[Avatard]

Hey I have an 18' cataraft with Nrs frame and can foresee someday selling one of my cats and adding a 14' raft to my quiver

I'm adding a pair of nice new matched height dry boxes and will want to be able to use them in a future raft

I want a nice clean mount for the dry box (don't care much for the Nrs hangers)

Can you owners of a 14', 15', 16' boats chime in with the depth that your drybox drops BELOW the bottom of your frame tubes? Also the type of boat you have

If I fix the tabs for my current setup I want to know if it will still work in another boat


The 14' typically can take a 40" dry box. If yours can't, let me know that too

 

[TriBri1]

On my NRS E-140 the box drops 10" below the frame. I have 2" or so between the floor and the bottom of the box. My box is 36" long I have room for a 40" if I wanted.

 

[cataraftgirl]

Great question Avatard, since I'm also shopping for a 14 ft. raft. I shall follow this thread with interest. I will keep my dry boxes from my cat which are 34 wide & 10 inches below the tabs.

 

[Fumble]

lo ríos

 

[orto11]

A 10 " drop fits just about everything out there with 2" of clearance. I have 10" of drop on my Orange 130D. I shopped along time and was told by multiple frame builders it is a very hard raft to build a row frame for, most said a 3 bay couldn't be done. So it is probably one of the shallowest out there in the size range of 13 or 14.

My frame has some custom design to work with the diminishing tubes. I have the Raptor Frame. Here it is shown with just my day trip benches in. I have the matching dry boxes for rower and passenger also. It is an awesome handling boat even with some gear and 2 people and great to paddle.

 

[Avatard]

A 10 " drop fits just about everything out there with 2" of clearance. I have 10" of drop on my Orange 130D. I shopped along time and was told by multiple frame builders it is a very hard raft to build a row frame for, most said a 3 bay couldn't be done. So it is probably one of the shallowest out there in the size range of 13 or 14.

My frame has some custom design to work with the diminishing tubes. I have the Raptor Frame. Here it is shown with just my day trip benches in. I have the matching dry boxes for rower and passenger also. It is an awesome handling boat even with some gear and 2 people and great to paddle.

The boxes I ordered are Canyon. Nice big 16x16x40

Unsure whether I'll weld tabs on the ends (and weld up a piece of rectangular tubing spanning two crossbars.

If I go that route I can space the boxes on the sides and lose a lowpro and the bar between them. Also can weld in a step/pelicase platform on the sides too

Other option is the more traditional tabs to get the box to rest on the crossbars. Not as big a fan of that option, as I need straps to lock in the boxes.

 

[richp]

Hi,

Unless I'm missing something, it seems like the first thing to consider would be making sure the tabs are low enough that the latches are free and clear of the crossbars. And that won't vary from frame to frame.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips

 

[2kanzam]

My observations are right inline with TriBri on my 14' NRS revolution...10 *or so* inches below the top of the tubes although I think I may have closer to 3 inches of clearance? (42 inches between the tubes I believe)

 

[cataraftgirl]

Hey orto11. Can you post some pics of your raft with gear? I'm trying to get an idea of what a 13 ft. diminishing tube raft looks like loaded up. I'm trying to decide between a 14" long X 7 ft. wide raft and a 13'6" X 6'8" raft. Both would handle 80 inches of frame length. Is your frame a 3 bay (cooler, dry box, rower space)? Also, more pics of your frame would be nice. I'd like to see what the Canyons frame frame looks like and how the dry boxes attach.

16 X 16 X 36-40 seems to be a standard dry box size when you start looking. Many people run that size in their 14-16+ foot rafts. So it makes me wonder about clearance between the box and the floor? I have friends who like a minimal gap between the box & floor to prevent toes/feet/other stuff from going under them. But I don't want the box rubbing on the floor, specially on low water trips where I might be running the floor soft on purpose. Maybe I'll be happy to have my shallow boxes off my cat (16 X 13 X 34).

 

[Grifgav]

The boxes I ordered are Canyon. Nice big 16x16x40

Unsure whether I'll weld tabs on the ends (and weld up a piece of rectangular tubing spanning two crossbars.

If I go that route I can space the boxes on the sides and lose a lowpro and the bar between them. Also can weld in a step/pelicase platform on the sides too

Other option is the more traditional tabs to get the box to rest on the crossbars. Not as big a fan of that option, as I need straps to lock in the boxes.

I have the "traditional" tabs on my drybox (made by Cy at cambridge welding) Cy's tabs come out from the box in a triangle if that makes sense. I loop a strap through the inside of that triangle, and around the crossbars of my frame on each side of the triangle, then buckle it over the outside of the triangle. I will try to take a picture and post it so this makes more sense. Takes 4 straps to attach the box. This keeps me from having to loop straps over the top, and holds the box in very solidly.

 

[86304]

yes, we simple minds love pictures to look at!

bob

 

[Soup76]

The boxes I ordered are Canyon. Nice big 16x16x40

Unsure whether I'll weld tabs on the ends (and weld up a piece of rectangular tubing spanning two crossbars.

If I go that route I can space the boxes on the sides and lose a lowpro and the bar between them. Also can weld in a step/pelicase platform on the sides too

Other option is the more traditional tabs to get the box to rest on the crossbars. Not as big a fan of that option, as I need straps to lock in the boxes.

Canyon Boxes? The plastic ones?

I will get some measurements tonight. 15' NRS Otter, NRS frame, with 16x16x40 Cambridge Box. There isn't much space from the bottom of the box to the floor. Maybe a 1/2".

 

[laterwagged]

What about two tabs on each end with holes for pins, with a "spreader bar" style insert into the bay in your frame & Pins to secure?

 

[Avatard]

Canyon Boxes? The plastic ones?

I will get some measurements tonight. 15' NRS Otter, NRS frame, with 16x16x40 Cambridge Box. There isn't much space from the bottom of the box to the floor. Maybe a 1/2".

Canyon Inflatables. Very well made and has the sturdy 3 bend edges in the top of the box (as opposed to single bend in a shoebox lid.

 

[Avatard]

What about two tabs on each end with holes for pins, with a "spreader bar" style insert into the bay in your frame & Pins to secure?

That's kinda what I'm thinking. Then it can work on any boat because you can always use loop straps

I think I'll make the spreader bar out of rectangular tube coped at the end and welded into a pair of crossbars. I can make a cargo bay designed to hold two boxes. The issue is however I lose flexibility to drop in a cooler.

I'm pretty sure two Nrs crossbars are strong enough to support two dry boxes and someone resting on them

If not maybe make the supports bolt into/over the tubes

 

[Soup76]

Canyon Inflatables. Very well made and has the sturdy 3 bend edges in the top of the box (as opposed to single bend in a shoebox lid.

Gotcha.. Forgot about those, but they're nice boxes. I am not real happy with my cambridge (shoebox). I pinned my boat 2 years ago for about 2-3 minutes. The box was never under water but was taking water from the side pretty heavy. There wasn't very much water in the box...................but there was water in there.

 

[dgrogue]

On my 14' Vanguard I have a 10" drop also. 40" would be tight on the Vanguard. The Canyon Inflatables Latching System works great with their Dry Box.

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/...bles-dry-box-and-module-45759.html#post296762

 

[oarframe]

Ava - my cambridge shoebox is 16"tall and I have to elevate it by about 2" from where the triangular tabs were set so it does not rub the floor.

griff - i like your idea, will give it a try

Soup - when you pinned, was the box torqued at all, or was it just a case of the water flowing over (and in) the box?

 

[Avatard]

Ava - my cambridge shoebox is 16"tall and I have to elevate it by about 2" from where the triangular tabs were set so it does not rub the floor.

griff - i like your idea, will give it a try

Soup - when you pinned, was the box torqued at all, or was it just a case of the water flowing over (and in) the box?

What make/size boat do you have and how far below the bottom of frame does your adjusted box sit?

 

[Soup76]

11-1/2" from the bottom of the NRS crossbar to the bottom of the drybox. This puts the box about 1/2" above the floor when the boat is on the water and inflated properly.

Soup - when you pinned, was the box torqued at all, or was it just a case of the water flowing over (and in) the box?

I was perched pretty evenly sideways on a rock and water was rolling over the tube. no part of the box was ever submerged but it was deflecting a lot of water. It could have been tweaked slightly but I didn't consider the situation to be particularly hard on the gear (frame, boat, ect). i got the boat free by (hi-siding) sliding my weight towards the bow and bouncing.

Sorry for the thread-jack Avatard..