Cat trailer box

bite the bullet , glass fibre sheath it or give a few coats of resin , lets face it how many rotten cat boxes do you see about .

Why not bite the bullet even more and build it with marine ply. Surely using Plywood as soon as it gets damp it will start to rot. Just think, if your tiller arm scratches the paintwork, it will soon go through to the wood.

I built a ply one for my Dart trailer. Frame built up first out of baton, then clad with ply boarding. I decided to put the access to the box on the rear, so I could access from just under the rear beam without having to take the boat off. At the time I was windsurfing and keeping kit in there.

I used a marine varnish and the box lasted well for a few years until I sold the boat. Get a good few coats on and you shouldn't notice any warping.  The boat on top will also help to keep it dry, especially if it has a cover on.

I put a couple of plastic dusting vents (B&Q) on each end to give it a bit of airflow, but prevent wildlife taking nest. The whole thing was fixed to the trailer using a couple of metal hoops bolted inside the box. I had to put the lid on last to enable this.

I was pretty happy with it. Its a cheap option if you can get the wood for free and should last a few seasons at least. More if its well varnished and under the boat.

I was happy with the rear access hatch. The only problem came if you accidentally pushed something to the back. Normally ended up with me trying to climb in to hook it back out.

Watch the weight. Obviously, wood is pretty heavy then you add all your gear. Check the loading on your trailer to ensure it can carry it, then dont expect to swing your trailer around the boat park single handed anymore!!! 

Yep, seen those and they work fine. My woodworking is pretty poor to be honest, so a plain old box with one hinged opening was all I could manage.