Posted in cargo van, Commercial Van

Work Van Organization Ideas for Your Next Upfit

Working van used as home van

Cargo van shelving ideas play a vital role in your business. It serves as a locker, storage cabinet, workbench, and office when your employees are on the go or at the job site. When workers can easily find tools, supplies, and equipment, the job gets done quickly and efficiently. What’s less obvious is that work vans also serve as a calling card for your business.

A poorly organized, unreasonably messy work van speaks volumes about your business, even if this is the wrong message. Now, think about the opposite. Imagine a van that is perfectly organized from floor to rooftop. Even though it can be a bit worn and dirty at times, your work van is a model of efficiency and ingenuity.

TIPS FOR A WELL-ORGANIZED VAN

Upfitting a van is an exercise in how knowledgeable you are about your trade and what is needed on the go. If you have upfitted a van before or purchased one that was used, you’re probably intimately aware of its virtues and shortcomings. Chances are, there were a handful of frustrations that made the workdays longer and made you actively long for the day when you could replace the old work van with something new. Use these frustrations as inspiration for designing the perfect work van.

Place large and bulky items near the doors – Nothing is more time consuming than needing a bulky piece of equipment and having to pick through the van just to get to it. By positioning important things near the door, they are easy to remove at the job site and stow away when the job is done.

Make everything accessible – Make sure tools and materials are easy to get to with no latches, straps, or barriers blocking the items you need. Everything needed for a certain task should be accessible in a single quick motion, which cuts down on fumbling and increases efficiency.

Label everything – A place for everything and everything in its place. Labeling makes it easier to put things in the correct location. Also, a labeled space with nothing in it means something is missing, making a visual inventory so much easier. Even the most disorganized crew member should be able to effortlessly navigate the cabin and put things back where they belong.

Make space for multiple tools – Frequently used tools can fail, so when designing space for electric screwdrivers, for example, allow for two or three of them instead of one.

Don’t forget lighting – Lighting matters, even during the day. A well-lit cargo area means better visibility and a safer work environment.

Build task-oriented toolboxes – Depending on what your van is used for, a great way to organize it is by task. Each task gets a separate tool kit filled with everything necessary to complete that specific task.

Things will get dirty, and that’s OK – A work van is meant to get dirty. A typical workday will see mud tracked in, dust and dirt settled in corners, and cheeseburger wrappers balled up and thrown on the floor. A great design can alleviate the mess with strategically placed trash cans, flooring that is easy to clean, and a modular design that makes deep cleaning a snap.

Posted in cargo van, Commercial Van

WORK VAN STORAGE & ORGANIZATION IDEAS

Nissan Commerical Vans
WORK VAN STORAGE & ORGANIZATION IDEAS

As a business owner, your time is valuable. You may not be able to add hours to the day; but with some preparation today, you can save time – and potentially money – in the future. You can start with your vehicle. By taking advantage of these work van shelving ideas, you and your employees may be able to work more efficiently.

You might need to set aside some time to plan out how you’ll implement these cargo van storage ideas. If you own or manage a fleet of vehicles, you can develop work van organization ideas that you can deploy across all your trucks, which may further increase efficiency.

VAN SHELVING IDEAS

These handy pieces can help with van racking by giving you a blank slate to install a custom shelving system. The wall panels can also help keep your cargo area free from sheet metal dents and scratches.

Get easy access to whatever tools or equipment you need with an in-vehicle drawer storage system for your NV Cargo or NV® Passenger. These setups have the added benefit of weatherproof construction to help keep your gear safe and dry. To further simplify organization, use drawer dividers and labels to keep parts and tools together by size and type.

VAN STORAGE IDEAS

With long days on the road, you need a workspace that is as comfortable as it is smart. The NV Cargo and NV Passenger are available with a locking center console with room for a laptop and hanging files and innovative under-seat storage  that can accommodate loose items. Use the center console to create a filing system so you can keep receipts, invoices and other important papers organized. NV200 includes six standard wall-mounted cargo tie-down points and is available with six more mounted to the floor.  Up front, the NV Cargo, NV Passenger and NV200 feature a front-passenger seat that folds flat to create a work desk.  The NV200’s available composite cargo mat provides an anti-skid, stain-resistant surface. It also acts as a heat and noise insulator, which can make the interior more comfortable and quieter on the road.

VAN RACKING IDEAS

While every business is different, equipping your van with a racking system can help keep your gear tidy and maximize available space. Some van racking ideas for carpenters include the use of drawer units to hold screws and storage boxes to stow power tools. Some van racking ideas for plumbers can include the installation of pipe carriers to help prevent them from rolling around. You might also consider specialized storage compartments for unusually shaped tools.  Among van racking ideas for electricians are modular shelving units with tray dividers and floor boxes for things that might need extra security. 

To help realize your van shelving ideas, Nissan Aftermarket vendors can offer custom solutions  that can help with van racking, including custom, adjustable shelving systems, ladder racks, partitions and more. To help you build out your vehicle for the unique needs of your business, we offer qualifying customers an Upfit Allowance of up to $1,000 through the nationwide network of NTEA member companies.

Posted in Commercial Van, Ideas & Tips

5 Van Life Ideas For Your Next Campervan Conversion

van life ideas - kitch 2
5 Van Life Ideas For Your Next Campervan Conversion

Looking for work van shelving ideas to create the perfect work van conversion? Here is a list of 5 inspirational van builds to help you out. Whether you’re starting a new build or renovating your old van, be sure to give this article a read, first.

From electronic beds to a log cabin on wheels, we’ve scoured the internet to find the best and craziest van life ideas out there.

The Best Van Life Ideas You Must See To Believe

Here below, I present the culmination of our collective firsthand experiences (plus copious amounts of browsing the Internet): the top 5 best van clan ideas for any adventure!

Van Life Ideas 1-10: Practical Considerations

First and foremost, your van life ideas should be grounded in reality. It’s easy to daydream and go on flights of fancy about what you might do and how you might live on your adventure van. But remember that quality of life is important–as you’re going to be spending a lot of time in that space!

Idea #1 – A Stow-able Bed that Retracts into the Ceiling

This electronic, movable bed is our top van life ideal not only because it’s amazingly practical–it is just so cool! Struggling to decide between the convenience and comfort of a fixed bed and the thought of being able to pack it away and have more space? Well with a bed that can retract up into the ceiling, you can have both.

There are four posts that the bed base moves up and down; stowing away in unused ceiling space by day, then lowering down again just in time for bedtime. The advantages of this are that you simply make your bed in the morning, then send it zooming up, out of sight, giving you so much more space to play with through the day time.

This is the best, quickest way to have two completely different day and night setups. On the downside, the systems can be heavy and expensive, but if you can make it work then we think the positives greatly outweigh the negatives!

Idea #2 – Clever Storage Throughout the Van

Storage is essential within any home, but that’s especially true in van life. Because this is an alternative lifestyle, you’ll have to get clever with your storage ideas to meet your needs.

There are many different types of storage out there. Drawers work better than cupboards in a van, as it is easier to access their contents and they can be kept organised more easily. Pockets and pouches on the walls of your van can be a great way to store small items such as books and phones–especially in the bed area.

When thinking about storage, remember that things slide around when driving. Smaller spaces work well, as the items within them have less room to move. Also remember that any shelving will need something to keep the items from falling out; rope can be a good solution for this. Get clever and us every nook and cranny in your van, you can never have enough storage!

Idea #3 – Solar Panels for True Off-grid Living

If you’re wanting to build a true off grid home, then solar panels are a must have on your van! This is one of the most practical van life ideas: Endless free power to charge all of your gadgets while you’re on the go. 

Being able to draw as much power as you like, completely independent of campsite plug-ins will greatly enhance the feeling of independence of and self-suficiency. Once you’ve gone solar, you will never want to go back. 

I know what you’re thinking: “what about when it isn’t sunny?” Well first, solar panels don’t need bright sun and clear blue skies to be effective, although they obviously work better in these conditions. Second, it’s quite possible to rig your van with a batter, where you can store the sun’s energy for a rainy day. Finally, producing your own power to cook, heat showers, and power gadgets is a great way to lower your carbon footprint. So, what are you waiting for?!

Idea #4 – Nothing Beats Fixed Beds at the End of the Day

Just picture this; you’ve had an amazing day out on the trail, you’ve just finished eating a beautifully cooked meal, and you’re more than ready to climb into your warm, soft bed. But wait, where is the bed? Oh, of course, it’s packed away and needs putting together and then making with a sheet and the duvet and pillows… nooooo! Avoid the bed building doom and consider a fixed bed in your campervan conversions.

Having a bed constantly out really makes a campervan feel like somewhere you could spend a lot of time. Having to build your bed at the end of each day just isn’t ideal, and anyone that’s been in this position would agree that having a fixed bed is a true luxury.

Some may argue that you lose so much space in the daytime but more often than not, you’ll find that even with a fixed bed you’ll still have enough space to have everything else you may want in a van, even a seating area and table. Plus, you gain so much handy storage underneath the bed, and by not having a space to pack your duvet into every day. This is one of the van life ideas that is seriously worth considering.

Idea #5 – Swivelling Van Seats Up Front

The cab area in campers is often lost to those hours spent driving–and is rarely more than a dumping ground for outdoor coats and shoes that have nowhere else to go. Try making a feature out of the seats, rather than leaving them an afterthought for a little van life Aikido.

Enabling one or both of the front seats to spin round and become chairs in the living area of the van means that you don’t need to take up extra space in the back of your van by building another seating area. The front seats in a campervan are usually more comfortable than the standard bench seating, so it makes sense to utilise the comfort! To really tie it all together, add some beautiful covers that go with the interior of your van.