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Show us your van fitouts!


Mark Kenfield

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

 

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And she's a blank canvas:

 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

 

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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.

post-62970-0-96522400-1508526992_thumb.jpg

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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.

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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 by JB Earl
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. 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.

22829408_1945219662466259_91870519225007

Edited by Mark Dunn
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  • 1 month later...
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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:

 

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Edited by Mark Kenfield
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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 by Mark Kenfield
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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.

22829408_1945219662466259_91870519225007

 

 

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 by Perry Paolantonio
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