Tire chain storage

For what it is worth--take em out-sort em--and leave them home for now(if possible)and while I have always been abl to hang mine under the wagon--one of my old friends has been swappin wagons for years--he has one of the smaller type(composite material)p/u toolboxes(that fit against cab of p/u in bed)bolted to the deck of tractor--it has a 2 large snap folding lid--he cut and fit a couple of old mudflaps in the bottom--keeps xtra oil coolant etc--and has room for his chains all winter--don't know how long your w/b is--or how much space--but this has always seemed like a good solution to me

 

My company requires that I carry chains year round and yet it is against their policy to use the chains. So I just keep them in milk crate under the bunk in case I'm stop by DOT in some state that requires you carry them.

 

Oh by the way DON'T put them in a plastic bag cause they will rust like crazy.

 

PUTTING them in a crate would be allright as long as you don't have to move that crate. put all them chains together and that can get pretty heavy.

but if you can. put them in a crate behind the cab on the catwalk. with a strap to hold them down.

i'm guess you van guys don't have a lot of options for storing your chains. besides the trailer.

my first company, i pulled the same trailer. i had the trailer chains on hooks. 24inch tires. and the 22 in tire chains for the tractor stored under the passenger seat. kenworth.

my second company had a box under the steps under the doors.

where i'm at now. the trailer has boxes.

 

being as chains don't normally make it through the winter. depending on how many times they get used.

take em all back. and get new set when winter comes again.

that way you don't have to worry about needing your chains. only to find out they're no good.

 

At one point I had an In-Frame box for chains but did not like it. The diamond plated was slick when wet and the chains were hard to get in and out with out getting them twisted.


I went with a box behind the cab. I think it's 45x13x13". I had some dividers welded into them to keep them from getting twisted up. I can get 4 sets of trips, and 4 sets of singles with plenty of room for fluids.
I lay the chains in a vig-vag fold. I do fold the triple rails in in half length wise before putting them in the box. At the end of the year I wash, oil the chains, and hang them in my storage locker.






During the summer I just carry a set of triples and a set of singles in the box (a few states want you to have a set year round).

 

I think the Canadians come up with the most interesting ways to carry chains. I've seen them have special made hangers on the fronts of their quarter fenders. I've seen them run chain hangers instead of mudflap hangers and the tire chains double as mudflaps. And I've seen them mounted across the rear of the bobtail.

 

can you fit two single row chain hangers, one on each side? One between the APU and 1/4 fender and one between the step and 1/4 fender