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I feel your pain Vince. We have a medium Douze (600mm front-end) which we have owned for about 3.5 years. We bought it kitted out with full family pack and have not regretted it one bit.
The Douze stuff is pretty well detailed and they can't make huge numbers hence the high price. I see plenty of home-made bike boxes, but loads of them lack full weather protection for the kids and if you want something you can use all year around then a good water/windproof cover is vital.
Our boy has just turned 7 this month and still fits in, although it's getting tight length wise and we're seriously considering getting a 800mm front-end like you to give him more leg room. He can ride a bike fine, but there are many times where it's just not practical to have him on his bike as well especially if we're in a rush...
I leave the cover on the bike most of the time unless I'm carrying something oversize as it gives us extra storage height and everything stays dry. I've never failed to fit our weekly shop in the bike no matter how much I've bought it's always fitted in OK without squishing the fruit & veg! :)
It's over to you to do the time vs. money calculation! :)
thebrenthamtaffy-
The only thing that slightly annoys me is that I know Douze's margins on their kit.
Back in 2018, my AluLock box needed to be replaced under warranty and came with a 200€ invoice when I paid £600 for it as an option.But I guess that's how business works!
The "Ecobox" is cheaper but as you say, I need to decide if the plywood will outlast its 24 months EU warranty. Most likely not so I should be able to get a replacement at month 23...
Vince
I am looking into replacing the Cargo box on my Douze to get a kid friendly box.
Prices are STEEP!
£1,200 for a plastic bucket, a folding seat and a cover.
So will likely look for a second hand child bike seat (sub £50), remove to cover of my AluLock box, make a steel adaptor bracket to get the seat fitted inside the box (£50)