Mailbox Weight

[hube2]

I am having a problem with wind blowing my mailbox open. Happens all the time when the wind gusting >30MPH depending on the direction it's blowing. When the box blows open the mail might blow away.

This past summer the mailman mistakenly delivered my neighbors mail to me and I walked down and put it in their box. They have a heavy weight that is secured with a string to the inside of the box. This weight appears to be made specifically for this purpose and looks like a product tag with a hole at the top.

Anyway, I have been looking for something similar but I can't find anything.
Anyone ever see such a thing or any links?

Currently I put a piece of a 2 inch cinder block I broke off in the box, it will work, but I'd rather have something without the rough edges.

 

[Blue Mule]

I live in a rural area. I installed this one last year:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Architectural-Mailboxes-Oasis-TriBolt-12-in-W-x-18-1-in-H-Metal-Black-Post-Mount-Lockable-Mailbox/999918502

It has three advantages.

- The door has a key lock, so it will not open in the wind or weather

- It's a larger box and will hold more mail/packages

- Since the door is locked by key it is more difficult for passersby to steal my mail/packages


It did take me a week or so to get used to carrying a key in the console of my truck to check my mail, but it turned out to be no big deal at all and I actually prefer it now because I don't feel like I HAVE to get my mail out every day.

 

[5030]

I have a strong magnet inside the box that has a plate on the door it attracts and keeps our's closed in all sorts of weather conditions, including high winds. Cost me about 5 bucks for the magnet and metal strip and a couple pop rivets.

 

[LouNY]

Well I broke down a couple of years ago and got a new mailbox.
Looks much more substantial then it actually is but it works good.
12" wide, 15" tall and 21" deep.

 

[whitenorth]

On mine, it has a tab on the lid that clips the door to the top of the mailbox. I have to pinch that clip every once in a while to make that clip hold tighter to the mailbox.

 

[Dftodd]

Both addresses I've had with rural delivery, the mailbox got bent.

After bending it back in shape, the door fit super tight so the door flipping open wasn't an issue.

The first box got smoked by the mailman's mirror.

At our current address, someone went off the road in a dually and plowed the box and post over.

I'm figuring the dually creeper over to the edge of the road and dropped one of the rear tires off the pavent and got dragged off the road.

 

[gstrom99]

On mine, it has a tab on the lid that clips the door to the top of the mailbox. I have to pinch that clip every once in a while to make that clip hold tighter to the mailbox.

On many of the new boxes, that "clip" is plastic so bending it won't work. I like that Lowe's lockable big box...

 

[5030]

The issues with rural roadside mailboxes isn't the box itself but the kids that seem to get some sort of twisted enjoyment in vandalizing them. While I haven't had to replace one lately, I've replaced quite a few over the years from getting smashed or teed off the post by kids with ill intent. I've had to replace the post a few times as well but usually, if the post get sheared off, there will be car parts nearby to attest to the damage.

2 years ago, had the box and post sheared off and the intoxicated driver crossed the road and wiped out the border fence at the east side of the property and ended up in the creek, State Police came and arrested him and had to have the car pulled from the creek. Tore up the mailbox, the post and fence line that I had to repair. Of course we slept through it all, we are sound sleepers....lol Liquid courage at it's best...

 

[5030]

Those fancy boxes seem to be a suburban thing. Rarely seen out here and if someone does install one and it gets smashed or worse, the replacement is most always a less expensive one or they get smart and rent a PO box at the local post office.

 

[grsthegreat]

i have a locking mailbox also. i added a magnet switch controlled, battery operated light to it for those cold winter nights.

a few years ago someone hit and took out my mailbox smashed to bits. they left their license plate behind. when i got contact info from cops, i called the guy and he denied hitting it. i told him i got his license plate info. he actually said, i hit it at night, how did you get info. i sent him picture of license plate. he paid for repairs.

i really hate dishonest people.

 

[5030]

Typical today. No one wants to fess up and admit liability until you catch them with their drawers down around their ankles.

 

[ponytug]

Welcome to Fort Knox Mailbox - Your Trusted Secure Mailbox Provider

All the best,

Peter

 

[whitenorth]

On many of the new boxes, that "clip" is plastic so bending it won't work. I like that Lowe's lockable big box...

Last one I bought (Oct 24) the box was all metal. I don't think I'd want a plastic one anyway as in the cold it would only dent and not crack if it gets hit.

On the lockable box, doesn't your mail carrier have to have a key also?

 

[Dftodd]

Last one I bought (Oct 24) the box was all metal. I don't think I'd want a plastic one anyway as in the cold it would only dent and not crack if it gets hit.

On the lockable box, doesn't your mail carrier have to have a key also?

From what i understand, those lockable boxes accept a standard postal master key

I'll have to ask my neighbor the next time I see them. They have a locking mailbox.

They said folks were stealing their mail. But we've each ended up with each others post and packages

 

[hube2]

I like the comments, but no concern here about vandalism or theft.

The last time I replaced the box was because the snow plow took it out. The town replaced it with a basic model so I had to buy my own in the spring because I use the oversized model that will hold fairly large packages.

I bend the clip on mine constantly to keep it tight, but it doesn't seem to matter how tightly is clips shut the gusts I get here will pop it open.

The piece of cinder block is working and the mailman is dealing with it and putting it on top of the mail. I'm usually about function over form and this will work, but I am just looking for something that does not have a chance to cause injury due to sharp edges.

 

[ponytug]

Magnetic latch?

 

[dodge man]

I have a plastic one and it has blown open but maybe 3 times in 20 years. The old fashioned metal silver ones that are metal have a pretty positive latch on top.

 

[Midniteoyl]

The issues with rural roadside mailboxes isn't the box itself but the kids that seem to get some sort of twisted enjoyment in vandalizing them. While I haven't had to replace one lately, I've replaced quite a few over the years from getting smashed or teed off the post by kids with ill intent. I've had to replace the post a few times as well but usually, if the post get sheared off, there will be car parts nearby to attest to the damage.

2 years ago, had the box and post sheared off and the intoxicated driver crossed the road and wiped out the border fence at the east side of the property and ended up in the creek, State Police came and arrested him and had to have the car pulled from the creek. Tore up the mailbox, the post and fence line that I had to repair. Of course we slept through it all, we are sound sleepers....lol Liquid courage at it's best...

My issue is the county snowplow.

 

[Oaktree]

On mine, it has a tab on the lid that clips the door to the top of the mailbox. I have to pinch that clip every once in a while to make that clip hold tighter to the mailbox.

The clip works as long as the mailman closes the door all the way when they put the mail in. Our regular carrier is pretty good, but the substitutes sometimes only kinda shut it. Not a big problem here with wind, but snow/rain sometimes gets in.

Both addresses I've had with rural delivery, the mailbox got bent.

After bending it back in shape, the door fit super tight so the door flipping open wasn't an issue.

The first box got smoked by the mailman's mirror.

At our current address, someone went off the road in a dually and plowed the box and post over.

My previous house was on a curve that (1) was banked the wrong way and (2) had a frost heave about halfway thru. More than one person going a little too fast lost it on that corner and would take out my mailbox. There was a big pine tree about 10' away that had a lot of chunks missing too.
The town kind of fixed the frost heave eventually, and the kids who'd speed down the road grew up and moved away and other than the plow catching it once in a while the problem more or less solved itself.

 

[Oaktree]

Typical today. No one wants to fess up and admit liability until you catch them with their drawers down around their ankles.

Did they ever?