You drove that minivan all the way to Antarctica? That's quite the odyssey

The attention to detail on this channel is second to none. Can't wait to see your next project Tom.

You're the first one to talk about that hitch tightener. I was wondering how to avoid my future setup to rock and making noise when empty. Great review!!!

I found the PVC instruction somewhere but since it is way buried somewhere in this thread here is is TTT: I created an internal skeleton frame to keep the bag semi-rigid, works very well. I assembled it in two halves outside, then put in bag with some help and joined the two halves. Since the joints add about 1/2" at each end, my cuts were 6x22" (vertical pieces), 6x16 (horizontal pieces), and 8x27.5" for length. raw materials: (around $12) 4x 10-ft 1/2 PVC 8x 3-way 90-degree elbow for corners 4x T-shaped adapters for middle 4x end caps w/ threaded end (these will be added to the 4 tee pieces to make a 4-way elbow thingy for the middle. cutting/assembly - First two 10-foot pieces, I cut 3 x 22" 3 x 16" for each 10-foot pole (gives you the 6 & 6). - Second two 10-foot pieces I cut 4x27.5" each, giving you 8 length pieces. (I started with 28" but had to shorten to make it in the bag) - for the 4 middle T-shaped pieces, I drilled hole in the middle of it just a bit smaller than the threaded end cap to make a 4-way elbow (home depot didn't have a piece of this shape).

Adorable seeing your daughter helping. Yesterday my daughter was a toddler...now my best little buddy is 11 and I'm teaching her to weld. I miss my little baby 😭

One moment you say you would love a helper/boddy and next thing you know there is someone passing you bolts! Awesome video.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Haha! Thank you sir! Her version of help is always entertaining! :-D

Great job on the installation. I love the way you created the internal support for the bag. Wow you're awesome

Awesome video! Those hitch baskets are super handy. Since it always seemed to rain when that thing was back there on vacation loaded with crap, I installed a small trailer light set just to make sure people would see it.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you Scott! The trailer light is an excellent idea, gonna have to do that before our trip for sure.

My Reese Cargo Bag with the frame held up wonderfully over a three day drive of 2,000 miles while we relocated. One additional further. I added a ratchet tie down strap. It helped and also was a minor deterrent to curious folks that walk by when parked at a hotel, restaurant etc.

Extremely helpful video, beautifully produced, great sound and video. Great place for simple boxy luggage to free up real space for legs and snacks! California here we come!

I followed this step by step, and now I have a carrier on the back of my Jeep. However, I cheated on the bag. I bought a patio storage box, one of the ones for supplies, and mounted it to my carrier. Before I put the storage box together though, since I drilled holes in it for mounting, I coated the inside with rhino lining and made ir water proof again. Then I vinyl wrapped the outside in that silver stuff that looks like a toolbox, and it looks like I’m lugging my tools everywhere with me, when it’s not, but it is my storage chest. It’s got a 150 gallon capacity, if that tells you the size. It’s so secure that it doesn’t even need to be ratcheted down at all, but I do it anywhere for my own peace of mind

@lelynndavenport5963

2 жыл бұрын

Please post pictures and thank you

I purchased the same Reese bag setup for hurricane IRMA evacuation. Works great!

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback Glen, great to hear from you old friend!

You have a helper xD. Mike usualy perfektly done.

Don't forget to relocate your license plate to the back of the cargo carrier. The box on mine blocked the plates and I got got by Highway patrol once. I added a lighted license plate carrier and it works great!

Good vid! Getting one for my 4 Runner. I agree the frame should come with the bag but if you don’t have a full load securing is easier without the frame

Great video Tom and I would agree it should have come with a frame for the bag. Awesome job on your frame.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you sir, I appreciate the kind words. Sometimes little projects like that can be just as satisfying as wrenching on the engine and stuff.

That's crazy, I live about 1 mile from curt manufacturing. Nice to see products that seem to fit well made in my town. I didn't know they were good for putting kids in on road trips. Something to keep in mind. Lol.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Cool! Very pleased with all of their products, priced very reasonably and the quality/fit were perfect. I probably would’ve bought their cargo bag too, but I didn’t realize they had one.

@Inkling777

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, I was delighted to find one Curt made for my 2000 Toyota Echo. It went on easily and it's quite sturdy. They're definitely on my list when I go hunting for a carrier.

You did have a mighty helper...

A good idea would be to add some support bars on top if you're still looking for some rigidity in that PVC frame. They make T-Connectors with a slot cut in them so you can slot them over a PVC pipe. Just get two of those connectors and a short length of pipe to place on top before zipping it up. You can temporarily pop them off whenever you need to grab stuff.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a plan to me!

thank you! An excellent DIY video. For sure it convinced i should do it myself as well! I have one question though...did you consider any bigger size of bags? I understand that to open a trunk can be challenging with a bigger one...but you would gain so much space? Thank you!

Thanks for the product review and install. You could haul some 16 foot boards with the back door open.

Great video as always. Are you planning to do any more videos on the AZ1? Would LOVE to see more on that!

Grade 8 hardware and green lok-tite works great!

Thanks for the suggestions about the hitch tightener. We'll have it tomorrow!

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome man! I’ve used this whole setup for three long road trips now and would highly recommend it! 👍🏻

@jasonchipkin

5 жыл бұрын

@@TomsTurboGarage What grease is similar to PB? I would get Blaster on Amazon, but need it sooner.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Jason Chipkin any thin automotive grease is good that you can get at a hardware store or walmart will work too.

That PVC frame is brilliant! Any thoughts on light and licence plate visibility from the back?

first time here, cool car collection!

Great video! I've installed three Curt hitches on my cars, and while they are nice, they do rust quickly. I even gave the most recent one a coat of black spray paint before I installed it, and it just rusted from the inside out in a couple years. They're probably rusty before Curt even coats them.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Very good to know, I did hear this in the comments. I'll keep an eye on it.

@michaelgegoski3288

5 жыл бұрын

I've had my Curt hitch on my 2014 Oddy for 5 years now.It looks like the day it was installed, with 90k on the van.

@cmusic52

2 жыл бұрын

bare metal rusts in mere hours, normally you dip it in stripper before coating it black

I think you changed my mind from a roof box to hitch mount cargo. Having a hitch would allow me to mount a bike rack on it.

Hi Tom, did you by chance take measurements on your PVC cuts when you built the frame for the Reese cargo bag?

thank you. i just got the hitch lock and its too small!! i was wondering how it worked?

Can you link to the video on how to build the PVC structure for the bag?

You're so creative wow. Thanks

Hi@Tom's Turbo Garage, great channel,! I have 2020 Kia Rio HATCHBACK, do you think I can get this done somewhere?

For the internal frame, to support the middle, cut a length of PVC pipe with scalloped ends that will snap between the middle parts. You can then pop it out to load but it will give some strength when strapping it down.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Great idea! Thanks for that, I’ll do it this weekend.

@kennethfollmann544

5 жыл бұрын

Can you add a picture to see what you're talkin about scalloped ends please

Great video! Thank you!

Van mods! Man I love this stuff. Just did a hardwood and led strip lights floor in my 02 grand caravan!

@legodude19999

5 жыл бұрын

Can't afford a real performance car as a broke 18 year old so I've been making my van into the ultimate party van! I have a 12 inch sub I'm waiting to put in till I get new door speakers as well.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Congratulations man, that sounds like 10x more fun than 18 year old me spending every tiny paycheck trying to make my goofball junk car fast. Enjoy your van, don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t awesome!

@legodude19999

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the encouraging words man. Whenever I tell people I got a van they usually laugh it off so it's cool to see some positivity! Best wishes man can't wait for more content (maybe a track day in thunderbolt?)

Did you need the center supports you had left out on your frame. Was there enough support without it?

Just one thing: with the rain box the tail lights etc. might be obscured; would it not be a good idea to have an extra pair of lights on the Curt metal cage?

when you said " time to go on to the next project" I thought this honda will get some sick turbos..

very nicely done as always

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you sir!

Tom I ran into the same problem last year on our 3500 mile vacation in 2013 odyssey. I was considering putting a rear cargo rack also but was concerned that the van would need over load shocks since mine was heavily squatted in the rear. Let me know your thoughts or what you discover on yours. Thanks

Cargo baskets are also great for carrying a spare set of wheels & tires

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Definitely!

what are the measurements for the bag? I'm thinking of building one of those :D

Can I open the back door if the bag is 60”*24*24? I’m looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks

Cool video gonna do this to my 2021 Chevrolet traverse

@Tomsturbogarage Great video. Just curious when you stay overnight did you bring the bag with you or leave it on the cargo carrier? Thank you.

Could a bike rack be added onto the basket? So you could have the basket and haul bikes at the same time? The basket appears to have a 2 inch pipe straight through that could receive a bike rack

how far away is ur bag from the exhaust and did you have problem with the bag melting? I was reading online reviews for a lot of bags and everyone mentions that exhaust heat melts the bag.

Once the cargo carrier is in the receiver, how high off the ground is the bottom of the basket?

Great video! Where are the frame directions posted?

Any concerns about exhaust heat melting/warping the bag?

if you strap down the bag without filling it, will the frame become a problem?

Have you ever scraped the metal cargo basket when you get out of gas stations? I have scraped so many time getting out of the gas stations. I have a 2016 Honda Odyssey elite. Another problem I have is when the parking sensors are on it will keep beeping.

Thanks for helping

Tom is an international treasure

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Haha! Thank you for the kind words sir!

@Jaszczur-sp2tx

5 жыл бұрын

No worries. :D Thanks for years of entertainment and cool learning experience.

LOL, love the Japanese plate. thanks for the great video Tom!

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Haha! Thanks Jerry!

Did the hitch pin lock and hitch tightener come with either product?

Can you provide the size of those # of and length in inches of PVC pipes , number of those corner connectors? Thanks

Great Job. I Loved it ....

So is that a metric or imperial adjustable wrench?

Are those 1/2 pvc pipes and fittings?

Would probably be funny-looking if you mount this hitch, frame, and storage bag combo onto the back of your Autozam AZ-1! 😂

I would love to know how your carrier has held up over the years. There are a lot of reviews online complaining about the frame bending and sagging under a load much less than the advertised 500 lbs. Who knows how many are real, fake or for totally different products.

I have a 95 GST without the turbo so makes it a GS I seen your video on the Eagle Talent my car is in desperate need the turbo was taking him off and I'm pretty sure it had a engine swap so it is now a 420a can you give me any advice on what to do I am very new to Imports

How much can you put out the back there before you're doing wheelies everywhere? Think I'd probably just get a regular trailer.

did you share the directions somewhere for the frame? I guess it is just the length dimensions needed, and the rest would be self explainitory

I like it! Thank you !

Any issues with heat from the exhaust?

Link for the PVC set up for the Reese bag ? Thanks

How does the bag attach to the carrier?

U should do like the boosted boiz, and boost that Odyssey. Get the family to the vacation point in a hurry, lol...

Did you do the bike rack project?

If you added a bike rack to the carrier, can you send us a pic and details of that...

Did you ever add the pvc center piece?

Do you hear it rattle when you drive?

Tom hey, when listening with headphones, during the parts where the cam is "first person", I often hear mainly from the left speaker. When the camera is on bipod, it's all fine.

@vanoscrap6296

5 жыл бұрын

@11:06 as an example, @11:22 too

Well, that will be ideal if you take the van to drag week.

Loved the video! I just got a hitch cargo carrier & was scared to put it together till I watched this video! But I am looking around to find this 'PB Grease' you talk about. Where do you find it? Or what does it look like? Thanks for the video Tons of help!

@TomsTurboGarage

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you and glad I could help! You don’t have to use that specific kind of grease, any light grease will do to keep things from rusting and seizing up. You can find some at Walmart or similar stores. Good luck and our family loves this setup, it has helped us so much on our road trips! 😀👍🏻

How do you access the tail gate

If i was keeping it on the vehicle, i would use nut and bolt than the locking pin,i've seen these carrier over in the UK they've all ways been on 4X4s suv were there is little room in the back for luggage they seem a great tool. :-)

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the tip sir!

Will also come in handy if you do another motor swap😉.

Do you guys have any laws regarding the coverege of ligths and licensplate? Here in denmark, its illegal.

@seeingisbelieving3304

3 жыл бұрын

Put your rear license plate in the back window so it can be seen when its covered like that.

I know this is an old video. I just discovered it. So how would you recommend to strap the bag down when all said and done. Great video.

@TomsTurboGarage

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you sir! The bag comes with straps that connect to the steel carrier rails. I love this setup, we use it on all of our family road trips.

Wish there was a link for frame.

That was quite the trip.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Haha! No doubt! 👍🏻

@brokenacoustic

5 жыл бұрын

A road trip in to the south pole would take a really long time, and would be very cold, and wet! lol

I'm actually planning to get the same set up with the Thule cargo xl shell, I just want to know has anyone had any trouble with NY, P.A using these things? From what I See its legal and doesn't really block anything. at least not on my 2019 Subaru CrossTrek

Just a tip tom, those torque converters can judder if trans is not serviced every 30k.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Good to know sir, thanks!

Great video,Tom. I thought you were buying micro cars so they all fit in the garage. Galant is outside 🤨

Where is this place ... defentley not in.Texas ??

I have the same tray. I like it but I had to shorten the small bolts so they wouldn't extend into the cargo area and damage my gear.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Ahh, good to know!

Looks like the bag covers your license plate and and part of the rear lights, is that legal? Here in gerrmany these kind of racks usually have a second set of lights and a license plate.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

That's a good question, I would call it legal-ish.

No power socket?

cool stuff!

Could we get stop by police,for covering the rear plate?.

where is the pvc frame instructions?

What about ODESSY spark plugs changing, is it difficult? By the way, I love your vids 2 much..

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words, I haven't had to change spark plugs yet, but I'm sure it's a big job!

You've gone from a bad ass LS Miata build to silly little micro cars to soccer mom van accessories , you're losing me Tom ! lol

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Be strong Mike! :-D

What about if you secure the bag onto the carrier tray just in case you're on a bumpy road with pot holes and the whole bag jumps right out of the tray? The only little flaw if you will that I can see. Great job looks awesome.

@tomtruesdale6901

5 жыл бұрын

He talked about the straps that hold the bag to the carrier, just didn't show using them.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks fellas, yes there are straps included.

Make sure to put some of the Blaster grease inside the key side of the lock as well.

@TomsTurboGarage

5 жыл бұрын

Already did! Thank you for the heads up.

@JeremyLevi

5 жыл бұрын

Better to use graphite grease for lock keyways. Other greases will eventually attract dust/dirt and gum up the lock tumblers.

What happen to the Talon