van floor.. 2 finalists compete head to head

[LDB]

I've found a local auto body shop that will install the etrack for me with a combination of systems they use in auto repair they say is more secure than any system alone. It will cost me $170 plus tax to have 10 pieces of 2' and 2 pieces of 5' etrack installed. For the plywood I'm down to two options. I'm not going to have the plywood overlap the etrack at all. The margin above the mounting holes of the etrack will give room for snapping in straps.

Floor 1 is 1/2" plywood with a layer of Reflectix beneath it. Screws would be used to secure it.

Floor 2 is 5/8" plywood without the Reflectix beneath it. Liquid Nails would be used to secure it.

Either of those options should put the plywood even with or maybe about 1/16" higher than the etrack. The 1/2" plywood alone would be lower than the etrack and I don't want that. So, which is the better option?

 

[greg334]

Why not get two 10 foot sections and cut off what you don't need?

Ever think of L-track instead?

It seems to work for those crazy sprinter drivers and saves a lot of weight. After a year and a half with the van, I should have used that with light wieght e track on the sides for my wood sockets.

http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/truck-talk/38281-van-cargo-control.html

I would go with the 1/2", it worked for me and I used no reflex under it.

 

[LDB]

I went to Northern Tool which is just down the street. They have 2' and 5' so I got the 5' for the side walls that FedEx requires and the 2' pieces to do the floor that I want. If I used 1/2" alone the etrack will be higher than the plywood. I didn't think that was a good idea.

 

[greg334]

I wouldn't use the 2 footers on the floor, if they were on the walls ok but get two 10 foot sections and put that down on the floor. The short sections can flex enough to pop up on you when you are loading something heavy.

FedEx requirements?

Well there are a bunch of their vans that don't have anything on the walls.

 

[chefdennis]

I'd use the 5/8 but id screw it dow, i have changed my floor setup 3 times, if i had glued it down, that would have beeb a bigger pain then it was with screws.....oh and the wood is a good insulator on its own..i just walked on mine with no shoes or socks and its 36 out and was colder last night..all was good.

 

[jaminjim]

Leo are you sure of your measurements? E-Track Trailer Cargo Control - Horizontal - 5 Foot Long E19148 : Trailer hitch bike rack and trailer hitches - etrailer.com If these are correct your 1/2" plywood would be slightly higher than the E track. I personally would not use such short lengths. I would prefer to have more screws holding on to the piece of track. Again I would never use Liquid Nails for something I might need to remove.

 

[LDB]

I was going by the track and plywood laying in the van. The place that is installing the etrack for me will be using a specialized bonding compound used in auto body repair combined with 8 rivets per 2' piece of etrack. They do all sorts of work on high end cars and it's not a one stall seat of the pants shop. I believe they know what they are doing and they assure me this mounting system is stronger than anything else I could do. There will also be spot welds on the 4 corners. They tell me it will rip the van floor out before letting go or failing. I'll double check the thicknesses again as that illustration suggests the 1/2" is sufficient. If I put Reflectix beneath it I'll use screws to go through both.

 

[flattop40]

I voted other. As in your other thread I told you what I did. 3/4" I do have a question for you however. Why put freflectex under the plywood? If you are doing it for insulation purposes you are defeating the purpose of the reflectex. In order to secure the plywood well enough you will squish the reflectex too much and make the insulation value almost null and void.

 

[greg334]

Four tack welds in the corner? Are these the two foot lengths or ??

 

[LDB]

Yes, that's on the 2' pieces.

 

[greg334]

I think it would be a wiser choice to use the 10 foot sections instead, or at least 5 foot. The two foot sections make no sense unless you are staggering them along the floor and cutting out holes in the plywood so they can fit through.

 

[LDB]

The 10' would be too long and I have no way to cut them. The 2 pieces of 5' and 10 pieces of 2', which are just enough to do my van, were all the stock they had in the store.