Thread: Where to mount my (seriously long) HF antenna

I just got hold of the HF setup that I bought off eBay sight-unseen a couple of months ago, got it down from Sydney partly by the AULRO courier service and partly by the mate-of-a-mate network.
The Moonraker auto-tune antenna is seriously long! I've been having a bit of a play with where to mount the thing so that it doesn't get snapped off by passing aircraft, and I'm after some advice on whether I can mount it between the cab and the aluminium box that my 130 has instead of a tray.
If I fabricate a bracket to mount the antenna in front of the rear wheel at the back of the cabin, the entire auto-tuning part would be between the cabin and the box, only a couple of inches from the aluminium front panel of the box. The whip would be completely clear of the vehicle above the roofline, and could be removed when not needed.
I have no knowledge of these things, I'm wondering whether the entire auto-tune base needs to be clear of the metalwork, or just the whip.
Attached photo of the vehicle shows the aluminium box I'm talking about.