DIY Frunk for under $40

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rickker
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Rickker

Rickker

Active Member
Hi All,

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The Storage Bin is 25" x 17.5", 7.7" deep, about the biggest that will fit. It is tethered to a plywood platform with two bungee cords.

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The platform is plywood, and mounted on height-adjustable posts which are threaded into the bosses where the original supports were.

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Details of the support posts. The threaded rod sections make it easy to adjust the height of the platform, and to level it.

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Platform being fitted

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Not intended for a bag of cement, but works nicely to carry around my 32 amp charging cable.

Note: This is the first time I have attempted to post pics on this forum. Hope it works.

.....Rickker
 

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Pics worked fine, thanks Rikker. And the DIY looks great.

I've always been wary of installing a froot/frunk: not sure of Hyundai's attitude to it if I forgot to take it out before servicing!! Besides, I'm the world's worst handyman and need to buy a kit, if I ever did!

You'd have to think that Hyundai would have a froot as part of the design for the Ionic Series?
 
Nice craftsmanship, Rikker. Did you use the 10 o'clock position as well or is it relying on three stud locations?
 
KiwiME said:
Nice craftsmanship, Rikker. Did you use the 10 o'clock position as well or is it relying on three stud locations?
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All 4 positions are used, but the 10 o'clock one just has the threaded rod coming up through the plywood, just flush with the top surface, not tightened down with a nut and washer like the other 3, which clear the underside of the storage bin. Not concerned, the platform really does not really need to be tightened down, unless you were to hit a speed bump at high speed.
 
Orchardman said:
Pics worked fine, thanks Rikker. And the DIY looks great.

I've always been wary of installing a froot/frunk: not sure of Hyundai's attitude to it if I forgot to take it out before servicing!! Besides, I'm the world's worst handyman and need to buy a kit, if I ever did!

You'd have to think that Hyundai would have a froot as part of the design for the Ionic Series?
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You are right to be wary, its been my experience that servicing dealers view any modifications with deep suspicion and won't hesitate to try to at least document the modification and potentially use the said modification as a future "low hanging fruit" explanation of why is car is not functioning in its designed manner.

They have even noted on my service documentation that my cosmetic engine cover was not present. I took it off because I prefer the appearance without it, but that documentation is preemptive notation to future warranty denial if they indeed could make some a$$ backward argument that its absence is actually functional. I know it sound paranoids but I have already had them do this me with similar service documentation claiming my dash cam was the cause of my 12v battery failure. They tried to deny a covered battery replacement in the first 6 months of ownership despite the tech previously verbally acknowledging to me that my dash cam could not be the drain cause as it was not directly connected to the 12v system. It has its own 12v lithium battery power source. I also had to remind them the many documented service calls for drained battery that go back to the first month of ownership. The problem is once they document BS in their system you have no access to documentational rebuttal and unless you deal with the same folks all the time a different tech, service advisor or Hyundai representative will treat the previous out of context incorrect documentation as gospel.
 
Wow, apu, I agree this would be a concern. If I get this kind of reaction from my dealer, the next time the Kona is in for service, I will just remove the Frunk and put everything back to OEM specs. There were no permanent mods involved, and it will only take about 5 minutes to put the original posts back and pop on the engine cover.
 
Rickker said:
Wow, apu, I agree this would be a concern. If I get this kind of reaction from my dealer, the next time the Kona is in for service, I will just remove the Frunk and put everything back to OEM specs. There were no permanent mods involved, and it will only take about 5 minutes to put the original posts back and pop on the engine cover.
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Honestly your dealer might be fine with it, but its just too hard to tell in general who is going to helpful and who is going to be adversarial. It might be useful to just have a conversation with them first and feel them out to see if its going to be a big deal. I honestly don't see why it should be but as they say your mileage may vary. Incidentally Rickker I really like your frunk, very nicely done.
 
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R P said:
This is why I like my solution. No base plate or mods needed. Fits in there perfectly, nice and snug, and doesn't touch anything that could be an issue. Takes all of a minute to snap off the plastic engine cover and install/remove the tub. Good size, too. And no, I would not leave that frunk in there when going to a dealer.
https://insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/hyundai-kona-frunk.8585/#post-101409
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Nice. When you first posted this I tried to find the tub you used but was unsuccessful in locating it. Any hints as to where I might find one? Thanks!
 
Ronny said:
Nice. When you first posted this I tried to find the tub you used but was unsuccessful in locating it. Any hints as to where I might find one? Thanks!
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It was an older one that my wife had for storing stuff. Not sure where she bought it. But I know the Walmart type stores, etc, sell those kind of tubs. Just look for the same or close dimensions as mine, and get one similar. I think the height has to be very close to get just the right snug fit. But I think there was a little extra room available on the sides with mine. You can do more measurements when you take off the engine cover, if you want to be more exact.
 
I read elsewhere in this forum about a Kona EV owner who just used the styrofoam insert from under the back hatch and stuck it up front (after popping off the plastic motor cover). I tried it myself and it works great! Total cost $0. It wasn't necessary, but I carved out the underside of the styrofoam a little bit (to accommodate a hose and a protruding pin on the passenger side and a prominent hex bolt mount on the driver's side) so that the box would nestle into place a little more solidly. There's no lid but the underside of the hood almost touches it and acts as a pseudo-lid. If I put anything small in the frunk, I place it inside a shopping bag first, just to be certain that it won't bounce away. The one downside to this approach is that the molded styrofoam takes up quite a bit more space than a plastic bin, i.e. less storage volume available (but on the upside, it is already custom molded to hold the odds and ends that come with the car (tire pump, etc).
 
I would prefer to join both solutions in one: to purchase the foam from HMC service (I'm sure it's better to leave the original one down in the trunk) and to join it with a flat plywood mounted in original bolts' socket. It would make possible to leave some one inch space under the frunk to be sure the charger is properly cooled.
 
Tomek said:
I would prefer to join both solutions in one: to purchase the foam from HMC service (I'm sure it's better to leave the original one down in the trunk) and to join it with a flat plywood mounted in original bolts' socket. It would make possible to leave some one inch space under the frunk to be sure the charger is properly cooled.
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Just so you know, my tub solution sits about 1.5" above the charger, and rests on the side flanges and legs that support the engine cover.
https://insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/hyundai-kona-frunk.8585/#post-101409
 
Tomek said:
... to be sure the charger is properly cooled.
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It's cooled by the coolant circuit and radiator as needed. The top surface runs at a max of about 25°C over ambient based on my measurements running at full tilt.
 
The styrofoam box I'm using in the frunk leaves an inch or two of space underneath for air circulation. I would imagine this applies to everyone's solution, as the motor is not exactly flat on top.
After removal of the styrofoam from the back, there is now a huge storage area underneath the back hatch. I keep the sliding hatch floor cover in the higher of it's two possible placements so that it is easier to flip up and access the storage area underneath it. I got some soft rubbery anti-slip matting at Home Depot and used it to line that lower storage area so stuff doesn't rattle around in there (I also keep a blanket in there for the same purpose). Works nicely.
 
KiwiME said:
It's cooled by the coolant circuit and radiator as needed. The top surface runs at a max of about 25°C over ambient based on my measurements running at full tilt.
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Is it really fluid-cooled? It sounds reasonable and it would be fine for thouse who are worried about high temperatures on top of the charger during charging. So it would be even not neccesary to keep a space between charger and frunk (though using original pins to mount the frunk builds that space on its own).
 
Rickker, it looks very fine, indeed. Would you be so kind to list some parameters -- like, for instance, lenghts of the threaded rods or even maybe to attach a file with the template of the plywood plate?
 

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Tomek said:
Rickker, it looks very fine, indeed. Would you be so kind to list some parameters -- like, for instance, lenghts of the threaded rods or even maybe to attach a file with the template of the plywood plate?
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Sure Tomek, happy to do so. Three of the 4 bosses are tapped through with clearance beneath, so the threaded stud of about 6" length can be set as desired, and an exact length is not important. The 4th stud, at 4pm, needs to be shorter, and after the final height is determined, the excess can be sawed off with a hacksaw.

As for the template, I started with a 20" x 17" sheet of corrugated paper. With the 4 threaded studs in place, I just placed the sheet into position, and pushed through at each post, thus accurately locating the four mounting holes. This is a lot easier than measuring the distances and angles to make a layout. Also, with the sheet referenced to the posts, sketched the curved section to clear the hoses, and the clearance rectangle on the other side, and used scissors to get the needed pattern.
Then the template was just traced on to the 3/8" plywood.

Now, if you were willing to go with a 6" deep storage bin, rather than the 7.7" one that I used, then the platform could be a simple 20x17 rectangle which would clear the hoses and wiring hold-down hex bolt.

Of course, there are many other ways to do this, as discussed in this and other threads. I just wanted to have a solid platform with the storage bin securely tethered down. Hope this was helpful.
 
I found the perfect size $30 nice sturdy plastic crate on Amazon
Straight Wall Container Solid, 24 X 15 X 7-1/2
The top design is perfect to add a plywood lid to keep it clean inside. But I will definitely take it out before recalls or service... And never put any heavy stuff in there, as the base studs, etc don't look designed to carry much. Also when it gets old it may need to be tossed out or replaced if the plastic gets weak, before it falls apart like mentioned in this thread: https://insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/hyundai-kona-frunk.8585/page-2


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