I’m not the first person to bang his head against the sheet-metal wall of the Ford E-150, so maybe someone can advise me about how to mount or create and mount shelving into the damn thing!
Last November I bought a ’99 E-150 with 69,000 miles for $6,995. The gut I bought it from threw in some nice shelves on the condition that I install them myself. OK, I thought, I’d rather do it anyway.
I had to do it 4 times before I figured a method that doesn’t work itself loose within a week, but even it is sort of cobbled together. It seems there must be some hardware kit that one can order that I’m not hip to.
Also, I see guys in the lumber yard parking lot who seem to have lined the walls of their van with 1/2″ plywood. This is a great way to anchor lots of shelves and bins wherever you like. For the life of me, though, I can’t think how they do this. Somebody please advise, I’d be very grateful.
T.I.A. –
Benjamin
Replies
Could you use toggle bolts in the C channels?
Jon Blakemore
Ben, in my old van I built the shelves out of 3/4 ply and fastened to the ribs of the van (2x2 and 4x4 light ga. (hardware store) angle screwed to the ply and self-tapping short steel stud screws to the ribs. I used uprights that conformed to the curved sides of the van and sat them on the floor. On the bottom I fastened a pad to the shelf end and secured that to the 1/2" ply I laid on the floor. Shelves were cleated to the sides and I ran some cupboard stock on the edges that provided a 3/4 lip to the shelves to prevent boxes sliding off. I kept 50" apart from 1 side to the other (at the height of my horses) so I could lay 49" sheetgoods flat on the horses. Careful planning on what can fit where is the ticket. Plan according to use, so if you slide ply on edge for transport, you don't need what's behind it. These things never came undone. And, as you can see, gives an IGA look to camping.........
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
What ever you do, make sure they won't shift in an accident. I had someone run a stop sign, and the next thing I know is I was trapped between the steering wheel and the racks that got ripped from vans walls wondering if the next thig was going to be a punch in the lips from the air bag!
bake
Here's my GMC Safari with 3/4" side walls. I used self drilling screws to attach to the
van and did horizontial rips in plywood to make it conform to the curve in the wall of
the van. That made a great base for attaching anything you want to the walls
I have tried many different approches to van shelving and the latest creation seems to be working great. At the side doors are shelves for all my tools, including my mitre saw. You cant climb inside the van from the side but if i am carrying a load of material i dont have to unload everything to get to the saw or the cordless. Also i can load 10 foot drywall on its side through the back, and secure it with a load strap to the back of the tool shelves. Shelves on the other side of the van hold all the screws, nails and other stuff that i just have to cart around ( possibly for ballast). Nothing is perfect and i still have to crawl in the back to get my portable table saw but this works good for me. I find that if it is easy to put away it will be, even on a friday of a long weekend. A picture is worth a thousand words but I dont have a digital camera, just a keyboard.
I have one of those and am in the process of removing the interior and building something lighter. I have a bunch of scrap alum. C channel for my cargo box. The first version was neatly framed in 2x3s, like a house. However, a house doesn't move and the weight of the interior was reducing payload and adding to gas costs.
Try to stay away from that 3/4 ply if not really needed. It adds weight and a 1/2 ton doesn't have much payload. I just pulled my 3/4 floor up and what a load.
Contractors and such should really be driving the E250 or E350.
The GMs are much easier to fit with shelves as they have a series of ribs that you can use to attach horizontal battens.
With the E150 you have to think like a boat builder. Lay out a line on the floor where you want your shelf units to end and then scribe templates to fit the sheet metal for the sides of the shelf units. I find that truss clips, TEKs and bolts work well to secure the side - but take a care that there is double metal there. Nothing like poking a hole in the exterior.
I have a computer workstation/office unit behind the driver's seat. It's done in 15/32 ply attached to the E150 with truss clips here and there. Works just fine. The rest of the interior is a 6.5' bed with 54 CF of storage under in four cargo holds and a rear slideout shelf on 100# glides. It becomes a mini RV in season. Very comfy for car camping.
ToolBear