Campmate Kitchen Handle Mod

[Shruk]

I was lucky enough to find a Campmate Kitchen a while back just after they discontinued them. They are great but a bit heavy. The weight isn't all that bad, except for the lack of handles. It has ridges to carry it but all the weight of a full box on the fingertips is a bit painful if carrying it for any distance. For less than $3, I fixed all that.

I went to the store to buy some wood handles like you see on big marine coolers. They didn't have any so I wandered looking for a tool replacement handle that I could use. I settled on some small cheap ($1.47) paint rollers. They were hollow so it worked perfectly. They're even fake wood grain, LOL.

I used a Dremel to cut them off and smooth out the rough cuts. I took off the top platform of the kitchen box (5 screws) and drilled holes into the recessed handle area and ran a piece of rope through the holes and handle. The knots are above the recessed handle area that is a tiny bit of wasted space in the kitchen box. I also cut the handles and rope to be short enough to fit in the cavity on the side of the box so it takes no less space in the truck bed.

Overall, I couldn't be happier with my 30 minute, $3.00 mod. It really makes the box much easier to carry. It actually feels lighter with the better grip I can get.

[PHXtaco]

Nice Mod. I like my Campmate Kitchen and was sad to see them discontinued. I added small weather stripping around the lid and doors to help keep the dust out as mine rides in the bed of the truck.