz for the minute there are still some people who think I work for a living......
                            2017:

                            July 3 to July 16- annual kiddo trip
                            Aug 2 to Aug 14- adult trip to recover from kiddos' outing. Bring on the Campari!



                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Chuck Box, Patrol Box or Camp Kitchen

                              Originally posted by James. View Post
                              I finished building my chuckbox and started painting it last night. I might have gone a little overboard with the size. It is pretty heavy even empty.
                              Didn't realise you were that far along. So are you happy despite the weight?
                              2017:

                              July 3 to July 16- annual kiddo trip
                              Aug 2 to Aug 14- adult trip to recover from kiddos' outing. Bring on the Campari!



                              Comment

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