Show us your van fitouts!

[Mark Kenfield]

Well, after four years of valiantly fighting it, I've given in, accepted my fate, and become a Vanman:

 

 

And she's a blank canvas:

 

 

I now have to begin the process of figuring out how I'm going to fit her out to cart around all of my crap.

First big question for the layout will be - my new Inovativ cart, should I plan to wheel it in through the side doors? Or out the back?

And if you've got a nice van fitout that you'd care to share, I'd certainly appreciate any good ideas for shelving/storage solutions that I can steal.

[Tyler Purcell]

poop man, I've had vans for over 10 years. We have junky ass vans here, mine is a Ford E250 Econoline. So it's a 3/4 ton cargo van which has a 32 gallon fuel tank and you'll need it! lol

 

Funny enough I don't have any pix of it full of poop, but I don't have anything permanently installed.

[Mark Kenfield]

Well I know some people prefer to leave the bodies empty and simply have everything loaded up on carts, so that they can be wheeled into play quickly.

I'll have to weigh up whether that's a viable option for my kit. But the whole reason for moving to the van is to make it easier and faster to work. So if barebones + multiple trollies is the best way to do that, then I'm open to it.

[Tyler Purcell]

Trollies are tough without a lift gate. I have dollies, which are two or 4 wheel, but they aren't "carts" like you see on other productions.

 

I still load each case by hand and throw the dolly on top when I'm done.

[Peter Rummel]

 

 

I also have an E-250 van. I love the idea of roll-on, roll-off fully loaded carts, but I decided it wasn't really practical for me. I'd have to carry long ramps, and possibly a winch to get the C-stand cart inside. But the van is always a work in progress and who knows what the future will bring.

 

 

[JB Earl]

I'm in a similar pickle. I have a basic setup on my 5x8 G&E trailer, but make a lot of trips back and forth with a fold up cart.

Trying to decide between 2 options: C stand cart + milk crate cart, -or- laundry cart to be able to throw any random mix of gear in.

Always need to move: sand bags, C stands, lights, light stands.

[Mark Kenfield]

It's tough, I suspect Tyler is spot on with his mention of the difficulty of trollies without liftgates. All the well-trollied vans and trucks I've encountered have them. And ramps can be iffy even at the best of times.

[Phil Rhodes]

I need a cart big enough to put stands and stuff on, but I've no appetite for paying £3000 for one. Movie-oriented carts seem absurdly expensive, even for movie stuff.

 

P

[JB Earl]

The trailer isn't big enough for the usual carts or dollies, so I have been using a Rocknroller R18RT cart, with a gripngaff bag on it. I load it up by the trailer gate, so no ramps

[Mark Kenfield]

Do the Rocknrollers pack down JB? I'd like to get a second heavy-duty cart for my big pelican cases of lighting/grip gear.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

I once saw an adapter which allowed you to mount a magliner into the trailer hitch receiver on the back of a truck. Could be helpful in the smaller vans; though not built just in terms of storage.

[JB Earl]

Mark, the Rocknroller carts fold nicely. https://www.amazon.com/RocknRoller-Multi-Cart-R18RT-Ground-Equipment/dp/B00NKQYFF2 I have the biggest one but most users have the R12 which is only slightly different. The gripngaff bag makes it a nice package https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1298898-REG/gripngaff_equipment_bag_for_the.html

I recommend the deck and shelf for the carts, but they're easy to home engineer.

 

Adrian, that adapter sound really useful.

Edited October 23, 2017 by JB Earl

[Gregg MacPherson]

I need a cart big enough to put stands and stuff on, but I've no appetite for paying £3000 for one. Movie-oriented carts seem absurdly expensive, even for movie stuff.

 

P

 

Phil, just build the f----r...

[Phil Rhodes]

That's sort of the default assumption where I'm concerned. I'm a serial tinkerer.

[Mark Dunn]

 

. I'd have to carry long ramps, and possibly a winch to get the C-stand cart inside.

 

 

You say that, but I and my girlfriend got the Steenbeck up 6' motorcycle ramps on our own. It's about 150kg. I added Dexion rails for the castors.

Mind you, it was easier at the other end where we had two strong ACs.

Edited October 24, 2017 by Mark Dunn

[Mark Kenfield]

Well after sitting in my driveway doing nothing for the past month and half, I finally settled on the design for my fitout.

I examined a number of options, including a cheaper (but more specifically customised) setup constructed all of wood. But ultimately, I didn't want to waste any unnecessary space, and I wanted a fitout that still maintained some flexibility. The solution to that, was steel brackets fastened to the walls of the van, with steel crossbeams supporting two levels of shelving that run the entire length of the van; and then combining the shelving with three heavy-duty sliding trays that make the depths of the van more accessible. The idea being to (as near as I can) never have to move one case or piece of equipment, in order to reach another.

I just put it to work for the first time this past week on a new web series, and I'm already in love. The speed and ease of working when you have immediate access to the gear you need, makes a huge difference.

I have a little more work to do, to compartmentalise the shelves a bit more and allow gear to stay in place when certain key cases/boxes aren't on the shelves. But it's feeling pretty close to being finished.

Here she is:

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2017 by Mark Kenfield

[Phil Rhodes]

M18's probably worth more than the vehicle :)

 

(I'm also very impressed with the level of fault that the Australian highways people consider a defect. Unless you can lose a child in it, it isn't pothole, here.)

[Mark Dunn]

after sitting in my driveway doing nothing for the past month and half

 

 

 

Oh come on, I know it's warm in Oz in the summer, but you didn't have to camp out.

How did you get the tent pegs into the concrete?

[Mark Kenfield]

M18's probably worth more than the vehicle :)

 

(I'm also very impressed with the level of fault that the Australian highways people consider a defect. Unless you can lose a child in it, it isn't pothole, here.)

 

Just about. Though the van pulls ahead once you factor in the cost of the fitout!

 

And you can compliment Australia on a lot of things, but the quality of our roads (not to mention our drivers) unfortunately isn't one of them.

 

Oh come on, I know it's warm in Oz in the summer, but you didn't have to camp out.

How did you get the tent pegs into the concrete?

I applied the same method I've used to make my way in this industry - considerable persistence!

Edited December 19, 2017 by Mark Kenfield

[Mark Dunn]

 

 

And you can compliment Australia on a lot of things, but the quality of our roads (not to mention our drivers) unfortunately isn't one of them.

 

 

I thought you still used that orange stuff you see in pictures of the outback.

[Gregg MacPherson]

Mark,

Well done. The sliding tray idea is a good design concept. Pack everything away like sardines.

 

I suppose the other option is a biggie van that would let you walk in....

 

Didn't see room for the C stands....Thought Phil might have pointed that out...

[Perry Paolantonio]

You say that, but I and my girlfriend got the Steenbeck up 6' motorcycle ramps on our own. It's about 150kg. I added Dexion rails for the castors.

Mind you, it was easier at the other end where we had two strong ACs.

 

 

When I moved from my last rented apartment to a new condo in 2000, I fit my 6-plate inside my 1971 VW Westfalia camper. It was like it was built to transport that thing. We did have to take the rewind wing and the screen unit off, but it fit perfectly in there.

 

Sadly, i no longer have the steenbeck or the VW.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Perry Paolantonio