Any good ideas/techniques on outfitting a cargo work van? I just purchased a new full sized cargo work van to replace the old one. It was configured like most work vans with the shelves on the perimeter leaving the center clear. The problem was the center was never clear and in order to get at the stuff/tools/hardware a path had to be cleared. So any clever ideas?
Rick
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Replies
1. Less Tools
2. Better organization - My big weakness personally
3. Trailer Hitch!
4. Job box, some stuff can stay, leaving room in the Van
5. Helpers with trucks/vans so they can carry their own tools
Sorry for no real help, but I just decided to use a little truck, and keep switching to what I think I need for the job. Thankfully I don't often go far, so the trip back for the forgotten stuff is not a real big deal, mostly anyway!
Dan
Thanks Dan
Rick
Rick:
I saw a pick-up truck with a rollout platform. The guy was hauling finished oak lumber that was very heavy. I thought that would work great in a large van. I think he said he paid $1800.00 for it. You could place you tools on the platform and roll them out for easy access, then get to your wall racks.
Charlie
Rick, very rarely do I see a carpenters van that doesn't have that problem. That is why I use a truck and topper with side access toolboxes. I don't have any clever ideas to solve your problem just a practical one. Customize, and organize the shelves so each and every tool in your arsenal has a specific home and threaten bodily harm to anybody that doesn't put tools back where they belong. I also realize that part of the problem comes from tools and supplies that do not need to be in the van everyday, you may want to leave some shelf space for "occasional" items.
I use a van and am very pleased with the set up. I built a system of cubby holes and drawers that comes up to just above the wheel wells. I have shelves on the sides of the walls above that, but a clear 50 in. space across the top, carpeted for sheet goods, lumber, etc, and can carry 10ft. sheets in the back with no problem. I wouldn't live any other way. I carry everything I need every day; I'm never missing a tool, and rarely leave anything on a job because each tool has its place or the whole thing won't work.
Gary
ya, I've seen that type of set-up before and seems to be the best except for the climb into the van can be a bit on the cramped side. I like having the grill headache wallrack separating the back of the frontseats and the cargo area. Good display area for hanging stuff and can keep the cargo area locked up independently from the front doors. No room for 10 ft sheets tho'. A good ladder rack set up on top incorporated with a 6 inch pvc tube with a hinged door on the back of it is handy for hauling long narrow items.
Remove the floor from the center aisle. This will also give you more headroom.
-Peter
van, truck, or car,.... the back is one big catch-all on fri. afternoon. Only when it spills out monday morning does it get organized.no turn left unstoned
Rick, I too have a full size van, and have been faced with some of the problems you have. So I built a bank of drawers. Approxmatily 6ft. deep, 4ft. tall and only about 1ft. wide. They are accessed via the side door and pull out to allmost a full extension(ie. 6ft) They are positioned right behind the front seats, cross ways in the van.Drawers are subdivided to fit specific needs. Goodluck, Russ
Current van had factory bins and shelves and a headache rack with a hinge door. I've added some shelves to fill space...had it a coupla years and still sorking on the best arrangement. These bins are better suited for a plumber or electrician.....smaller tools.
First van I bought had homemade shelves that were very nice. They used steel studs for the frames.......running horizontal.......the 2x egde of the stud made for a nice lip for the plywood bottom to sit in. Uprights were steel stud also.....anchored to floor and ceiling.....angled back toward the walls on at the floor.....to make for a wider platform.
The guy that built them sized the depth around a 5 gal bucket.....a bit tight...so the buckets didn't tip. I just kept most stuff in rows of buckets running down the side. Had 2 levels of shelves......and the floor stayed mostly clear for sheet goods and bigger tools.
I still gotta make boxes outta all the extra ply I've been saving.....boxes that'll fit into the bigs.....so I can take advantage out of the full bin height.......anything loaded about the little bottom lip ends up on the floor after a sharp turn.
I'll try to find some pics. Jeff Genius has it's limits.....but stupidity knows no bounds
My wife would kill me if I embarassed her by posting a picture of my van but it gets the job done. I carry a bunch of stuff to all my jobs because it's a pain in the A** to go back for something you need AND it never fails that a sub, dedicated to his ONE trade, comes to the job without a critical tool or certain supplies.
I built a platform that extends from the two front seats to the back door and from side to side. Under that platform I can slide in up to 15 sheets of 1/2" 4x9 material and close the door. Or 8' sticks and up to 12' down the center if I push them to the engine cover. Anything over that gets delivered. When I'm not carrying material, a 6' step ladder slides in first, a couple of folding sawhorses, long levels, tripod, sledge hammers, pry bars and then up to 5 individual tool boxes can be placed across the back, under the platform - HIDDEN when the door is closed. (It also collects odds and ends of stuff if you don't pay attention).
On top of the platform:
My compressor is mounted in a covered box behind the drivers seat and on top of that box is a large basket with power hand tools. Air hose and power can come out the side or back door depending on the job. In the center and directly behind the seats is a large wooden tool box, open top with handle, for bunches of regularly used hand tools. Can be carried out if really, really necessary. Directly behind that is the table saw and its rolling stand (a box with wheels on it). Behind that, and still accessible from the side door, is a row of air nailers, drills, a sawzall, router and RO sander, all in their own boxes. Behind that, accessible from the rear door with a little stretch is the air hose on a reel, compound miter saw, router table, 18V saw and drill kit and then the ever present mud buckets with trowels and assorted stuff. Plenty of room still left to pile in full mud buckets, paint, tile saw and stand if needed and other supplies, such as the 5 gallon water cooler required by the Florida sunshine law. Then it starts to get messy.<G>
From the side door a rolling supply section slides forward to cover the opening and give access to hundreds of different fasteners in small boxes which are replenished from the bulk boxes kept at the house. When not needed it rolls back along the inside wall, out of sight. It's about 3' tall 4' long and 6" deep. Along the side walls at the rear I hang power cords, dust pan and broom and short levels. The spare tire has to be inside too, so that's on the center of the left side wall. Anything else gets tossed in on top of everything. Usually happens when I'm in a hurry.
There's still room left between the seats, on the seats, under the seats, on the dash and in the cracks. You get the picture. Have fun organizing.<G>
And Rick, I left one out. Build an overhead dash-board to hang from the roofline down to the top of the front windshield. Wonderful place for small items, tape players, insurance certification papers and the like.
There are a lot of good hints and suggestion here Rick. I was disappointed that
Ralph Wicklund wouldn't post a picture of his truck, the engineering of it
sounded intriguing.
Toolbox Book by Jim Tolpin. Besides just being a great book to glean
toolbox ideas from starting on page 186 there are 10 pages of how cabinetmaker
Jerry Hillenburg outfitted his van. It's both an engineering masterpiece
and a work of art if you ask me. It is THE truck or van that I really admire.
"Do not go where the path may lead, go
instead where there is no path and
leave a trail."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Charlie mentioned a truck with a rool-out. They are made by Extend-o-bed. Look them up on the web. They are fantastic! Pricey, but if you've just bought a NEW van, you can afford it and then take it with you to the next one. Lots of sizes available. No better way to organize the back of a van.
it's a mess right now but I just ran out and took a couple pictures, hope they help
First thing I did was to gut it. Then put in a 5x10 sheet of steel down for the floor. Then put shelves facing out side doors. Put most used stuff on those shelves. Put more shelves in back on passenger side facing in lined up with shelves that face out side doors. there is enough room between these shelves and the side of van that I can slide long clamps, levels, zip wall poles and such in from side door. on drivers side I just installed a sheet of plywood that I can screw hooks to for bungees and ratchet straps. table saw, miter saw and ladder go on drivers side middle is open for materials or changing tool needs. Compressor is on floor under shelves on passenger side with access through side door to plug in and run hose. put plywood back on shelves that face out side door. When hauling garbage, I put another piece of plywood over the shelves that face in in the back and take out the table saw, miter saw and ladder - leaves lots of open room for a trip to the dump. long material can slip under front wall and slide up to motor housing. sheet goods stand on edge against shelving on passenger side
enough now I will try the pictures
Edited 6/25/2002 8:14:08 PM ET by Shoeman
try again
well, got some of them, try some more
looks like I finally learned how to post pictures. Now I just need to learn how to size them. Should really go out and organize van the way it normally is and retake - damn mess took a deck job. three tier deck - remove and replace all decking on lower deck but had to agree to strip and restain upper decks as well.
Now that I know how to post pics, I'll have to run out to Frenchie's soon so we can all see just what it is he is building out there.
Just a suggestion from a know-nothing guy here - however you set up your vehicle, have a clearly marked first aid case within an arm's reach of an obvious entry point. Had a drywall crew come running frantically into the store today - one of their guys had a gash in his head, and we were the nearest supplier of first aid supplies.
He had actually run into something, and gave hisself a really nast cut. In any case, they ought to have had a kit with them, and anyone on site ought to have been able to grab it from their truck in seconds.
Just a thought.
JAG
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