Cargo van builders

[theoldprof]

When building up a cargo van, you have plywood on the floor and plywood "short walls" on the sides by the wheel wells. The e track can be fastened to the short walls. Question: Do you secure all this plywood with nuts and bolts, or wood screws and self drilling/threading screws. How do you fasten the whole structure to the side vertical ribs of the van? Thanks :+ :+

 

[terryandrene]

Prof:
I use slotted angle iron (avail home depot, lowes) fastened at the base of the walls and bolted to the floor wood. I mark, on the floor wood, the preferred location of the fasteners, then I remove all the wood from the van, drill 1/2 inch hole where marked on the floor and on the under side of the floor I insert a "T-nut" (home depot). Now reinstall everything and fasten the walls to the floor using using 3/4" long machine screws or bolts thru the slotted angle and into the T-nuts. I dont fasten the wood directly to the floor beecause I cut it to fit the floor profile; it won't budge. If you prefer, you can screw your floor wood into the floor using all purpose dry wall screws or self tapping screws ( no drilling required for either) Fasten the rear ends of the wall to the door frame and you need not fasten to the wall ribs if you've got a forward wall fastened to and running perpendicular to the side walls.

this all sounds clear to me as I type, I hope you feel the same.

Buy wood soon as the price is increasing daily; it's gettin quite expensive due to the rebuillding of afganistan, Iraq and now the hurricane damaged southeast.

 

[theoldprof]

terryandrene,

Sounds perfectly clear to me sitting at my desk. However, when I start to build, that will be a whole new situation. How many vans did it take to figure this all out? This whole structure is only secured at the rear door and also at the front bulkhead? As far as buying material now, I still have a job until school is out next summer. No need to rush out and buy just yet. Just thought of something else. How is the front of your short wall on the passenger side secured? Does your bulkhead come back that far? I have seen pics of your van but I can't quite figure some of the stuff out. Thanks. :+ :+

 

[terryandrene]

We're on our fourth van but had it done like tis on the second with improvements ever since.

There is no short wall on the passenger side. Each side wall, of mine, is 10'6" from rear door to front, just behind seats. A transverse wall is behind seats connected to each of the sides. Basically it's a tree sided box, open at the rear. An access hole is sawn in the side, at the doors, for luggage access. our bed base of 3/4 ply is supported by the the walls.

 

[pellgrn]

Do you use half inch plywood?