Customer Reviews

Plano 1819 XXL Storage Trunk (Camo)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I got this to store ammo so I could lock it up. Overall its good and I'm happy with it though I'd like to mention two things

1) This isn't really very sturdy. It's plastic and I don't think I'd trust it for shipping or anything. But mine just sits on the floor with my stuff so I don't mind.

2) The inside is not rectangular. Look carefully at the picture as there are many places where the walls jut in. This may not matter to some people but since I'm stacking ammo (which are rectangular boxes), it was a pain in many places because the container doesn't have a single straight wall on the inside. May or may not matter to you.

I purchased two of these to take to Iraq. The 1st one arrived to me busted up and I returned it. Not enough time to have a another shipped to me so I only took one and glad I did. The wheels broke and I ended up carrying the trunk. They are made of cheep plactic and I would not recommend for travel only for sitting and storing items. But you can pick up a cheeper trunk from Walmart than spend the extra for this. Not good at all.

I picked up one of these trunks at a Bass Pro Shops black Friday promo for $30, and have been nothing short of pleased with the versatility of this box. You can't beat the quality for this price range, and the storage capacity is fantastic. I have so much gear packed in the first box, that I had to get more. I now own 4 of them and have all of my camping gear ready to go into the back of my truck whenever I head out of town.

These boxes are very lightweight but don't let that fool you as to their strength. I have over 50# of gear in a couple of these and they don't sag, bow out, or seem stressed in any way. The latches are very firm, which is comforting as I've had lids to other storage boxes come off when on the highway. These boxes are tough and lockable, which is great for gear you don't want the kids messing with. They stack nicely as well, and I can stack them 4 high in the garage and take up very little space.

Overall, this is the best outdoor gear storage product I could find without breaking the bank. Not just for camping, these boxes would be great for the rest of my garage items, too. I'll probably end up with a dozen of them before I'm done.

If only this thing were larger and sturdier! Or, if only the Rubbermaid Action Packer came with wheels! Woe is me.

I have supplied images above that show the foot locker with the IBA and Kevlar. As you can see, it's not as large as you may be hoping.

I purchased this after reading the reviews and knowing that it is made of flimsy plastic. But I really wanted a trunk with wheels and even though the Action Packer is larger and sturdier, I'm sure it's harder to man-handle.

The XXL is pretty fragile. I have gear inspection tomorrow and bought the XXL to tote my stuff up to the Armory. I am let down at the flimsiness of the locker. The whole thing significantly bows when packing and I am far from stuffing all I could in, and despite that, it was a royal pain to latch it shut. It just bows too much.

PROS:

Wheels. That's about all.
Cost (approx half), but only compared to the Action Packer.

CONS:

Size. Not very large. The description lists the size as: 37.75" long x 18.25" wide x 14" high. That equates to 9645 cu inches. Google tells me that's 41.75 gallons. Thus, smaller than the Action Packer.
Sturdiness. There isn't any. The plastic is thin and flimsy. This thing will not last. Especially lugging it around drills and/or deployments.
Rear hinge. Ridiculously weak. Clever idea in how it easily separates from the trunk, but at the cost of strength.
Handle. You'd think with the wheel set up on the trunk, it may have an expandable handle similar to airport luggage. Nope.
Camo. A generic woodland camo. Doesn't match anything. A small gripe, I know.
Inside shape. As others have said, it is rife with indentations; nooks and crannies. I'd rather have a nice rectangular box to easily pack.

OTHER:

This may be fine for lightweight storage, but not for a soldier moving around the country or world. This appears more suitable bouncing around the rear of a minivan than a 5ton.

CONCLUSION:

It was this or the 48 gallon action packer. I chose this because it's half the cost and has wheels. I wish I would have chosen the much stronger Action Packer and outfitted wheels on it. Live and learn.

Since receiving the storage trunk, it has been filled and stored with gear. So far, so good. I haven't had a chance to use it in the field, so it only rates a 4 until field tested.

It does what it's supposed to do, it securely stores and protects items. It isn't as rugged as others but, it doesn't cost as much either. The hinges and locks are of fair quality and should stand up to several seasons of normal use. People say it collapses when you stack them or sit on them. This is probably true but, they aren't designed to be seats. I use mine to store and transport camping/hunting gear to and from camp. I purchased it because it can be locked to "protect" my gear while away from camp. But a lock on a plastic box will only keep honest people out. The shape of the inside makes it's storage capacity less than what it appears to be on the exterior but, it still holds a fair amount of gear. I assume the indentations are to provide rigidity and to allow for installation of the wheels. All in all, this box is a step above the cheap thin wall tubs from the rubbermaid and sterilite that don't have hinged/lockable tops, and it will keep your stuff locked up and dry. Getting another right now to keep the field mice out of the dry food at camp. NOT BEAR PROOF. I take reasonable care of my gear so I expect to get several seasons of use out of these. I don't think this would fit the bill to use as a gang-box where tools and equipment will be tossed in it daily and hauled around in trucks. A feature I find very handy is the tie down hooks. These are great for passing a ratchet strap through and securing it to a roof rack or hitch rack, and it holds rock steady. Much better than having to run the strap over the lid or around the box.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a way to transport and store gear where it will not be subject to abuse.

UPDATE: Used the second one for a week to store our dry food in while camping. Before the field mice would always find their way into our food. We managed to store all our dry food in it, and not once did a stinkin' mouse find it's way in.

The trunk walls are thinner than I expected, though this does make for less weight in the trunk itself.
The full length hinge is a good point as are the multiple locking points and tie downs.

These are made of a flimsy, fairly thin plastic that deforms easily under a load and softens dramatically with heat, i.e., in the sun. The lid hinges are made of the same soft material as he rest of the trunk, tear off easily and disconnect by merely opening and closing. In addition, the interior is irregularly shaped, limiting what you can pack. Not a good bargain.

Very fine product. I bought it to keep things dry and protected in my boat. It works wonderful, and can be used as a seat if need be.

I bought this storage trunk for camping and was a little disappointed in the sturdiness of the box. I was hoping for something as solid as the rubbermaid action packers but this is not it. A very large box, love the wheels, and the latches. Down side not sturdy enough to sit on, and the plastic doesn't invoke enough confidence of lasting more than a few seasons.
But for the price I can't complain too much. Just knowing next time I'll get something a little stronger built.