# Upfitting tips/van mods



## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Just thought it would be a good idea to make a list of all *the little things we do to our vans* to get more use out of them.

-Inverter, charger, and cordless battery box
-Cuno filter housings hold map/propane cans perfectly, bolt a couple to the door to hold your torch
-Bolt some unistrut across the top of the ceiling and you can mount a block and tackle to hoist things into the van
-Strap a 4" or 6" pvc pipe to the ceiling for an inside pipe rack.
-Fill the doors, they have a lot of space. Perfect for rags and drop cloths.

What's the most important thing you do to a new van to make it work better for you?


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Make custom shelves to fit my boxes. Get a jet rack to mount step ladder in ceiling to free up floor.

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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

I like your idea of putting unistrut on the top of the van. Have you seen these trolleys that you can slide into the strut. I have a small chain hoist that I use with it to move heavy stuff







Y


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Sstratton6175 said:


> I like your idea of putting unistrut on the top of the van. Have you seen these trolleys that you can slide into the strut. I have a small chain hoist that I use with it to move heavy stuff
> View attachment 129301
> Y
> View attachment 129302


It must be something of the same kind that the jet rack uses as you hook the ladder to it and push it in and lock it in place









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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

The Dane said:


> It must be something of the same kind that the jet rack uses as you hook the ladder to it and push it in and lock it in place
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That’s a pretty slick setup for the ladder


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Sstratton6175 said:


> That’s a pretty slick setup for the ladder


I'm being one but have not actually had one before but it comes highly recommended to me and I incurred you to look up the videos on it to see exactly how it works.

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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Sstratton6175 said:


> I like your idea of putting unistrut on the top of the van. Have you seen these trolleys that you can slide into the strut. I have a small chain hoist that I use with it to move heavy stuff


Well schit! You have no idea how much that is going to change my life!!!

I made a sliding "barn door" for one of our bedrooms a year ago and I made my own trolleys, wish I had known about those!


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## Sstratton6175 (Jan 10, 2021)

They’re only about $35.00. I also have a 10’ length of 3.5” thick unistrut I’ve hoisted a 900lbs boiler up onto an equipment pad without any trouble.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Sstratton6175 said:


> They’re only about $35.00. I also have a 10’ length of 3.5” thick unistrut I’ve hoisted a 900lbs boiler up onto an equipment pad without any trouble.


35$!?!?!?!?!

I am too cheap for that, I'll keep making my own!


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## Nazareth (Sep 30, 2017)

3/4 Tube talons fit a regular aluminum broom perfectly 
Screw a drop ear 90 with a short nipple with a 90 at the end to hold backpacks
Hoses go on the ladder rack
Buy a milwaukee sequential charger and plug it into an inverter in the cab (just don't forget to unplug it)
Keep your meter key in a place that you can get it rapidly, no matter how trashed your van is. 
I just bought the milwaukee packout drawers, I'm getting the mounting plate for them and attaching it to the floor of my van. 
You can hold pipe wrenches with unistrut
I'll think of more that I do


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Nazareth said:


> 3/4 Tube talons fit a regular aluminum broom perfectly
> Screw a drop ear 90 with a short nipple with a 90 at the end to hold backpacks
> Hoses go on the ladder rack
> Buy a milwaukee sequential charger and plug it into an inverter in the cab (just don't forget to unplug it)
> ...



you need to post some pictures... words dont hack it.....


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## Nazareth (Sep 30, 2017)

I will


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Master Mark said:


> you need to post some pictures... words dont hack it.....



When you are working out of a e350 maxi van or smaller you really got to be creative 
with your space... every inch counts .... I used to really have those vans packed tight
and efficiently for the kind of work we used to do out of them.... 

we used to run the ford maxi vans up to 2010 but then switched to the 
14 foot box trucks and now its more an issue of how much junk can we 
cram into the beast.....


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Nazareth said:


> I will



And vice versa...put words in your collision thread.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

My first work van was an Astro. had to see the chiropractor after two weeks cause the driver’s seat put me 10° out of wack. Moved the passenger seat to the driver’s and turned it into storage. That thing was a POS!


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## Nazareth (Sep 30, 2017)

I'd post pictures, but yeah... Van is in the shop


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

skoronesa said:


> Just thought it would be a good idea to make a list of all *the little things we do to our vans* to get more use out of them.
> 
> -Inverter, charger, and cordless battery box
> -Cuno filter housings hold map/propane cans perfectly, bolt a couple to the door to hold your torch
> ...


If you have a new van/truck the very first thing I would do is take a sharp edge and go up and down each side of it, ahead and get it over with cause it's gonna get scratched up


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Nazareth said:


> I'd post pictures, but yeah... Van is in the shop


I am gonna take some pictures of my New Box truck now that I have got it up to speed
I have way too much room in it--- dont know what I am gonna throw in it to fill it up...

I have only put about 1000 miles on it since we got it back in October.... Thats usually how things work out
when you have a back up truck all your older trucks never break down....


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

I got TWO of these 4" chain vises for 50$ EACH including shipping!!! Bid on the first, no one else bid. The guy listed another for sale and no one bid on that one either!

Upgraded from my 2" vise on 5/16"x3" angle to the 4" vise on 3/8"x5" angle. I used a flap disc to clean up that angle iron and give it a sharper edge. I frequently use it as an anvil surface for various tasks. Makes a nice work bench. I am going to replace the plastic step too......eventually 

The 15/16" ratchet wrench lives on a disc magnet on my door, this way I can quickly remove/install the vise. I tapped those 5/8"-11 holes using a plug tap and a lot of butthole clenching!!


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