Van Shelves

pipepimp

Hi all Just bought a 04 chevy express van for work . I want to build my own shelves and customize the way i have them i cant find any info or pics to get an idea how to start if anybody has made there own shelves or has a web site for any info on this matter pleeese help .

gitnerdun

http://www.americanvan.com/catalog/s...m?FamilyID=132

check these out they come in different sizes, pricey but worth a look. I have several, strong and they keep me from crawling in the van for parts.

GregS

Depends on what you need to store.

I think everyone has pretty much built the angle-iron and plywood shelves to hold their bulk tools, but when it comes to the smaller parts and such you will probably need to buy some factory built stuff.

Herk

When I did my Dodge Maxi-van, I used perforated angle iron and 1/4" bolts with locknuts. For the small parts, I used covered plastic boxes I got at Sam's Club. This was years ago, so everything's changed.

I used plywood for much of the shelving. Room for faucets, elements, and so on. One area where milk crates would fit between the rails. Since the shelves are narrow, the plywood didn't have to be real heavy.

I had some great waterslide plastic that came with the van - somebody had just left it in there. So I cut that to fit and bolted it along the sides of the van to protect the interior. There are places where job buckets can be stacked and lashed with heavy rubber straps.

Two 5-gallon buckets tops taped together with one bucket end cut out made a holding place for long drill extensions, closet and urinal augers and so on. Some bolt-on brackets for extension cords to hang on.

It all worked pretty well, the only problem being the plastic boxes' tendency to slide toward the front of the van.

Right now, I'm getting the tranny rebuilt and a new engine and I'm going to do a little remodeling to replace one set of shelving. That one has area underneath for sawzall and drill boxes and so on.

The nice thing about the Maxi-van is that it has 12 feet from the back of the seats to the back doors.

__________________
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Putty Truck

I use Muscle Racks on box trucks. I attach plywood to the sides of the FRP box and attach the racks to it. Works well and it's adjustable. And cheap.

RCPainting

I bought several plastic drawer units from Walmart, screwed them to side of trailer and used a bungee to keep the drawers shut. I like them much better than the wire shelving I first put in. I have a lot of small items, it took me several months to actually figure out what was best to work out of.

highpoint

i have a 92 chevy van 20. know how tough it is to find shelves or even a bulk head for an old girl like that. i picked it up with only 150,000km (95,000mi) so i couldnt justify a 'new' van. anyways, i built all of mine out of wood. 1/4 plywood up the sides so it would contour to the van and built bins on on side for fittings and what sort, shelves on the other side for tools the bulk head is also wood with a window and a shelf for my radio. i put 2x6 on end and built a sub floor too, a good place for pipe rather than tying it to the roof racks all the time.

highpoint

best of all. the wood keeps the annoying sounds to a minimum. no need for a 1000watt radio

scottytoohottie

I just bought a 2006 chevy express with fiberglass sides. Any suggestions on how to attach bins?

Tom R

Screw on either furring strips or solid plywood to the sides from the floor up (for the extra strength), - - then attach whatever you want right to them. Pay strict attention to the length of your screws and the depth you run them at, - - use plenty of screws (and glue if you choose), they don't grip that fiberglass as good as wood . . .

scottytoohottie

Thanks Tom. I am just really worried about hurting the integrity of the fiberglass, and will the glue leak through and stain the outside?

stp57

This is my second van that I built wood shelves & a floor for. The 1st was a Dodge Ram & this is my Sprinter. The shelves are attached to the false floor & at the top with L brackets with self tap screws & rubberized washers (they have never vibrated loose). All of the shelves are screwed on the ends & also have L brackets. Wood is alot quieter than metal is very rugged. Sure, it doesn't look as professional as metal shelves, but it took only a weekend to build & the materials were pretty cheap.
Steve

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allhomerepair83

start with chev.package ;there are menny.then start,yours.