3-24gt. Milk Crates

[Trainman]

Did someone say you can get 3-24qt. Milk Crates in the Elite II outside storage compartment.

 

 

 

trainman

[hobo]

In the basement storage compartment, I have two 12" x 12" crates on the right side (deep  part) and a 12" x 18" on the left side with room to spare on the right side.

 

(Might be able to fit both a 12 x 12 and a 12 x 18 on the right side but I haven't tried.)

 

 

[Overland]

Yes, I have three in there.  One slid to the curbside and two in front.

 

I highly recommend this brand.  They're more expensive but they're far better made than the other stuff on amazon.

[hobo]

Another thing I did was take an aluminum telescoping handle (like for painting or scrub brushes) and drilled a small hole in the plastic tip and screwed in a "J" hook.

 

This can be used for pulling out the crates or other items from deep within the compartment.  I also use it for pulling items out of the bed of my pickup truck without having to climb up and under the hard lid since it can be extended and collapsed as needed.  Very handy and cheap.

[Trainman]

So you are saying that you can get 3 12x18's in the storage compartment, thanks for your reply.

 

 

 

trainman

[hobo]

[postquote quote=177711][/postquote]

I doubt it.  I have one 12 x 18 on the left side and two 12 x 12s on the right side.

 

You "might" be able to get a 12 x 18 and a 12 x 12 on the right side but I'll have to check on that and get back to you later today.

 

I think the curvature of the right side of the basement storage toward the front (closest to the door opening) of the right side would preclude placing two 12 x 18s over there even though there is enough length.

[Overland]

You can definitely get 3 12 x 18 crates in there, with about 12" to spare in the very back.

[mossemi]

[postquote quote=177651][/postquote]

 

Like Overland, I have no trouble fitting 3 of these into the basement storage area.  Along with 2 5x7 outdoor rugs and room for 2 - 4lb. bags of charcoal.

 

Mike

 

[Trainman]

Thanks, now I will go by some crates for delivery day, July 8th.

 

 

 

trainman

[DavidS]

Based on what I read on the forum, initially I got a bunch of 12 x 12 milk crates to store things in the basement. However, I found that the 12 inch dimension was constraining. My specific complaint was that I had to coil the hoses very tightly so that they could fit in the 12 inch container. I also needed multiple boxes to store the essential items, and the space in the boxes was not used efficiently.

 

I have now purchased a larger plastic storage box, 15 11/16 wide x 21 5/8 long x 10 11/16 high. I think this size box is widely available; I got mine at Costco. I like this box for several reasons. 1) It is much easier to coil my hoses to fit the 15 inch dimension. 2) The 15 inch width fits perfectly through the basement door. 3) The 21 inch length puts the box right up against the wall that is the side of the night stand for my Elite II Twin Bed model, maximizing space usage. 4) The box is large enough that the one box can hold all of my most routinely used items: water hose, water filter, 2-way garden hose splitter and pressure regulator, 30 amp electrical cable, circuit/voltage tester, and my X-chocks. I also have a coaxial cable in the box, but we have used it only once. There is still room left that I could use for other items.

 

 

This one box holds all of the things that I need most frequently. Additionally, the size of the box makes it easy to put all of these items into the box.

[Trainman]

I ordered 3 24qt crates and three will not fit, they are 12x11x19.5. So I now carry the third one in the pickup, it is the one with the levelers and blocks in it, so it can go inside or out, no problem.

 

trainman

[CedarForks]

Please correct me if any assumptions below are incorrect.

 

Only two 19 x 13 x 11 milk crates can fit in the basement:also

 

However, one 19 x 13 x 11 and two 13 x 13 x 11 can also fit:

 

If you have the optional interior access installed, there is a problem. The access is 4" from the floor and just 7.5" tall, making the top edge 11.5" from the floor.

 

But the crates are 11" high, thus making it impossible to access the contents of the milk crate. the crate/container should  be at most be 6" high to make the contents accessible from the inside.

 

To address these issues, I've been playing around with some custom designed containers as shown below. They can be constructed using fiberglass over molds. OTT has the expertise to do this easily, but the production team have their hands full producing TTs and probably won't be interested. A local fiberglass shop is willing to do it ($$). Another way is to use 0.25" polycarbonate and poycarbonate cement to construct them ($$$$). Yet a third way would be to use wood ($?).

 

All the containers are 12" high (leaving room for casters underneath). Container 5 has a lip of 4" in the front And a height of 12" in the back , for those who have the interior access installed. Otherwise all sides should be 12",

 

Containers 4, 5 & 6 are restricted to a 14" length so that they can easily "turn the corner" when sliding the in or out:

 

[Overland]

I’m not sure how many times I’ll need to post that you can fit three 19” (24 qt.) crates in the basement, with room left over, but if anyone is keeping track, add 1 more.

 

And as a reminder, these are the best.

 

Also, half height milk crates are a thing, and you can also cut one side out of a crate for access.

[CedarForks]

Sorry: it must be very irksome to you. I've relied on your opinion on all sorts of issues, especially the Lagun Table jig. So I assure you I've tried every possible way to fit 3 19" x 13" crates in the basement without success. Perhaps the basement dimensions have changed over time, but I doubt it as the stated length is given as 48" in the "measurement index" for all recent model years.

[Overland]

Sorry, trying to be funny, not a jerk, but I do keep three full size crates in mine all the time with space to spare. And since the inner and outer hulls are what determine the basement size, and the hull sizes have never changed, I don’t get why anyone’s experience should be any different.

 

I would say however that the difference between the shape of my basement and what you’ve drawn is that the rear wall of mine doesn’t curve like you’ve shown. It’s pretty much straight (with a small radius in the corner of course, to match the hull.)

 

So I guess the question is do you have a wall of some sort built in the basement at the back of the trailer - on mine, it’s just the inner surface of the hull, with a layer of insulation covering some wiring.

[CedarForks]

Clearly, your TT follows the dotted line and 3 crates can fit:

 

However, my TT follows the solid line as originally posted.

Perhaps production found it less labor intensive to just have a straight wall instead of following the curve. So there's dead space in there?

[Overland]

That’s right - in fact the curve is less severe and the two crates in the front actually line up. And the one in the rear I can turn 90 degrees so that there is extra space behind.

 

It’s interesting that Oliver has started putting a false wall in there. I believe that on mine, there’s just a single loom of wiring there that goes to the attic. And the wiring is covered by insulation so it’s unlikely to be damaged by the crates shifting around.

 

I’m sure if you wanted that you could remove the wall and get the space back but of course I’d understand if you wanted to leave well enough alone.

 

I wonder at what point Oliver started doing that. It’s good info to know - obviously I’ve been a bit baffled as to why people seemed disinclined to believe my tall tales about milk crates.

[CedarForks]

One final wrinkle:

"And the one in the rear I can turn 90 degrees so that there is extra space behind"

 

On mine the rear width is just 17" -- so I cannot turn it 90 degrees. Also, the width at the crook of the L is just 15"

 

So it goes...

[hobo]

OK,  I tried to put a large and a small on the right side and when I do, the curvature of my back wall pushes the crate closest to the door opening into the space on the left where my one large is stored.  I cannot get even two larger crates in my Ollie.  Only one large and two smalls.

[hobo]

The diagram above doesn't match my basement.  The left side of the basement in mine is exactly the width of a crate (about 12")/  That being said, the right side of the basement on my model is much narrower than the one pictured above.  No way could I ever turn a larger crate sideways in mine.  Not sure why the dimensions differ but they do.

[Jim and Frances]

I've searched the forums but can't seem to find the door opening height dimension of the basement?  I forgot to measure it whilst on tour - DOH!  The 2018 Dimensional document @ Oliver University lists "Basement - 49" x 22" at 16" Deep".  Is the max door opening height around 16"?  (The "deep" confused me.)

Thanks!

[rich.dev]

On 5/28/2021 at 2:24 PM, Jim and Frances said:

I've searched the forums but can't seem to find the door opening height dimension of the basement?  I forgot to measure it whilst on tour - DOH!  The 2018 Dimensional document @ Oliver University lists "Basement - 49" x 22" at 16" Deep".  Is the max door opening height around 16"?  (The "deep" confused me.)

Thanks!

Good question, did you figure it out? My delivery is May 2023, I believe the door opening height is approx. 13" x 15" wide.....I think!