Read
about our Autosleepers Symbol
Experiences and modifications
Fitting a
Fiamma Ultrabox 180 back box
Our Symbol came with a
Fiamma cycle rack fitted to the rear offside door but we decided a back
box would be more useful for our extended tours as when we took a bike it
was rarely used as we aren't keen cyclists.
To keep use of the rear
opening door, essential when in very hot places, I purchased another set
of mounting brackets for the nearside door so that the rack can be mounted
there, with the bike rails removed. The backbox is bolted to the rack
tubing using the supplied U bolts and interior plates - although one plate
required re-drilling as the holes didn't line up!
In order to mount the box on
the fold-down tube two short wooden spacer beams made from planed
2"x2" were fitted to provide support for the box.
Additionally I fitted a
modified "trailer board" with illuminated number plate and
lights (but no triangle reflectors and the offside amber flasher disabled)
as I felt the rack very slightly obscured the number plate and nearside
rear light cluster when viewed from an angle (a 45 degree cone I believe)
and I didn't want to be caught out by overzealous law enforcers. I also
fitted a warning panel to the box for the benefit of Italian laws
Although there is only a
small area of vision through the nearside rear window on this van anyway I
have fitted an additional interior mirror to the top offside of the
windscreen which I have found invaluable for covering the blindspot
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