THE VAN RACKING SPECIALISTS
A Fiat Doblò for a multi-utility company
Every Syncro Ultra racking solution is unique and tailored to meet the customer’s needs. Syncro installers take everything into consideration and satisfy all possible customer needs. They can do this thanks to the amazing flexibility of Ultra racking, which permits any type of horizontal element to be combined with any other to create fully personalised racking systems and make full use of all available space. This page illustrates a Fiat Doblò fitted out by Syncro System for a utility company that provides refuse collection and water supply maintenance services and also manages the production of clean energy from renewable sources. The Doblò is the smallest of the vans the company operates, and is used primarily to maintain mains water pipes.
Bodywork liners
As with all racking solutions designed according to Syncro’s recommendations, the installation in this Doblò began with the provision of proper protection for the interior, since the standard van bodywork is, as usual, not able to withstand years of normal wear and tear. The floor is protected by a marble-look plywood floor liner with recessed cups that permit easy use of the van’s original floor anchor rings. Syncro strongly recommends that all vans be fitted with at least a floor liner. Floor liners provide an even surface, protect the original floor against scratches and dents, are easy to clean and make loading and unloading so much easier. The top sections of the rear doors, the parts most exposed to damage, are protected by prepainted steel panels.
The Doblò’s racking system: storage and workshop in just a few square metres
Exploiting the versatility of Syncro Ultra racking, two floor-level compartments have been created on the left side wall, one open and one partly enclosed. There are also three drawers and three shelves. A pull-out vice bench and a paper roll holder complete the racking on this side, giving the Doblò the functionality of a workshop with plenty of room for storing tools, sundries, spares and items of equipment.
Moving from bottom to top on the right side wall, we can see a partly closed floor-level compartment, a shelf of plastic containers, two metal drawers and two open shelves.
It is worth noting how regularly spaced holes make Ultra side panels ideal for fitting additional accessories and also allow end users to move racking components up and down as needed.
A custom solution: an underfloor drawer unit on top of the floor!
Customers with small vans often ask for an underfloor drawer unit to combine generous storage space with the ability to use the entire floor surface for cargo and to move around freely inside the van. The Doblò illustrated in this photo gallery also features an “underfloor” drawer unit, but this time installed on top of the floor and covered with a second panel of marble-look plywood mirroring the look of the floor underneath. This solution gives the customer a double advantage:
- 1. A generous pull-out drawer that can be opened from the van’s side door,
- 2. The ability to use the marble-look panel covering the drawer as a raised floor on which to place cargo and equipment where it can be lashed in place using the cargo rail and straps on the van’s bulkhead.
Roof bars and accessories to complement the van racking system
As the first photo shows, the roof of the Doblò is fitted with a roof rack complete with a roller at the rear for easy loading and unloading. This useful accessory permits bulky cargo to be transported on the roof, freeing up valuable space inside the van itself.
So if you have a Doblò and want to find out how you can make full use of all available space, browse through the pages dedicated to this little Fiat van, starting here!
And if you want to see more examples of racking system for water mains service and utility companies, look here.