BELLY BAND used for mounting ?

[Kai in Seattle]

Technical Specifications

Weight: 2.3 lbs.
Dimensions:
Open Dimensions: 10 x 12 x 15
Closed Dimensions: 2 x 12 x 17.5
Manufacturer: Travel Chair Company
Mfg Part #: 2689
Tech Notes:
Weight Capacity: 250 lbs.


Glenn: You made it easy for me! THANKS!

BTW: note it weighs only 2.3 pounds and it holds 250 pounds! That's a pretty good trade!


BEST
Kai

[Glenn Baglo]

If you drill some holes in it, you can probably screw it to the trailer.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

Glenn Baglo: I think your portable 6 pound aluminum table is attractive and now I won't rest until I've at least sourced one and seriously considered buying it. Darn it, anyway, I had other things to think about buying!

BEST
Kai

Kai, I have seen that table for sale at Fred Meyer. You have to get them in the spring or summer season when the camping goods are stocked up. REI also has them as does Big 5.

[Larry Singer]

Tom,
I found this table listed on your referenced website under "car accesories".
Looks ingenious and useful, BUT it's $140 !!!

[Kai in Seattle]

k corbin, thanks!

Glenn, probably could hang them from the Amerigo belly band...which has a 2x4 inside between the layers and the fiberglass and all...to hang things from, anchor them to, let you run screws into something to hold the halves together, which are not fiberglassed together, though if we were doing it again we surely WOULD fiberglass them entirely together...but we'd still want the wood in there, too.

The little lightweight table is 15" high; Paul's heavy wooden TV tray is nearly 25" high...clearly, this little table is meant to double as a stool. Camping World said they only ship it, it's not in the stores, and shipping is around $10--it was on sale on the 4th but is back up again.

[Larry Singer]

The table mentioned in Kai's post:
Table Chair Company item #2689 is available from Amazon for $26.
And shipping is free (even if you don't have Amazon Prime)

Thanks Kai ! (I just ordered one)

[Kai in Seattle]

If you need a taller TV-tray height item, this weighs under 4 pounds and is the same height as Paul's heavy wooden TV tray. It holds 110 pounds. The only real drawback is that the rubber feet tips come off fairly easily. Use a good glue or a tiny screw or so to hold them on before you lose one or more. Looks nearly the same as the stool/table already pictured above.

Camco 51891 Aluminum Fold-Away Side Table - Large

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
$31.22
& FREE Shipping.Details
Want it Saturday, July 7? Order within 4 hrs 36 mins and choose Two-Day Shipping at checkout. In Stock.

There are those little openings between the slats--but this is one of those kind that are so easy to open and close and weighs little. You could get two of the stool sizes and one of these and could carry all three at once, I bet. They have super nice easy handles.

Also, I know how to open and close this kind--our "ironing board" folding table we use for eating in Peanut is tricky. It slammed me in the face and knocked my glasses flying; been wary of it ever since. Bet these aren't so malicious!

BEST,
Kai

[John in Santa Cruz]

We always camp with a couple small folding 'end' tables, AND a 4x6' mini 'buffet' table that we use as our outdoor meal table, etc. all this easily fits in the pickup truck as it lays flat for travel.

[k corbin]

Warning, this concept is flawed because an assumption was made that all trailer's belly bands are constructed much the same as other makes of trailers. That is a false assumption that could lead someone to cause damage to the fiberglass on their trailer.

You would never want to hang anything that has weight to it from the belly band on a Trailswest Campster. It is made differently in that it has one layer of the shell projecting out as a flange coming down from the band. When repairing my shell I had to patch several cracks in that flanged section. It is an inch or so wide flange hanging out there with absolutely no support behind it. It could never take the weight of a table or shelf suspended from it.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

There are dozens of holes in my Escape, but they are mainly used to fasten light weight parts that are required for functional reasons.

One of the features of the Escape is that wood blocks are attached to the walls during the build for the cabinets etc.

I understand Scamp uses rivets through the hull for everything, no matter the load on the rivets. In time, they leak.
I don't care if somebody wants to attach a table or an easy chair to the outside of their trailer. I'm only pointing out that it is easier to move a six pound aluminum table to where it is needed, than it is to move the trailer.

So ... Its been 14years so far... when do I expect my first leak?

BTW... Do you have any windows or vents on your Escape? Since that's where nearly all the leaks occur on all Fiberglass trailers, you might look for a trailer without those as well.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

We always camp with a couple small folding 'end' tables, AND a 4x6' mini 'buffet' table that we use as our outdoor meal table, etc. all this easily fits in the pickup truck as it lays flat for travel.

When you look at that belly band you will also see that it is up too high for a dining table and way too high too use for a beside the chair drinks table. So perhaps good for a countertop height food prep surface or buffet layout for holding food and supplies. But not for sitting and consuming food unless you travel with bar stools. There are a lot of height difference among the brands of trailers so there is not going to be a one size fits all solution with this concept of belly band attachment points.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by k corbin

When you look at that belly band you will also see that it is up too high for a dining table and way too high too use for a beside the chair drinks table. So perhaps good for a countertop height food prep surface or buffet layout for holding food and supplies. But not for sitting and consuming food unless you travel with bar stools. There are a lot of height difference among the brands of trailers so there is not going to be a one size fits all solution with this concept of belly band attachment points.

the Escape belly band is nothing like the one on the Casita, it doesn't protrude nearly as far, and is mostly a rubber bumper belt. and yes, too high.

[Kai in Seattle]

Agreed; not all of these eggs are made the same; as I wrote, Amerigo has this thick wood behind the outer flange of the belly band...

Height of band matters of course...plans change when reality intrudes!

Great pic of campsite; clear and very real.


Kai

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

Great pic of campsite; clear and very real.

my cellphone camera, heh. its a Google Pixel (original version), has a pretty amazing camera.

[Glenn Baglo]

Some people are tall, some are short, some sit erect and some slouch. Belly bands are at different heights. Some people grow attached to them, some not.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

Agreed; not all of these eggs are made the same; as I wrote, Amerigo has this thick wood behind the outer flange of the belly band...

Height of band matters of course...plans change when reality intrudes!

Great pic of campsite; clear and very real.


Kai

I have solid wood epoxied to the inside of my belly band but only because I was the person who added it. It did not come that way. I put it in so I could suspend workbench/tables to it on the interior using the two piece aluminum extrusion set that is made for supporting tables in RVs. While you can use them to suspend tables on the exterior you might need to put a shim under the extrusion to offset the slope of the shell. Otherwise the extrusions won't stay engaged in each other as they were designed to do.

[k corbin]

As to hardware for mounting a removable exterior shelf or table to the outside of the RV there is ready made stainless steel hardware for that. You can get it from a variety of marine suppliers.Of course you might want to adapt this mounting bracket to instead use a stainless cabinet hinge instead of a fixed L bracket so the slope of the table surface can be adjusted since you don't have a fixed deck surface but instead you might be parked on uneven ground. You will also want to mount an ajdustable height hinged leg to support the other end of the table.


As shown in this photo the receiving bracket fastens to the wall and the L angle fastens to the table. A simple, clean looking, not overly large, mounting option that will stand up to the weather. Keywords to use to find suppliers using an image search "stainless removable table bracket"

[floyd]

Originally Posted by k corbin

As to hardware for mounting a removable exterior shelf or table to the outside of the RV there is ready made stainless steel hardware for that. You can get it from a variety of marine suppliers. Just remember you might need to add a tapered shim so the table will sit level plus of course you might want an adjustable height leg to put under the far end. As shown in this photo the receiving bracket fastens to the wall and the L angle fastens to the table. A simple, clean looking, not overly large, mounting option that will stand up to the weather. Keywords to use to find suppliers using an image search "stainless removable table bracket"

That looks an AWFUL lot like the table hardware on a stock Scamp table.
(only it is Anodized)

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by floyd

That looks an AWFUL lot like the table hardware on a stock Scamp table.
(only it is Anodized)

and for that matter, the hardware to support an external stove on my old Starcraft tent trailer... the stove inside could be disconnected and brought outside, and secured to a extrusion bracket on the side of the trailer, and there was a 'leg' that dropped out of the bottom of the stove that fit into a similar bracket. there was also a quick release propane hose right next to this for hooking the stove up to the trailer's gas supply.

[Gilda]

Back to the original topic...Here is an idea that you might consider. It's a conversion of the rock guard to an awning. http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...amp-76570.html I was able to makeshift one by using the bunkbed support poles attached to the rock guard and propping them up on the bellyband! (Note: doesn't work well in wind) Have fun with your ideas and let us know what you come up with!