A work van allow a person to take their tool with them, and because a work van allow a person to take their tool with them, the way that those tools are stored has a direct impact on the person’s productivity. Nothing stop a tradesperson in there tracks like searching for a tool within a pile of other tools, or worse yet, realizing that they have left a tool behind within the van. Good tool storage will save a tradesperson time, protect there expensive tool, and prevent them from injuring their back in the process.
There are a variety of different storage solution that may work for a tradesperson who utilize a work van. Some solution include storage solutions along the walls of the van, overhead storage rack within the van, tool drawers within the van, pegboards within the van, mobile tool chest, vertical tool divider, a ladder rack on the roof of the van, modular cases for power tools, lighting within the van, and labeling of the storage areas within the van. Each of these solutions has its own benefit, but also includes some tradeoffs associated with each solution.
Best Ways To Organize Your Work Van
1. Custom Shelving Systems
One of the best storage solution for tool storage within a work van are custom shelving system that are constructed along the walls of the van. These shelving system usually include both aluminum and steel frames that are constructed to the interior of the van, and that include shelving that can be adjusted to the height of the tools and components that is stored within the van. These types of shelving system allow a tradesperson to utilize every square inch of the van to store their tool, allowing them to store a significant amount of tool within the van.
Additionally, the shelves can be angled to prevent any tool from moving forward within the van while the van is working, and gaps can be left within the shelving for long tool to be stored within the shelving system. The major tradeoff with shelving system is the initial cost and time required to build these shelving system, but they will last for many year and eliminate the need for tools to ever be out of place during their workdays.
2. Overhead Storage Racks
Overhead storage rack that are constructed to the ceiling within the van are useful for tool that are relatively light in weight, and for tool that are not used as often as the other tools within the van. Tool that may be stored within these overhead rack can include extension cord, safety gear, and boxes of fastener that may only be needed once or twice each week. Because the storage rack are constructed to the ceiling, they do not take up the same amount of floor and wall space as the other storage solution. Additionally, the weight of these rack should be kept to a minimum, and the item stored within the rack should be secured to ensure they do not fall off the van while the person is driving. Overall, using these type of storage rack will allow the tradesperson to create a calm and open workspace within the van, increasing the feeling of spaciousness within the work van.
3. Drawer Systems
Drawer system that are constructed within the floor or along the walls of the van allow the tradesperson to avoid the need to open door that may interfere with their work. Instead, the tradesperson can simply open a heavy-duty drawer to reveal the tool that are needed for their work. These types of drawer are helpful for small tool, drill bit, and other hand tool. The one main tradeoff associated with drawer system is the need for the drawer to be constructed of material that can support the weight of the tool that are to be stored within the drawer. Cheap drawer slide may fail over time, preventing a tradesperson from being able to access the tool that are stored within those drawer.
4. Pegboards
Pegboard are often constructed along one or both of the walls of the van. These pegboard allow for the tool to be hung from the pegboard with hook, magnetic strip, and other specialized tool holder. Using these pegboard is helpful for tradespersons who must frequently jump in and out of their work van, as the tool can simply be grabbed from their pegboard in only two second. The tradeoff with using pegboard is that the tradesperson must develop a habit of placing the tool back onto the pegboard when they are finished using them from their work location. Additionally, if a thin layer of foam or rubber is constructed behind the pegboard, the tool will not rattle within their pegboard, which will help the sanity of the tradesperson and their neighbor.
5. Mobile Tool Chests
Mobile tool chest that are constructed on wheel allow the tradesperson to transport the tool to the location where they will be utilized. These mobile tool chest can be transported into the van for transport to the work site. Each mobile tool chest can be outfitted with the tool that are to be utilized during that day’s work, avoiding the need to transport unnecessary weight. While mobile tool chest offer many benefit, one tradeoff is that they do take up some of the floor space within the van, as well as require the mobile tool chest to be tied down during transport.
6. Vertical Dividers
Vertical divider that are constructed along one of the side of the van are used for the storage of long tool and component. Tool such as pipe, trim component, conduit box, and ladder are often stored within these vertical divider to avoid the tool from colliding with each other while the van is in transit. Additionally, these vertical divider can be constructed with slot for the long tool, as well as with simple plywood panel with padding for the tool to be stored within the van. This vertical tool divider will prevent the tradesperson from having any issue with their long tool arriving at their job site with any damage to their surface. Additionally, placing these vertical tool divider into the van also prevents the chance of any of these tool from damaging other tool within the van. Another type of tool that can be stored within a work van is ladder.
7. Ladder Racks
One way of storing these ladder is in a ladder rack that is constructed on the roof of the van. Such ladder rack often include roller and tie down for the ladder to be easily loaded onto the ladder rack, even when the tradesperson is working alone. The tradeoff for implementing such a ladder rack is that it may reduce the fuel economy of the van, as well as that the ladder rack must be secured to the roof to avoid theft of the ladder.
8. Modular Cases
Another method of tool organization within a van is the use of modular case for power tool. These modular case can be cut to the size of each individual power tool, allowing each tool to have a proper home within its case. Additionally, these case can easily be stored within the van on the shelf or in the drawer of the van, and can be removed in their entirety to use the tool that are within them. By creating modular case for each tool, the tradesperson will save time during their workday, as they will not need to transport any tool that may become damaged during transport. Additionally, the modular case allow for a tradesperson to easily see if any tool are missing prior to leaving the shop. Additionally, there are also lighting and labeling consideration for organization within a work van.
9. Lighting and Labeling
LED light can be constructed along the shelf of the van, as well as along the ceiling. These light will allow each tradesperson to see into every corner of the van, even at night or in dark location. By including labeling of these drawer and bin for tool, the tradesperson will also avoid spending ten minute searching for the appropriate size bit for their tool. While both lighting and labeling might seem to be small detail, they have a major impact upon the organization of tool within the van. Regardless of the storage solution that are selected for a work van, the best solution is to create such storage within the van according to the way in which the individual tradesperson perform their work. Each tradesperson can begin to analyze their most commonly used tool and place them in the easiest location within the van for access.
Additionally, various storage solution will reveal some tool as being more beneficial to utilize than other over time. Ultimately, if the tool that are needed for a tradesperson’s job have a home within the van, and if those tool are always found within that home, the van becomes a true workshop on wheel. By becoming a workshop on wheel, each tradesperson will have added hour to each week’s productive time, as well as will have spared themselves from injuring their back or becoming frustrated with their trade work.
