I have an 18 ft aluminum Fisher Bass boat.  I am thinking of adding an additional locker mayber 12-15 inches wide X the width of my boat.  I would add it just in front of the console across the width.  Obviously I would gain some additional deck space as well.  I am most intersted in additional storage.  Maybe making the rod lockers longer by opening the back of the current rod locker into the new locker... just realy thinking about the configuration.  

Anyway, have any of you had experience doing this in an aluminum bass boat?  

I haven't actually added a storage box but I did put in a flippin' deck which gave me quite a bit of storage underneath it.  I was mainly interested in more deck space.

The easiest way might be to contact Fisher and see if they have any compartments that you could buy and install.

I added a new deck and storage to my Bass Tracker.

I don't know much about your boat. do you have pictures?

It was not really a bad project to do. A little time consuming. I bought the storage tops from Cabela's. At the time all Bass pro had were plastic storage lids. I did not use the storage containers under the lids...I opted to carpet the inside and leave it open under the lids to get as much room as possible.

I used plywood coated with fiberglass. You could use marine plywood, but I did this in and around Katrina and the marine plywood ( and the normal ply for that matter) was really expensive right then. I also wanted the improved stiffness of the fiberglass.

You cannot use standard treated ply because the chemicals rot aluminum as well as the chemicals it leaches are poisonous to fish.

There is a fairly new product called Bluwood ( www.bluwood.com) that I am told does not have these limitations...but i would ask around before using it to make sure.

I made the mistake of wraping the carpet around the inside edges of the lid and the lid frame. On the lid door I wrapped it around to the inside and clamped it with dowel rods till it dried...which I would do again...but I also wrapped it down inside the lip on the frame...this I would not do again. I would stop it flush with the top. The lids are really hard to open because of the drag of the crapet against the carpet.

I can try to answer any questions...I am not a pro though by any means. Hopefully a few other guys here...like LBH...will chime in as well with their experience and knowledge.

Nice job on the boat, DELee!  You did what I am wanting to do.  I was thinking of having the locker walls made of fabricated aluminum as well as the additional framing and support.  At least 2 lids.  I will take you up on your offer of advice as I get closer to starting this.  I underdtand the carpet issue on the lip.  Again, nice job.  BYW, what part of Indiana are you located?  I grew up in terre Haute.

I am about as far north in Indiana as you can go..in Hammond. Throw a rock and I can hit an Illiniosian on the head...which is great time! LOL!

...there is a little bar in Terre Haute we always drive by when we are going through there that has a cute name...Your Nieghborhood bar...or something like that...

that is going to drive me nuts till I remember it now. LOL!

Thanks...about the boat.

The fab'd aluminum is a good idea. The locker bottoms they sell as a kit to go with the lids seem small and to waste space to me. I did not use them because I wanted as much room as possible. I did not think of having someone build bottoms for me...to fit my boat...but then I would have had to pay for them and that would have required approval from...

HER.

I put extended my platform and added these "water tight" compartments with the matching liners from Cabelas.  They leaked like a sieve.  I emailed Tempress and they said that they are only weather resistant...AKA not watertight.  They did recommend adding a bead of silicone between the hatch and liner.  They told me that you had to use the hatches with cam locks to be watertight.  They said they might be able to sell me some of those if the ones I have don't work.  I added the bead of silicone and now I have one that is almost watertight and one that isn't.  I used the same hatch as DeLEE on my live well and that works great!  I would have used those instead but they didn't sell liners for them.

well I am glad I did not go with those hatch cover then.

the ones I used work great...as far as weathertight...I remember having the option for bottom boxes thought....but now I do not remember if I was adapting bottoms to go under these lids or if they were actually FOR these lids.

If I were to do it again I would definately put bottom under them and I would get on a few of the hunting/gun dog/UKC websites and find one of the guys who build dog boxes for pick up trucks fabricate bottoms to fit the boat.

tpayneful, those hatch lids are the tempress "utility" covers. Try the tempress slam lids, totally different design that keeps the water out and they are lower profile. Aaron