Happy Trail Panniers (Sorry for another pannier thread)

[JoeSheffer]

After much deliberation and thinking: MM (Too much money...i know they are meant to bedoolally great)
TT (Too flimsy),
Al Jesse (Too much money, not that many people have em),
H&B (Don't like plastic, don't see their alu as that greater deal),
Casa Sahel ?sp? (Unproven? Only heard one review which was poor)

Happy Trail seems to fit the bill nicely. they are cheaper than post ( $210 a box ) and will slot onto a TT (*Points cross at screen*) rack (the boxes seem to get more flak than the racks).

Not sure about the difference between a Teton and Owyhee box, does anyone know the real difference between them. Think i will order a powdercoated set of Teton boxes.

The Pros: Reasonably thick (2mm as opposed to Zega 1.5mm)
Welded not riveted
Shaped so they are less likely to crush my legs
Look nice
Powder Coat finish for not that much more money, so no white marks

Cons: they will have to be shipped from the states.

Can anyone provide me some feedback on these boxes.

[desert dweller]

just one thing about powdercoating - it´s very likely to crack and peel, given that alu is relatively flexible. especially if you have a stack. like, a crash. might be good on inside tho.
also if you live or travel where it´s hot i would recommend against black.
cheers,
andy

[DLbiten]

Difference is the size.
Teton are bigger running from 7.5x15x18 to 10x15x18in.
Owyhee are smaller running from 6x14x16 to 9x14x16in.

I also like there rack Happy Trails has.

oh and powder coating probly be OK but a better idea is to just buff up the box inside and out with 220 grit and pain them your self. wont be the best looking but it can be fixed cheap and by you. if you want to go all out get some cans of bed liner for truck beds like "dupli-color" for the bottoms and inside floor of the box

[Mr. Ron]

I built my ally boxes and chose not to paint or anodise them in case i need to weld them again. I found the best liner was a bag with an open top, like a sleeve that slips inside the box. It's easily removeable, and if you wish, someone sugested once to me to put on handles like a shopping bag so i can remove my stuff. The bags are held in place with stick-on velcro, the hook being sewn into the bag and the loop stuck to the inside of the box. I find this to be the cleanest alternative. A note on powdercoating, for it to stick properly you should sandblast the aluminum first, then immediately powdercoat. This increases the surface area up to 500%. It will never come off. The problem is, you cannot weld annodised or powdercoated aluminum and all repairs must be riveted, narrowing your options IMHO.

[midmod]

I HIGHLY reccomend The Happy Trail boxes AND rack.
I have a set of powder coated tetons and also one one their top boxes on a my '08 klr. The rack is built to be incredibly strong for weight and fall over impacts and the box construction is truly Top Notch.

The welds are very clean, they have proven to be waterproof when I blasted them with a pressure washer, the latches nice and strong and the powder coat is not only attractive but more durable than you think. The hinges are a unique drop out design that allows the lid to act as a table of sorts when your digging though your luggage.

I personally decided not to go with a riveted design such as Metal Mules because I was concerned they may be more prone to develop leaks after being banged around a bit. I figure it will be easier to find a roadside welder for any repairs than a roadside riveter. That said, I have hear and read a great deal of good reviews for the mm's. And I like their on/off mounting system. But the riveting was a deal breaker.

And as far as costumer service the Happy Trails folks have been incredible.
Tim Bernard (founder) really seems to be interested in making purpose built products that stand up to what we put them through rather than flimsy flashy bits that some of the euro companies are peddling right now.

Check 'em out and give them a call, they are happy to talk and IMO they're the most bang for your buck!

[bobkat]

We bought two of their boxes and later wanted some extra latches custom placed on them. They were very happy to oblige. We live a long day's ride from them and stopped there for the work while on a longer trip. They quickly understood what I wanted done and did it. They are good people to deal with. The boxes are quality throughout. We decided later to have the boxes powdercoated and did it locally. We're glad we did, they look better and are cleaner. Both boxes have been knocked around camp and on the bike and are still good as new after two years (about 10 months actual daily use). I highly recommend them.

[wildlands1]

i used stick on "contact paper" (like what people put on kitchen cabinet shelves) to line my H-T alu panniers and it works great, no alu marks on stuff.