The can that i have on hold and will most likely be picking up shortly looks like this in the cargo area: How can i go about installing some cabinets as well as some garage style hooks to hang brushes and extension cords. Hooks like the ones holding up the extension cords as well as bottle holders such as the ones in the photo. Thanks
By my count your van has 4 or 5 vertical structures that stick out where windows would be on a passenger van. If it were me, I would run two pieces of metal the entire length of the cargo horizontally so its perpendicular to the existing structures. Spaced about 16" apart from each other vertically would form a stud like setting and then you can mount anything you want just like a house except use metal screws. Or... just mount to the structures already there.
For hanging the cabinets, you need to ensure that the mounting points have a strong substructure, so as WashingJosh said, running a piece of steel lengthwise with the van would suffice. One thing to consider, if you know the cabinets you are getting, make sure you pre-fit them in place to ensure your metal support is mounted at the correct height. If it were me, I would pre-fit the cabinet and mark the holes of where the cabinet is going and thread the mounting holes. Using bolts with some thread lock would ensure the cabinets don't move. As far as the hangers for brushes/cords: its as simple as buying the Gorilla Rack mounting bar (not sure of exact name) and then just buy the accessories available that hang on the bar. Lowes will have most of what you need. -Kody-
Thanks guys ill look into all that. I'm mechanically inclined but building is different lol. Sounds rather easy as long as the correct stuff is purchased. So Lowes or home depot will have everything?
Ok so I got my can finally. So what kind of metal or steel should I get to form a nice stud like brace for my shelving setup?
The hooks are Gladiator Garage from Sears or Lowe's, there are a few ways to go about this depending on what is hung and their weight, Aluminum is strong, and steel stock also can be used but that will weigh more as well.........me mindful of weight in the "Gas crunch" era.
I would lay out the van (roughly) with all the stuff you want to hang and see how everything will look. If you are satisfied with the proposed layout then figure out where you will need to have your supports located. Pay in mind that the side of the van is not straight up and down, so if you put straight stock lengthwise with the van your mounting points will not be straight up and down (not saying it can't be done though with some enginuity). So I would utilize the parts of the van that ARE straight up and down (the lower part of the sides and the front wall) if you need something mounted straight up and down. For the concave part of the side walls I would utilize pegboard and just attach it straight to the cross-members that are currently there, this is what I did in my van. If the pegboard is secure, you can pretty much mount anything you need (within reason) to it. Jimmy pointed me to Container Store for the bottle holders he has in the above pictures and I was able to easily mount those to my pegboard in the exact locations that i wanted them to be in. In closing, I personally think it's important to lay out the configuration you are looking for and then build your plan around that configuration. Doing it this way ensures A: you like the layout and B: the layout is feasible to construct. Can't push a rope up a hill. I'll try and get pics of my van's setup, maybe it can help a little. Good luck. -Kody-
Thanks guys for those tips. Photo's would be greatly appreciated. I already purchased 2 gladiator cabinets. Now I just need to slowly figure out the rest.
You did say the container store correct? If I'm at the right site there isn't any bottle holders. I may have found them.
