Van storage?

[bbe]

Got a question and please limit the cheapskate comments. Wondering if it would be possible to build a wood version of the packrat drawer storage for a van. Has anyone done this ? The main thing is finding some drawer slides that would hold up to the counter weight when opened. Got any ideas ? Need some more storage an thought about one of these but dont want to spend $800.00 to see if i like it. What do you think?

[mdshunk]

Got a question and please limit the cheapskate comments. Wondering if it would be possible to build a wood version of the packrat drawer storage for a van. Has anyone done this ? The main thing is finding some drawer slides that would hold up to the counter weight when opened. Got any ideas ? Need some more storage an thought about one of these but dont want to spend $800.00 to see if i like it. What do you think?
Yes, I have one in one of my regular vans, and I like it better than the one's from American Van. It covers the whole floor, and has 5 drawers that pull ou the back, and four that pull out the side. I can take pictures tomorrow. No glides required.

[bbe]

That would be great, thanks MD. Glad to see im not the only one that tries to make instead of buy.

[mdshunk]

That would be great, thanks MD. Glad to see im not the only one that tries to make instead of buy.
I didn't make it. They guy that was assigned the truck originally made it, and it's pretty good.

[Fulthrotl]

Got a question and please limit the cheapskate comments. Wondering if it would be possible to build a wood version of the packrat drawer storage for a van. Has anyone done this ? The main thing is finding some drawer slides that would hold up to the counter weight when opened. Got any ideas ? Need some more storage an thought about one of these but dont want to spend $800.00 to see if i like it. What do you think?

yep. you can do that. it'll work. like marc said, you don't need glides.

not expensive either. 2x8's. plywood. a bit of cabinetmaking skill. deck
screws. beeswax for the edges of the 2x8's.

not going to get 100% extension, except on a very bad day. ;)
not gonna spend a couple grand either.

[charlie k.]

Lee Valley has 48" slides but they are pricey. About 150.00 a pair if memory serves me correct. They are good for 400 pounds or so.

Charlie

[480sparky]

What is your time worth putting all this together? Could you better spend it on a job and use the money from the job to simply purchase what you want?

[electricalperson]

i would like the look of nice wooden shelves. thats actually a good idea

[bbe]

480, thats just it been slow here for the past couple months, so right now i got the time not the work. hehe Not much work = not much money to spend. hehe

[480sparky]

480, thats just it been slow here for the past couple months, so right now i got the time not the work. hehe Not much work = not much money to spend. hehe

I'd rather spend the time drumming up work then.http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc172/480sparky/Emoticons/fiufiu.gif

[bbe]

Never really learned the art of drumming up work. Advertise, rolling billboard ( driven through nice neighborhoods, construction sites slowly), giving cards to everyone thats the extent of my drumming, Any ideas??????

[ultramegabob]

If you have some welding skills, you can get roller assemblies that fit inside unistrut, kinda like a garage door track, and make a heavy duty sliding assembly.

http://www.isc-strut.com/gallery.asp

[480sparky]

Never really learned the art of drumming up work. Advertise, rolling billboard ( driven through nice neighborhoods, construction sites slowly), giving cards to everyone thats the extent of my drumming, Any ideas??????

Canned response follows:

First and foremost, you need to create, and then spend the money on, an advertising budget.

Join your local builders associations. Attend the meetings and other events.

Visit home shows and expos, with a wad of business cards in your pocket. Don't be shy about introducing yourself. And don't give out cards one at a time.... give each person 3 or 4: they're cheap, and you don't know who those people know!

Get on your local Craigslist site. Look for builders and handymen there who advertise "It's OK to contact them with other services or commercial interests." (This will be at the bottom of their listing) Drop them a short, simple email to introduce yourself. I've gotten one builder, two remodelers and two house-flippers this way!

And my favorite method: whenever you go to the Big Orange, Big Blue, or even the local hardware store (Ace, True Value, whatever) look for the trucks and vans that have "Fred's Home Improvement", "Handy Dave, Dan's Older Brother" or "Quality Construction" on them. And not just 'builders', .... landscapers, painters, roofers, drywallers, plumbers.....ANY construction trade lead can pan out. Stick a business card in the drivers window. The worst that can happen is they throw it away.

Real estate agents are another 'forgotten' source. Many people who buy an existing home immediately want to change it, so if you buddy up with realtors you can be 'first in line' when it comes to the new homeowners' upgrades.

If (or should I be more positive and say when) you do find a builder, remodeller or flipper, be sure not to forget the person or people who are paying them.... the owners. Make contact with them, introduce yourself, and by all means, give them a card.

Want to start doing commercial? Drive around town and find all those little strip malls and see if there are any empty bays. Contact the name & number on the sign (after all, it is for rent, isn't it?), and find out who owns the property. Contact that person, introduce yourself, and simply ask if it would be possible for you to submit a bid when a new tenant is found.

Many local stores have bulliten boards you can put a small print ad (easy to do today with computers and printers) or a business card. It's free, and you never know.

Be persistent. Be sociable. Be friendly. You will not get every lead, you will not get every bid. And you will need to learn to deal with rejection.
But most important: create an advertising budget. And stick to your advertising plan. If one method doesn't seem to work, drop it and spend your money on other ideas. Business cards are the cheapest form of advertising, and the easiest to use. They fit in your pocket, so there is no excuse for never having a card to hand someone.

It WILL take some time, but if you do quality work at a reasonable price, you'll keep busy. And by reasonable, I mean fair and profitable. DO NOT try to comptete on price alone. DO NOT promote yourself as Wal-Mart Electric. If you do, you WILL fail.

[alfiesauce]

We've got wooden drawers in our vans.
If you don't take them all the way to the cab you can set up drawers for your side door too.

[ultramegabob]

If you have some welding skills, you can get roller assemblies that fit inside unistrut, kinda like a garage door track, and make a heavy duty sliding assembly.

http://www.isc-strut.com/gallery.asp

now that I think about it, you could probly just use a garage door track and rollers, It would probably be cheaper...

[Sparky555]

What is your time worth putting all this together? Could you better spend it on a job and use the money from the job to simply purchase what you want?

Although I'm curious what Marc's drawers look like, I'm with 480 on this one. I spent way too much time on custom shelving, partition, racks, etc. I tried some large metal bins that were a PITA. The solution was drawers. I got two 4-drawer floor units. They were worth every cent & I still got to spend plenty of time organizing the drawers with tools & materials.

[quogueelectric]

A little oak grain with a little golden oak stain...... A little minwax polyurethane oil base flintstones style. Let me volenteer for the bolt trough my head now.

[mdshunk]

Although I'm curious what Marc's drawers look like, I'm with 480 on this one. I spent way too much time on custom shelving, partition, racks, etc. I tried some large metal bins that were a PITA. The solution was drawers. I got two 4-drawer floor units. They were worth every cent & I still got to spend plenty of time organizing the drawers with tools & materials.
Just to be clear, I didn't build them. A guy that used to drive that truck built them on his own time, and I inherited them. He probably should have taken them with him, but he left them instead. Probably because it must weigh 200 pounds.

[Wireless36]

Just to be clear, I didn't build them. A guy that used to drive that truck built them on his own time, and I inherited them. He probably should have taken them with him, but he left them instead. Probably because it must weigh 200 pounds.


The weight as well as the time involved probably negates the cost savings. I used two 24" full extension tracks attached to a 1x6. That was before I bought a packrat on E-bay.

[electricmanscott]

Never really learned the art of drumming up work. Advertise, rolling billboard ( driven through nice neighborhoods, construction sites slowly), giving cards to everyone thats the extent of my drumming, Any ideas??????

What kind of drum are you using? That is key.

[charlietuna]

I agree with 480 ! I have had both and just considering the extra weight and wasted space wooden shelving takes-it's a no brainer !!! Our materials are about the heaviest of all the construction trades -- i have always had one ton vans and they carry more than a ton! I always figured, it is part of servicing my customer by having a properly stocked van for the work i specialized in ! Everyone was impressed with our service trucks--except the chevy dealer who had trouble getting his hydraulic lift to raise it ! The only wood we used was for a false floor to store unistrut and pipe under--we couldn't have ladder racks due to the garages we used................

[Fulthrotl]

I agree with 480 ! I have had both and just considering the extra weight and wasted space wooden shelving takes-it's a no brainer !!! Our materials are about the heaviest of all the construction trades -- i have always had one ton vans and they carry more than a ton! I always figured, it is part of servicing my customer by having a properly stocked van for the work i specialized in ! Everyone was impressed with our service trucks--except the chevy dealer who had trouble getting his hydraulic lift to raise it ! The only wood we used was for a false floor to store unistrut and pipe under--we couldn't have ladder racks due to the garages we used................

same here... i've got a 1 ton diesel van that goes across the scales
at 10,500 lbs. about 2 tons of payload. most garage lifts won't pick it.

[220/221]

Building out new trucks has always been fun for me.


I have built many many versions for vans and pick ups. 2 by framing works well but takes up precious space. If you have a table saw, use 3/4 plywood stock. Glides aren't really necessary.

It's all about good design/layout. In one standard sized van I also put drawers accessible from the side doors. I ran a conduit chase up the middle, between the seats for 10' sticks.

Make room for your most common items close to the doors. You can bury your once a month tools up inside.


I did spring for a packrat in my pickup now though. I only do the occaisional service call out of it though. There is no way I could do real work out of a pick up. I am too spoiled.