Weekend Project - The Trunk

Since my primary transportation is the FJR and things don't look they are going to change any time soon, I have recently realized the need for more storage... And preferably something waterproof.

So, last weekend's project was to install a trunk on the back.

Now, Givi topcases are about $150-$180 for hardware and $200-$300+ for the actual trunk. Hell, I can buy a new handgun for that! (And there's a nice .357 at the pawn shop calling my name...)

Instead, I made the requisite 4 trips to the hardware store to get pieces and parts and the end result was...

Voilà!  Houston, we have trunkage.

The trunk itself was an old Pelican case I have been using as a travel tool case that I picked up for the proverbial song at Skycraft Surplus in Orlando years ago...
(If you've never been, the place is awesome. They get tons of surplus stuff from NASA and the military... The place is like a museum.
If you like DIY tech projects, it is Nirvana.)
Anyway - back to the project...

A little time with my handy-dandy drill press and some channel stock and I had mounting rails.



Mmmmm... Homemade rails... and only minimal personal injuries!

And in true McGyver re-tasking fashion, the mounting plate is an old cutting board.

That's right... At the campsite I can take off the case and fillet a fish or cut limes for the rum drinks on it. Yay for multitasking!

And while I was out I picked up another item I needed- Power, baby.

I picked up a Marinco weatherized 12v power socket at West Marine.

Now I can plug in a USB power adapter to power my GPS, iPod, iPad, mobile phone or damn near anything else.
One thing I have learned on the Interw3bs is that the power system on the FJR is not the most robust.
Folks that have put the same type of power adapter in and ridden off with a high-drain appliance (heated riding suit, heated gloves etc) and got to their destination with a dead battery. Seems that the alternator doesn't put out enough juice to keep up with the power needs of a winter riding suit.
Fortunately I don't need to worry about that...
But I will have it in mind when I use it for aux power. USB-powered devices don't usually draw that many amps.

(I wonder if I can find a USB powered pulse rifle I can mount under the front fairing for those idjits that flick cigarette butts out the window of their car in front of me.)


TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE