# Thinking of buying this for my service truck. Thoughts?



## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

Has anyone used these in their work trucks? I have a Dodge Ram work truck with a 6.5' bed and a work canopy. 
Thinking of getting one of these to hold my drills, my breakers, switches etc. 

I also pull a trailer most of the time but I'd rather be able to leave the trailer except on certain jobs. 

https://m.lowes.com/pd/WEATHER-GUARD-Pack-Rat-Drawer-Unit/1000045371











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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

I have one in my van, it is okay, probably would work just fine in the service truck though.

I would like to get rid of mine and get one of these:


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## Bgoss7788 (Aug 3, 2017)

Switched... are those aluminum or steel and also what company sells them ?


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Bgoss7788 said:


> Switched... are those aluminum or steel and also what company sells them ?


The ones he posted are aluminum

Anyone that carries truck/van accessories such as American Van has them.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

I've had a service van with the large pack rat in the back and a stack of 3 drawers on the side door, they really hold a lot of stuff.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Bgoss7788 said:


> Switched... are those aluminum or steel and also what company sells them ?


Mech is right... They are aluminum... and that is from American Van...
https://www.americanvan.com/heavy-duty-aluminum-slide-drawer-storage-units-with-top-shelf.html


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Dr.... Mine is currently 11 years old and works pretty good. The only issue with it is someone broke into the van years ago and drilled out the lock... Stupid thing wasn't even locked, just real hard to depress the button...

It still slides like a champ and does the job of holding stuff. Mine isn't a weatherproof version though, so I can attest to how well that works.


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## Bgoss7788 (Aug 3, 2017)

Switched said:


> Bgoss7788 said:
> 
> 
> > Switched... are those aluminum or steel and also what company sells them ?
> ...



Thanks good to know great site too


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

I've got one in my truck. I hate it.

It is a one drawer unit and there is no place to put my tools or tool bags because all the service parts go into the drawer. I have to either mount the thing right at the back of the truck and put my bags on top where they dump over or move the thing forward a bit then I have to move ALL my bags to open the effin drawer!

It is a real pain in the butt to get to the front of the truck and all the crap and tools roll under the unit. 

If you are dead set on getting one get the multiple drawer unit.


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

The one I'm looking at is 13" high so I hope it holds more. And it's under a canopy. 


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Drsparky14 said:


> The one I'm looking at is 13" high so I hope it holds more. And it's under a canopy.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Keep two things in mind, if the drawer is so large it will be heavy and could be hard to slide back in on some inclined parking positions.

More important if you are loading any thing in on top of the pack rat the increased height will make getting heavy items in on top all that much harder.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

I have both. The weather guard is best of the best and made to go in the back of a pick up, so it handles weather like a champ? It is also heavy as ****. 
If it is going to be inside a van or out of the weather I would go with the stackable AV ones as they take up less room. Plus that little tray in the top is really nice for cordless ****. Not near as heavy duty though.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

I worked out of a van and I made some drawers out of wood (yea, it's heavy, but a lot cheaper). I had 2 long drawers about 16" wide (from the back of the van to the side doors) and to the left of them I had an open space for 10' conduits. (I had the extended van, 1-ton).

On top of that I had three shorter drawers. On the side door I had three short drawers on the bed and two longer ones stacked behind the seats. Then I had two shelves, one on each side of the van and a shelf on top of drawers behind the seat.

I love it. I almost never got into the van for anything and had a lot of room to put stuff.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

hardworkingstiff said:


> I worked out of a van and I made some drawers out of wood (yea, it's heavy, but a lot cheaper). I had 2 long drawers about 16" wide (from the back of the van to the side doors) and to the left of them I had an open space for 10' conduits. (I had the extended van, 1-ton).
> 
> On top of that I had three shorter drawers. On the side door I had three short drawers on the bed and two longer ones stacked behind the seats. Then I had two shelves, one on each side of the van and a shelf on top of drawers behind the seat.
> 
> I love it. I almost never got into the van for anything and had a lot of room to put stuff.


I've seen some guys that have built a false floor at the height of the tire wells throughout their vans and it seemed the drawers and storage underneath was a decent idea. 

When I saw the guys in there on their knees the idea seemed far less cool.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

sbrn33 said:


> I have both. The weather guard is best of the best and made to go in the back of a pick up, so it handles weather like a champ? It is also heavy as ****.
> If it is going to be inside a van or out of the weather I would go with the stackable AV ones as they take up less room. Plus that little tray in the top is really nice for cordless ****. Not near as heavy duty though.


I have only had the steel weatherguard unit in the back of vans and there are many pluses and minuses.

I've seen plastic units and aluminum but always wondered if they hold up anywhere near as well with weight tossed on top of them or riding around under weight.


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## lightman (Oct 14, 2015)

I had the Weatherguard one in the back of my van. It worked well. I used it for locknuts, bushings, pipe nipples, lb's, ect. A lot of the farmers around here have one in the back of their trucks used as a toolbox. Its a lot of weight over the backend so make sure your suspension is up to it. I wished I had mounted mine in the side door instead of in the back but I never had the down time to move it. I did buy a sheet of aluminum plate and had it broke and welded so that I had a 4 sided open top box on top of mine with 3 or 4 inch sides. 

The Utility I worked for mounted them under the back of their bucket trucks. They were usually loaded really heavy with bolts and pole hardware. They gave good service even in those conditions.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

lightman said:


> I had the Weatherguard one in the back of my van. It worked well. I used it for locknuts, bushings, pipe nipples, lb's, ect. A lot of the farmers around here have one in the back of their trucks used as a toolbox. Its a lot of weight over the backend so make sure your suspension is up to it. I wished I had mounted mine in the side door instead of in the back but I never had the down time to move it. I did buy a sheet of aluminum plate and had it broke and welded so that I had a 4 sided open top box on top of mine with 3 or 4 inch sides.
> 
> The Utility I worked for mounted them under the back of their bucket trucks. They were usually loaded really heavy with bolts and pole hardware. They gave good service even in those conditions.


I always wanted mine on the side door instead of the back because as so often in city parking spaces it was completely inaccessible in the back.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> When I saw the guys in there on their knees the idea seemed far less cool.


That is the downside, but I could pretty much reach everything w/out crawling, just getting in and (like you said) on my knees and reaching to the shelf. Those were things like vacuum/blower, bucket of jet line, a box with oddball things I don't often use.

Most everything could be accessed outside of the van. I liked it but understand it's not for everyone. To really be effective I had a 6x12 open trailer that I could pull if I needed a bunch of conduit or transporting 1,000-amp panels, etc.


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

hardworkingstiff said:


> That is the downside, but I could pretty much reach everything w/out crawling, just getting in and (like you said) on my knees and reaching to the shelf. Those were things like vacuum/blower, bucket of jet line, a box with oddball things I don't often use.
> 
> 
> 
> Most everything could be accessed outside of the van. I liked it but understand it's not for everyone. To really be effective I had a 6x12 open trailer that I could pull if I needed a bunch of conduit or transporting 1,000-amp panels, etc.




That's what I use is a 6x12 for larger items. I keep my conduit on the roof of the truck. 


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

I know my truck is messy right now, but that's why I need the drawer lol. 


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Drsparky14 said:


> I know my truck is messy right now, but that's why I need the drawer lol.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Pushing that 1/2-ton just a little?


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## trentonmakes (Mar 21, 2017)

hardworkingstiff said:


> I worked out of a van and I made some drawers out of wood (yea, it's heavy, but a lot cheaper). I had 2 long drawers about 16" wide (from the back of the van to the side doors) and to the left of them I had an open space for 10' conduits. (I had the extended van, 1-ton).
> 
> On top of that I had three shorter drawers. On the side door I had three short drawers on the bed and two longer ones stacked behind the seats. Then I had two shelves, one on each side of the van and a shelf on top of drawers behind the seat.
> 
> I love it. I almost never got into the van for anything and had a lot of room to put stuff.


Thats what i was thinking but for the bed of the truck









Texting and Driving


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

hardworkingstiff said:


> Pushing that 1/2-ton just a little?


Lol!

Looks like 1/2 ton in the pic!


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

trentonmakes said:


> Thats what i was thinking but for the bed of the truck
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is basically what I did in my van (construction was a little different but looks very similar). I didn't have a drawer on the far left side (this is where the conduit went), and I had stacked a 2nd set (a little shorter in length and height) then some on the side in both on the floor at up behind the seats. 

I loved working out of that setup.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

A raised floor in a van is nice to slide an extension ladder into as well as full sticks of pipe.

But all the work and money put into some normal style vans would be better spent just getting the high roof option. Pretty much every van manufacturer offers it, I think GM's is coming out soon.

Think about if your shop had 2 steps to get in the front door. That's the same thing as a high roof van. You just always step into it and walk around as if you were in the warehouse. Everything is easy to get to. 

Plus, you have almost 50% more storage space since a normal van is a little over 4 foot high while a high roof van is usually a little over 6 foot high. You get taller shelves and have lots more room, this way there is no need to put anything ont he floor other than the material you are working with at that moment.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

hardworkingstiff said:


> I worked out of a van and I made some drawers out of wood (yea, it's heavy, but a lot cheaper). I had 2 long drawers about 16" wide (from the back of the van to the side doors) and to the left of them I had an open space for 10' conduits. (I had the extended van, 1-ton).
> 
> On top of that I had three shorter drawers. On the side door I had three short drawers on the bed and two longer ones stacked behind the seats. Then I had two shelves, one on each side of the van and a shelf on top of drawers behind the seat.
> 
> I love it. I almost never got into the van for anything and had a lot of room to put stuff.


Was it you or someone else that was building out a bus for a work truck?


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Drsparky14 said:


> I know my truck is messy right now, but that's why I need the drawer lol.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I think HD threw up in your truck....

I remember when I first started and worked out of my Ford Ranger... Ah the good ole days!

If business is good... Maybe you would be better off investing in a new/used van or service truck? The ability to organize will create enough efficiency for you to pay for the vehicle, as well as the ability to add a little more stock if needed.


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## Glock23gp (Mar 10, 2014)

MechanicalDVR said:


> I've seen some guys that have built a false floor at the height of the tire wells throughout their vans and it seemed the drawers and storage underneath was a decent idea.
> 
> When I saw the guys in there on their knees the idea seemed far less cool.


I'm building a false floor in my new medium roof transit. Didn't really want to lose the ability to stand up inside but when floor is built I only have to turn my head slightly sideways standing upright in it. 

Can't wait for no more crawling. Bulkhead and 3 drawer itemizer ordered 2 hrs ago...

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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Switched said:


> Was it you or someone else that was building out a bus for a work truck?


It wasn't me.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Glock23gp said:


> I'm building a false floor in my new medium roof transit. Didn't really want to lose the ability to stand up inside but when floor is built I only have to turn my head slightly sideways standing upright in it.
> 
> Can't wait for no more crawling. Bulkhead and 3 drawer itemizer ordered 2 hrs ago...
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk


You will have to post pictures, Hax demands visual stimulation of the high roof variety.


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## FVSparky (Jul 30, 2017)

A bed slide may benefit you. I run a similar set up. Here's a photo:










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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Glock23gp said:


> I'm building a false floor in my new medium roof transit. Didn't really want to lose the ability to stand up inside but when floor is built I only have to turn my head slightly sideways standing upright in it.
> 
> Can't wait for no more crawling. Bulkhead and 3 drawer itemizer ordered 2 hrs ago...
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk


A false floor is great for pipe and strut and possibly extension ladders depending on height but in a normal van that crawling is the pits.


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

I have a few cans for my employees br I prefer to work out of my truck. FVsparky I like your setup, what brand bed slide is that and how heavy duty is it? 

I also contemplated a bedslide on top of the pakrat 


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## FVSparky (Jul 30, 2017)

Drsparky14 said:


> I have a few cans for my employees br I prefer to work out of my truck. FVsparky I like your setup, what brand bed slide is that and how heavy duty is it?
> 
> I also contemplated a bedslide on top of the pakrat
> 
> ...




Made by "bedslide" rated for 2000lbs, very heavy duty and rolls super smooth. 


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## Glock23gp (Mar 10, 2014)

HackWork said:


> You will have to post pictures, Hax demands visual stimulation of the high roof variety.


Beginning concept...

3 drawer 49" deep Weatherguard Itemizer going in side door sliding out sideways.

2 3" pvc could have a 2" some 3/4 and strut which is more than I carry now. 
Those 2 could also be a 1 6" pvc also.









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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

That's a lot of space in front of the 4' ladder. Put the it on the right side and make access to the extra space from the side door. Maybe slide a 2' ladder in there. Or make a drawer. Or just space for a bin.

FWIW, there is a LOT more space in 1 6" pipe than there is in 2 3" pipes, so I would go with that.


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## Glock23gp (Mar 10, 2014)

HackWork said:


> That's a lot of space in front of the 4' ladder. Put the it on the right side and make access to the extra space from the side door. Maybe slide a 2' ladder in there. Or make a drawer. Or just space for a bin.
> 
> FWIW, there is a LOT more space in 1 6" pipe than there is in 2 3" pipes, so I would go with that.


I have it that way now just forgot to delete the middle pic. That's where the benders are is a good sized space for storage or a drawer. If you zoom in on it I wrote storage in pencil 

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## Glock23gp (Mar 10, 2014)

Like this with leaving it open for benders or making a nice long storage drawer next to the itemizers









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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Looks good, keep us updated.

Also, it's time for you to get a new Glock. The 5th gen is out and they don't have the finger grooves. The 19/23 will finally be comfortable for people like me with bigger hands that had issues witht he finger grooves.


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## Glock23gp (Mar 10, 2014)

HackWork said:


> Looks good, keep us updated.
> 
> Also, it's time for you to get a new Glock. The 5th gen is out and they don't have the finger grooves. The 19/23 will finally be comfortable for people like me with bigger hands that had issues witht he finger grooves.


Saw them in my email yesterday.
Gonna check em out

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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

For me, I would hate having to watch my head and bend my neck when inside my van. I like being able to move around and do work in there without hitting my head or neck strain.

What you are going to fit under that raised floor is similar to what I have up against my divider:

A 6' ladder, a 4' ladder, and a 2' ladder:









In addition to that, I left a space about 10" wide in front of the shelving on the driver's side of the van. In that space I have 3 shovels, 2 benders, a broom, a few long drill bits, 2 sets of sticks, and I still have plenty of room to stand other stuff in there.

I don't have a picture of it with the stuff in there, but here it is when I first got the shelving:









I put 2 big hooks on the front face of the shelving to hold the shovels and benders. I mounted the sticks and long bits to the outside wall.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Isn't a 2' ladder illegal?


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## Glock23gp (Mar 10, 2014)

HackWork said:


> For me, I would hate having to watch my head and bend my neck when inside my van. I like being able to move around and do work in there without hitting my head or neck strain.
> 
> What you are going to fit under that raised floor is similar to what I have up against my divider:
> 
> ...


I like that idea. Unfortunately for me your Sprinter is taller than my medium roof and a 6' Werner doesn't stand up inside. ;-(

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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

But about that drawer..


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

HackWork said:


> For me, I would hate having to watch my head and bend my neck when inside my van. I like being able to move around and do work in there without hitting my head or neck strain.
> 
> What you are going to fit under that raised floor is similar to what I have up against my divider:
> 
> ...



I would need to keep a ladder in there just to reach the stuff on the upper shelves. True story.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Drsparky14 said:


> But about that drawer..
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Honestly if they are going to be out of the weather go with the american van ones. They are about half price and easier to open and close.


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## Glock23gp (Mar 10, 2014)

sbrn33 said:


> Honestly if they are going to be out of the weather go with the american van ones. They are about half price and easier to open and close.


I was going to get the one from AV but there are no reviews or brand name to check reliability and I know the itemizers are top quality so I don't have a problem let spending a few hundred more for a known quality product that will last my career.

Hack has me second guessing my false floor now lol.

Think I'm just gonna put the itemizer in the front facing sideways and leave the back half open to stand up in.

I'm like a little girl and can't make up my mind....

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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Glock23gp said:


> I was going to get the one from AV but there are no reviews or brand name to check reliability and I know the itemizers are top quality so I don't have a problem let spending a few hundred more for a known quality product that will last my career.
> 
> Hack has me second guessing my false floor now lol.
> 
> ...


My last two vans that is what we did and the guys like it. We went with the stack able one and put them right behind the bulk house give the guys a great place to put there cordless crap with the tray on top. 
One of our older vans has the weatherguard facing sideways also but I don't really like it much it is heavy duty but really heavy. It takes up a lot of room also by being so high.


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## Glock23gp (Mar 10, 2014)

sbrn33 said:


> My last two vans that is what we did and the guys like it. We went with the stack able one and put them right behind the bulk house give the guys a great place to put there cordless crap with the tray on top.
> One of our older vans has the weatherguard facing sideways also but I don't really like it much it is heavy duty but really heavy. It takes up a lot of room also by being so high.


I have a 5 drawer stack I built myself behind my bulkhead in my old van. Wanted to do that with my new one but that screws the ability to put conduit straight in so that wouldn't work.

The itemizer is only 6.5" tall it's not the big one like the 12" tall ones that's why I went with it because it's long and shorter and will fit good under the driver side shelf I'm building.

I'm gonna do the stack drawer later I think inside the slider on the passenger wall facing forward.

I have everything figured out except where all my tools are going to go. I'm like a mobile Milwaukie dealership...

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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

This one is pretty nice as well. http://cargo-ease.com/product/cargo-locker/


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Drsparky14 said:


> But about that drawer..
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Excuse me, but this is now my thread.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Glock23gp said:


> I was going to get the one from AV but there are no reviews or brand name to check reliability and I know the itemizers are top quality so I don't have a problem let spending a few hundred more for a known quality product that will last my career.
> 
> Hack has me second guessing my false floor now lol.
> 
> ...


So how about this idea...

Instead of going with the wide drawer system that has 3 drawers next to each other, how about going with the narrow one that has 3 drawers stacked on top of each other? You can even stack 2 units (the tray on top is an accessory, it's not permanent, so you can stack the units).

So basically behind the seats you would have these stacked 6 or even 8 high, kinda serving as a divider. And then you would still have access to step in from the side door:










Mounted in this fashion:










EDIT: I see you already talked about this in later posts lol.

I see you said you don't like that idea because you won't be able to put conduit in, but these don't go all the way back to the driver side of wall of the van. You can put a conduit tube under the shelf or even cut it into the shelf on the driver's side of the van.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

I want a truck with a sweet roll out tray and organized cases on it with a kickass ladder rack.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

HackWork said:


> For me, I would hate having to watch my head and bend my neck when inside my van. I like being able to move around and do work in there without hitting my head or neck strain.
> 
> What you are going to fit under that raised floor is similar to what I have up against my divider:
> 
> ...


O M G that is so nice.


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

https://www.inlad.com/adrian-steel-...rs-full-wide-deep-stow-all-assa40?page_id=980


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Drsparky14 said:


> https://www.inlad.com/adrian-steel-...rs-full-wide-deep-stow-all-assa40?page_id=980
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That costs more than all 3 huge shelving units in my van cost with installation, including the one with the drawers and cabinet.


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

Decided to go with the Adrian steel one 


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

Got a sweet deal on it, only 350 bones. 


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Drsparky14 said:


> Got a sweet deal on it, only 350 bones.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You made out like a bandit.


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

HackWork said:


> You made out like a bandit.




That's what I was sayin. It was used but barely used. 



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## lightman (Oct 14, 2015)

I think you will like it! I saved the boxes that conduit fittings and such came in to put odd parts in. It cuts down on "shelf" wear and helps reduce noise. Work vans have plenty of rattles!


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

I have Weatherguard and Knaack boxes before and the minute you put them in your vehicle you can see them begin to rust.
I called the factory and their solution to the problem was 2 cans of spray paint.
If they made a Aluminum model I think I could go that route. 

LC


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

Lone Crapshooter said:


> I have Weatherguard and Knaack boxes before and the minute you put them in your vehicle you can see them begin to rust.
> 
> I called the factory and their solution to the problem was 2 cans of spray paint.
> 
> ...




I can understand that, but I have mine inside a canopy 


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

It's only been the first day with it, and I haven't loaded it up exactly how I want to. It it has made getting things in and out of my truck so much easier. 


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

I've had those same rat packs in a long string of company trucks, lv 'em :notworthy:~CS~:notworthy:


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## d2043 (Nov 12, 2013)

I have had one for years. I love it. I have the 3 drawer. On another truck I had the 4 drawer. You can haul a lot of fittings and parts in them and they are heavy duty built.
Mine is a weatherguard brand.


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