@ebikemom, totally clever! but not really waterproof, unfortunately. All of the grommets & holes have the potential to let water in; however, all is not lost
. The holes for the mounting system have to be there, so to reduce water intrusion, use some
waterproof rated silicone caulk (like what's used around bathroom tubs, etc.) on the inside of the holes and a ring around the exterior to prevent seepage. Heavy duty hot glue is another option at the initial mounting points but may not last as long as the caulk. Both of these options are very inexpensive and available at hardware stores and other places. The
hot glue sticks & hot glue guns are available in craft departments at Walmart and specialty craft shops. Either item will be handy for other projects around your home.
Hot Glue Tools
Waterproof Silicone Caulk
The other, lower holes for the bungee mounting straps would be really hard to seal this way since the cords are moving. What the REI project did is a very elegant method that mimics what a conventional saddlebag or pannier mount looks like but could let moisture & water in. They also won't stop the containers from slapping on the sides of the rack, a noise most riders wouldn't notice with a cloth type saddlebag. Consider instead, doing away with those completely and use a pair of bungee cords wrapped horizontally around each bucket and the rack, one close to the top and one 2/3rds down to keep the buckets stable and less noisy.
To continue the waterproofing: instead of drilling a hole for the reflectors, use some double sided tape or super glue to mount them on the rear as a great safety measure. You might need to file down a little of the plastic where the mounting screw would have gone if the reflector doesn't lay flush on the bucket's surface.
You might even be able to just use one heavy duty bungee cord per side and have the stability you need. Once you remove the bungees to take your buckets in to shop or work, just toss the bungees inside each bucket or clip them on to the rack so they don't get lost. Now to add one more layer of water protection for a rainy day commute, think about the tops of the buckets. Those are pretty good at keeping out water; however, it might still be possible for some to creep around the edges of the lid. If you don't perfectly snap it down (and these lids aren't always the easiest to press down or remove) or you've taken the lid on and off a lot of times, it may not seal perfectly. However, super simple solution: a couple of appropriately sized squares cut from a heavy duty plastic drop cloth. Choose one that's 3 to 6 mil thickness so it can be reused many times. This is better than a trimmed down garbage can liner; the seams can be a bit porous and the smaller bags are too thin and would tear easily. Fold up the plastic square small, stuff it in the bucket and when you need the extra water protection, just lay it over the top and sides of the bucket and secure it with the upper bungee cord.
Voila! Waterproof. and still an inexpensive project with great carrying capacity.
As for convincing teenagers about the "coolness" of anything (if they'll even listen) that's all in your ballpark
@ebikemom!
(In South Austin we LOVE our bungeed on milk crates; especially the ones that are REAL milk crates, they're almost a cyclist's status symbol here...and don't ask us where we find them
)
**As a point of curiosity, what
other items have fellow EBR members found that's handy to haul "stuff" in on your bike?**
