Van shelving

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steve_p

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Buying a Ram Promaster 1500 with 136" wheelbase std roof.

I do mostly service work.

Trying to decide on what brand off shelving to go with.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated
 
steve_p said:
Buying a Ram Promaster 1500 with 136" wheelbase std roof.

I do mostly service work.

Trying to decide on what brand off shelving to go with.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated
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Check out American Van. Good selection. Many brands available.
 
I agree with American Van unless your on the West Coast. I am buying a set of floor storage drawers and they are charging $150 for the one item shipped to Oregon....

Can't imagine what freight would be to outfit a new van would cost.

Food for thought.
 
John120/240 said:
Weathergard brand is popular here for van shelves & ladder racks.
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I put one of these in my van about 6 months ago and I keep the stuff I use the most in there, to avoid crawling in the van as much as possible.
 

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I purchased a 2016 Promaster High Top.

I bought $3500 worth of shelving, ladder racks, & accessories from American Van. I'm on the West Coast, so shipping was really expensive.

Much of the shelving came damaged: dented, twisted, poorly painted. It's the interior of a van, so we installed it anyway. They did give me an adjustment on the total price.

Most of the damage was from the shipping, so expect it. Also, it comes shipped on pallets, so make sure you tell them if you're in a residential neighborhood. The shipper will likely reload on a bobtail truck and send along a pallet jack. My order was delayed two days, because the first truck claimed he couldn't maneuver in my neighborhood.

After all the hassles, I would have purchased from a local distributer and had them install it all. The installation directions were absolute garbage.
 
Never heard of Ranger. Apparently they are in NY. Where are you? I agree that the biggest problem will be shipping. I ordered a drawer unit from American Van and had to return it twice due to damage. The third one was also arrived damaged but I was able to live with it. I agree with electricguy61, I would never buy a complete package unless I could pick it up at one of their locations.I have been very happy with Adrian Steel installed by one of their local dealers.

-Hal
 
electricguy61 said:
I purchased a 2016 Promaster High Top.

I bought $3500 worth of shelving, ladder racks, & accessories from American Van. I'm on the West Coast, so shipping was really expensive.

Much of the shelving came damaged: dented, twisted, poorly painted. It's the interior of a van, so we installed it anyway. They did give me an adjustment on the total price.

Most of the damage was from the shipping, so expect it. Also, it comes shipped on pallets, so make sure you tell them if you're in a residential neighborhood. The shipper will likely reload on a bobtail truck and send along a pallet jack. My order was delayed two days, because the first truck claimed he couldn't maneuver in my neighborhood.

After all the hassles, I would have purchased from a local distributer and had them install it all. The installation directions were absolute garbage.
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Which package did you buy?

Aside from the shipping issues are you satisfied with it?

Was it a "no drill" install?
Which ladder rack did you go with if any?
 
Was it a "no drill" install?
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I hope you are talking about the ladder rack. I have never heard of an interior that is "no drill" and if there is one I would stay far away. This is why it is best to have an interior installed by a dealer. They have the threaded inserts and tools, spacers and whatever else is needed for installation that you won't get when you buy it yourself and that you would never think of anyway.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
I hope you are talking about the ladder rack. I have never heard of an interior that is "no drill" and if there is one I would stay far away. This is why it is best to have an interior installed by a dealer. They have the threaded inserts and tools, spacers and whatever else is needed for installation that you won't get when you buy it yourself and that you would never think of anyway.

-Hal
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Agreed, Have the dealer install the whole kit. One time an aggressive driver took a corner too fast & the right side shelves came loose. Of course installed by the guys after hours & several beers.
 
I've always built my own shelves out of cabinet grade plywood. (The inexpensive Lowes/ HD grade) Glued and screwed together, with dado's, rabbets, etc. All you really need is a skilsaw, straightedge, and router. If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll roll the material with a grey porch floor paint before making all the cuts. I've done regular vans, utility vans, and box trucks this way. Takes me a few nights to cut, assemble, and install. The only drawback is that the wooden shelves weigh more than the metal. But they are rock solid, and much quieter than the steel units. A long time ago I bought a Ford E250 that came with racks and bins. After a few months I couldn't take it and ripped them out so that I could configure the way I wanted it.
 
The problem with that is how much do they weigh? I've seen guys who have done that thinking like you. Problem is all the material we carry adds up and boxes, pipe, wire, etc is heavy enough. Many guys pay no attention to the GVW of their truck just thinking I've got an E-250 so I can pack it full. I know one guy who actually got caught being overweight and had to pay a big fine. Besides, overloading is not good for the truck. Poor gas mileage and even worse- premature failure of brakes, tires, transmissions, rear ends. You want to start out eating up as small a chunk of your carrying capacity as possible. Wood is heavy, sheet metal weighs less.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
I hope you are talking about the ladder rack. I have never heard of an interior that is "no drill" and if there is one I would stay far away. This is why it is best to have an interior installed by a dealer. They have the threaded inserts and tools, spacers and whatever else is needed for installation that you won't get when you buy it yourself and that you would never think of anyway.

-Hal
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The Ranger system has rails that mount to the tie downs in the van, then the shelves get secured to it.

I think Adrian has a similar system.

I am going to have the Ranger dealer install them, still trying to decide on the layout
 
hbiss said:
The problem with that is how much do they weigh? I've seen guys who have done that thinking like you. Problem is all the material we carry adds up and boxes, pipe, wire, etc is heavy enough. Many guys pay no attention to the GVW of their truck just thinking I've got an E-250 so I can pack it full. I know one guy who actually got caught being overweight and had to pay a big fine. Besides, overloading is not good for the truck. Poor gas mileage and even worse- premature failure of brakes, tires, transmissions, rear ends. You want to start out eating up as small a chunk of your carrying capacity as possible. Wood is heavy, sheet metal weighs less.

-Hal
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Hal I do recognize the added weight of wood vs. steel, and mentioned it in my post. But in my E250, for example, I used 3 sheets of 3/4 and 2 sheets of 1/4" (for the backs) to build shelves that ran each side. (11" wide). It was not enough additional weight to make a difference. In my box truck I used at least double that. I'll try to remember to take a pic of that setup. I'm not saying my setup would work for everyone, just chiming in on what works for me.
 
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