Configuring a stepvan interior.

[BumpyDodge]

I bought a new shorty stepvan for work. It has an expanded metal bulkhead with sliding door so that reduces my worries about flying objects in case of an accident, but I still like my cargo to be well secured. Cargo area dimensions are about 79"x 10&1/2 or 11' (I still need to measure exactly)

I'm going to build some shelves for it but I also have some heavy stuff like my welder I need to find a way to secure. I'm thinking of running two strips of E-track on either sidewall so I can have the whole van "reconfigurable" if I decide to change my layout (I figure it also improves resale value if the van doesn't work out). When I worked on military transports the planes had "airline track" that you could clip a shelf upright or a cargo D-ring into and I think I may run two strips of that along the length of the floor and then lay down some 1/2" plywood painted with anti-skid paint so the track is recessed and I don't have to worry about beating up the aluminum floor. The back windows will be tinted out and I will install metal security screens over them to help discourage theft.

So my questions are....
Think it's a good sounding setup?
Is there an industry standard height for E-track in trailers?
Who has the best deal on E-track and Airline-track?
Am I missing anything?

Comments and editorials are welcome. Thanks.

Some interior shots:

[u2slow]

I put WeatherGuard shelving in my service van. (see schoolbus thread) It wasn't cheap, but I needed to get it up and going in a hurry.

They also sell a locker compartment which I mounted horizontal, mounted my job box on top of it. It helps not having to bend over so far. Doubles as a suitable height work surface with the box closed.

The key point they made when they sold me the shelving, was to BOLT everything. Any screws will pull out their threads over time. The stuff comes with 1/4"x20 hardware and nylocks, but I bought more - longer bolts and fender washers - to get it installed how I wanted.

EDIT:
It doesn't seem like your van is a shorty at all. Most are 9-1/2' or so - just shy of fitting 10' lengths of material.

[Terrys_85_Toy]

Originally Posted by BumpyDodge

Am I missing anything?

Disco Ball & Stripper Pole.

[BumpyDodge]

Originally Posted by u2slow

I put WeatherGuard shelving in my service van. (see schoolbus thread) It wasn't cheap, but I needed to get it up and going in a hurry.

They also sell a locker compartment which I mounted horizontal, mounted my job box on top of it. It helps not having to bend over so far. Doubles as a suitable height work surface with the box closed.

The key point they made when they sold me the shelving, was to BOLT everything. Any screws will pull out their threads over time. The stuff comes with 1/4"x20 hardware and nylocks, but I bought more - longer bolts and fender washers - to get it installed how I wanted.

EDIT:
It doesn't seem like your van is a shorty at all. Most are 9-1/2' or so - just shy of fitting 10' lengths of material.

9,400 GVWR & SRW, it just *barely* squeaks into the personal use insurance bracket and it's not too bad to navigate around a parking lot. Most of the "short" stepvans are 14', over 10K gross and DRW. I would probably have to go commercial insurance on anything 14' or bigger unless I played the titling game and tried to register it as a "custom RV". Commercial ins. is $1700/year, so if I can keep it on personal insurance for a few months until I can get some steady accounts for my business, that's a fair amount of money saved.

[brewchief]

We use steel shelves in our cube vans, wood shelves don't hold up over time. What are you using the van for? What do you need to carry? My currant van has e-track, rarely gets used/most of it is behind shelves. Rubber horse stall mats work great for a floor. When you install the shelves use twice as many bolts as you think you need. Try to tie the shelves together at the top, we use unistrut, works good and we have it, tying the shelves together keeps them from tipping over if they get loose. I'll try to get some pics of my van tomorrow, it's set up for hvac but should give some ideas.


Brewchief

[u2slow]

Originally Posted by BumpyDodge

9,400 GVWR & SRW, it just *barely* squeaks into the personal use insurance bracket and it's not too bad to navigate around a parking lot. Most of the "short" stepvans are 14', over 10K gross and DRW. I would probably have to go commercial insurance on anything 14' or bigger unless I played the titling game and tried to register it as a "custom RV". Commercial ins. is $1700/year, so if I can keep it on personal insurance for a few months until I can get some steady accounts for my business, that's a fair amount of money saved.

Wish I could have found more stepvans that size when I was looking. Most were SRW with 9' (or less) load floor, and anything longer, or DRW was an anomally.

I did business insurance on my E350 shortbus for only $100-200 more than personal without any extra red tape. There was a 9900# ceiling on that (and that's a only a licensing GVW max - not as manufactured )

Watch your coverage on tools & equipment... probably not covered, or only a minimal amount. I got a separate business liability package that also covered up to $15k of gear.

I know I didn't build my shelves... but I'd hate to think how long it would have taken to get rolling if I had. The companies that make the pre-fab shelving seem to have all the angles figured out. Some will even come out for FREE to look at your van and make up a floorplan with you.