- A roof rack, including one with lockable storage
- A false roof gives loads of space to tuck things away
- A false floor with a hatch to access the space
- Shallow drawers and labeled clear storage boxes help organize smaller items
- Larger storage boxes and bins
- Wood or aluminum are best for shelving
These are all great options that can help you keep your plumbers van in better condition and organization. Making it easier to do your job without having to search for the tools that you need all of the time.
Many of these options are easy and you can install by yourself with minimal work and expertise. Or you could always have a professional do the job if you are feeling uncertain about how to go about it.
Use a Roof Rack
A roof rack is an ideal racking solution for storing long and bulky items on your plumbing jobs. This could include long pipes and ladders or other pieces of equipment that don’t fit in your van.
You can purchase an affordable roof rack and install it on the top of your work van. This is an easy vehicle alteration and will leave you with additional space on the outside of your plumbing van, such as rods for cleaning drains and ladders.
Many roof racks have lockable storage on top, so your items are secure.
Maximize Wall Space
There are all kinds of great wall racking ideas to help you utilize and maximize all of the wall space in your van. Utilizing that extra space for storage instead of having everything on the ground.
You can do this in a number of ways, but a few simple ways would include hooks. Hooks are a simple and very effective way of utilizing wall space in your plumber’s van.
You could also use old or spare pipes and secure them to the van walls with brackets. This is a very easy way to add some storage for smaller tools that have a tendency to get lost. This is also great for cords and wires that tend to become tangled.
Create a False Roof
You can create a very useful false roof by installing brackets or holders to hold up a large board or metal slats. This will divide your van into two portions, a smaller top portion and the bottom portion.
This extra storage area is great for storing ladders, pipes, pieces of wood, and other long pieces of equipment. This creates an ideal storage space that is out of sight and gives you an easy way to tuck away larger items.
Just make sure it is very secure, otherwise it can be a safety risk if it falls down.
Create Shallow Drawers
You can create shallow drawers much like you would create shelves in a van. You can do this by building a type of cabinet racking or shelves with a deep lip at the edge.
This will create a shallow drawer that will keep all of your equipment in place securely as you drive. But you won’t end up losing important tools in deep and unorganized drawers.
These shallow drawers can be installed along with the van’s interior walls or side doors. This last idea can really help you to have fast and easy access to your tools for when you are on the job.
Create a Workbench
A workbench is a great way to incorporate some hidden space into your plumbing van. It can also give you a spot to sit in the cargo area of your van for days when you are working.
You can build a very simple workbench out of wood with a basic latched top that can be removed for storage. The inside can be left open for larger items, or you can build additional sections for storing smaller tools.
This is an easy way to add some extra contained storage to your work van without actually changing the van itself. For extra security, you can always secure the bench to brackets on the floor to keep it firmly in one place.
Use Boxes
One very easy and effective way to organize your plumbing van and make it easier to access your tools is to buy storage boxes. These can be special hardware boxes or simple storage bins for holding and organizing items.
These are great, especially when you have a bunch of larger and bulkier pieces of equipment that can’t be organized or placed on a shelving unit. Storage boxes are an easy way to get equipment out of the way and contained.
Having clear boxes or ones that are labeled can also help to make it extra easy to find what you need, when you need it. This can cut back on the time you spend trying to locate certain tools.
Install Shelves
Shelving is the most common type of van racking that people install in their vans. This is because it is not only a simple installation, it is very effective for organizing the contents of your van.
These shelves are typically made out of aluminum or wood and can be attached to the van’s interior walls with brackets. This is an easy installation that anyone could do with a few basic tools and equipment.
Shelves are great at organizing your plumbing equipment and keeping everything at eye level. This type of racking allows you to see everything you have, so you can find what you need without wasting time.
Create a False Floor
You can create a false floor for easy and hidden storage for all kinds of equipment and trolls. This is a very popular way of adding space to a work van to help keep things organized and neat looking.
You can create an easy false floor by using legs or some kind of storage container or cabinet to hold up a false floor. This can be done to create a section of hidden storage that is revealed when you remove the false floor top.
You can do this to simply have some hidden space, or you can add a bunch of shelving or cabinets underneath.
Van Racking for Plumbers Is Very Useful
There are many amazing benefits to adding van racking to your plumbing van. It is a complete game-changer and can help you do your job even better.
Every plumber should at least consider adding van racking to their work vehicle as it adds so much space for organizing and storing. Turning a large cargo section into a usable and efficient place for storing tools.
Here are some of the biggest benefits of adding racking to your work van.
More Space
It will, of course, not literally add more space, but it will add more usable space.
This will allow you to better store and organize your tools and equipment, so that you can do your job better. Being organized will help you to not only look more professional but will help you to work faster and more efficiently.
It will also allow you to take more with you so that you can be prepared for a wider variety of jobs. This is ideal as a plumber as you never know what a job might entail until you get there.
Visibility
Having racking installed in your van will give you an amazing amount of visibility when it comes to the equipment that you have. This is a great way to stay organized and not waste time trying to find things.
Most racking ideas include putting things at eye level—making it easy for you to find exactly what you need without too much searching.
This can help you to work faster and keep better track of what you have in your van at all times.
Organization
Racking provides a great deal of organization that is next to impossible to achieve any other way. It utilizes every area of your work van, giving you the ability to organize all of your necessary equipment.
There is no other way of organizing your van that works quite as well as installing racking does. It allows you to utilize all of that interior wall space that frees up the floor—giving you more room to move around and more organization.
Efficiency
By having all of your tools organized and within eyesight and arms reach, you will be able to work more efficiently. This allows you to work faster and spend less time trying to find exactly what you need for each job.
This can be a lifesaver when you are in a time crunch and have multiple jobs to get done.
Van Racking is Typically Made From Wood or Aluminum
There are two very common options of materials when racking your van. One is aluminum, and the other is wood, these are the two best options.
Most van racks will be made of one of these materials, whether it be done professionally or by yourself. They both have their benefits and downsides, so choose carefully when picking the material.
Wood Racking
Wood racking is a great option for those building their own van racking. It is strong and dependable as well as affordable.
The big downside to wood is that it can be very heavy. You want a certain amount of heaviness as it gives the wood strength to hold up items, but it can become too heavy. Too much weight can wear on your vehicle and slow it down considerably.
Wood is also vulnerable to moisture and will soak up any fluid nearby if given the chance.
Aluminum Racking
Aluminum is slightly more expensive but is often the better option if you plan on putting heavy equipment on your racking. It provides a higher weight capacity while remaining relatively light.
It can be harder to install, which is why many professionals use aluminum, and DIY’ers don’t.
Pros and Cons of Adding Racking to Your Plumbing Van
Like any other project, adding racking to your plumbing van does have some pros and cons. There are always potential downsides to making any adjustments to a vehicle.
Before you start this kind of project, you should always weigh out the pros and cons to make an educated decision. Read up on the details of this kind of project, so you know exactly what you are doing before you start.
Pros
- It gives you extra space to carry more tools and equipment with you on your job. Allowing you to do more work at the moment as you are prepared for a wider variety of problems.
- Racking helps you to organize your work van better and keep it tidier. This is ideal for when you are going from job to job and need to work quickly and efficiently. Racking can cut back on time wasted trying to find what you need.
- You could be adding additional value to the work van. If you ever plan on reselling it, this extra storage could increase the value of the van for the next person who plans to use it.
- Having racking installed can help you keep track of what you have, what you need to replace, and what is damaged. This can help to save time and keep you more organized and professional looking to plumbing clients.
Cons
- By installing racking, there is always the chance that you could be lowering the vehicle’s value. If you plan to resell it, the additional racking may throw off certain buyers who don’t want racking and so make it harder to sell.
- If you decide to install the racking yourself, you run the risk of damaging your van. As you are not a professional, there is always the chance that you may make a mistake that could damage the van.
- If not installed correctly, van racking could be a safety risk as it might fall and hurt someone or damage the van.
- Additional storage can add weight to your work van, which can raise your gas expenses and wear out the tires faster.
You Will Need a Few Pieces of Equipment to Install Van Racking
To make your own van racking, you will need just a few basic necessities to get the job done. Many of these racking ideas are very simple and low maintenance, so you don’t need a lot of equipment.
Here are some of the tools that you will most likely need to install van racking. It will, of course, depend on the type of racking you install, but you will most likely need these tools all the same.
Basic Tools
These are most likely items that you already have lying around in your work van, and could include tools such as:
- Screwdriver
- Flathead screw
- Hammer
- Pliers
- Measure
Of course, the tools you will need will depend on what you are using to install your racking.
Brackets
Brackets are the most common item used to secure your racking to the inside of your van. These can be easily attached to your van with minimal damage and can hold up a great deal of weight.
They are also great at securing items to the floor, such as a workbench to avoid having it sliding around as you drive.
There are other tools you can use to secure your racking, but brackets are the most commonly referred to and easy to use. They can be found at any hardware store.
Wood or Aluminum
Aluminum or wood are the most common materials used to build racking inside a work van. They are both affordable options as well as being sturdy and long-lasting.
Which option you choose will depend on personal preference. For the beginner or least experienced, wood is the easiest to work with and is easy to find as well.
You will also want to take into consideration how heavy your equipment is when you are buying the materials.
Items for Securing
Along with your brackets, materials, and tools, you will need some items for securing. This could be screws, nails, glue, or any other hardy securing item.
Screws are ideal as they can hold much more weight and provide a sturdier end result. Anchors can also be used for screws if you do not think that they are sturdy enough on their own.