Small Van Modifications

Ok so I have a small van. A Citreon Berlingo its a common size of van and has a lot of space inside. However a lot of that space is wasted. Its just a lot of air being driven around and the loading area is limited. But if you build a parcel / crate shelf then the van becomes much more user friendly. So here is a quick idea to make a shelf that is easy to fix into the van and easy to take out. It also fits inside so you can carry it around with you.

I have had a number of small vans over the years and I have always modified them to suit what ever I wanted them to be. (Not the engines or mechanics, but the internal and external bits and pieces.)

This is a light-weight internal shelf which folds away inside the van cargo area.

3 wooden beams approx 1 inch square and longer than the width of your.. Van..!

3 or 4 pairs of shoes laces.

Sheet board, mdf,plywood,chipboard etc. Once again wider than the width of your.. Van..!

Some odd nails screws etc to fix it all together.

Ok now inside your van there are the two metal bulkheads. On the inside 'Frame' of the van these make two shoulders near the wheel arch on each side. Take an approx measurement for one of the wooden beams. Cut it 'LONGER' then you need, because your going to 'WEDGE' that beam across the width of the van between the two shoulders of the bulkhead. Now do the same for the second wooden beam, this time the width of your shelf. See the Photo... With the two wooden beams WEDGED across the van you can now measure up the sheet material to make the shelf with.

The shelf has to fold so that you can put into the van and take it out. If you make the shelf in one single piece then it might not fit between the doors and sit flat on the wooden beams. So the Shelf Folds. I used another long shoe / boot lace to make a zig-zag running stitch which holds the two parts of the shelf together but allows you to easily fold it up and over.

Also the 3rd wooden beam... Remember that... It has to be cut and fixed as a shelf STOP! To stop your crates and boxes flying off and hitting you on the back of the head. Imagine and emergency STOP! and the crate bounces off your head and straight through your wind screen. Not Good..! So make the shelf stop with the 3rd wooden beam...