Only Syncro’s van racking experts know how to get the functionality of an industrial warehouse and workshop from a 3x2 metre cargo compartment!

Optimisation is the key to achieving this goal. It enables the vehicle’s owner to be fully operational at all times and to arrive at the work site with all the parts and equipment needed to work autonomously.

The photos on this page illustrate a Fiat Ducato L2 H2 with a cargo compartment of 3.12x1.87 metres (even narrower at the wheel arches). The van belongs to a forklift maintenance company.

Both sides of the vehicle have been equipped with racking, with the left serving mainly as storage for large parts and tools while the right serves as a work area with drawers for small tools and sundries. The bulkhead is well equipped with cargo retaining accessories. Let’s take a closer look.

The first decision to be made when fitting out any van is how much of the interior to line, and with what materials. There are no “ifs and buts”. Protecting the bodywork, even partially, is essential.

Covering the thin sheet metal from which the bodywork is made with robust lining panels protects the vehicle against dents and cuts. This is a life insurance policy for your van; it keeps the bodywork in tip-top condition and avoids expensive pit stops at the body repair shop.

The Ducato in these photos has had its walls and doors protected by pre-shaped and pre-drilled panels of painted steel sheet, a material that is not only tough but luminous and easy to clean.

For the bulkhead panelling and floor liner, the customer chose 12 mm thick marble-look birch plywood. Spacers in the floor channels ensure a perfectly level walkable surface that is supported at all points. The plywood panels at the bottom the bulkhead have been reinforced with aluminium tread plate to resist wear by the heavy loads likely to be carried there.

The Syncro team also covered the rear bumper with a stainless-steel footplate with a non-slip relief surface to make it easier and safer to climb into the vehicle.

Racking covers every inch of the left of this Ducato L2 H2, in height and length. The floor-level compartment over the wheel arch has been turned into a useful storage space by the addition of a lift-up door. The compartment alongside houses a portable compressor which is held in place by a hook and strap lashing system fixed to a Syncroblock bar.

The remaining storage on this side takes the shape of shelves, five of which (counting the top two) are open, the four others being equipped with lift-up doors. All the shelves have non-slip mats in the bottom and can be partitioned as needed with internal dividers. The unpainted item visible in this configuration is a sealed, stainless-steel tray for transporting jerry cans of fuels and oils with no risk of spillage. The tray even has a bottom grille and can be removed easily for occasional emptying and cleaning.

The rear-facing side panel is fitted with a number of accessories including a multi-purpose metal pocket and a paper roll holder – one of the van’s cleaning accessories along with a handwash kit and soap dispenser.

At compressed air hose reel is installed at the top.

The right of the Ducato includes a work area near the side door. This consists of a marble-look plywood workbench with metal vice and a series of drawers for small tools, spares and sundries.

The floor-level compartment is particularly large and is equipped with a lift-up door. Each of the 12 drawers has a non-slip mat, internal space dividers and Syncro’s patented latching system. A small top shelf completes the configuration.

The side panel near the rear doors is equipped with essential safety accessories: a fire extinguisher bracket and a first aid kit.

The bulkhead is dedicated entirely to cargo retention. It has been fitted with three parallel ROTM rails, the bottom one equipped with a heavy-duty lashing strap with ratchet tensioner, the others with adjustable, telescopic hooks.

At the bottom of the bulkhead is an area for supporting heavy items of cargo, on which the plywood liner panels have been reinforced with aluminium tread plate.

One of the basic requirements of any service mechanic is to be able to work autonomously without having to return to base repeatedly, lengthening repair or service times because something important is missing!

Autonomy can be partly achieved by planning ahead. You know what you need in advance and take it with you... but that’s not always enough. What else could you need?

• An autonomous electricity supply can be achieved by installing a generator or an Ecoflow power station.
• You may also need a compressed air supply for operating pneumatic tools or blowing parts clean.

In this Ducato L2 H2 for forklift maintenance, two pieces of equipment, in addition to the large warehouse section, help satisfy the customer’s need for autonomy: a powerful but lightweight portable compressor that can be used even outside the van, and a hose reel for distributing the compressed air supply.

Get in touch now! We’ll arrange a non-binding consultation on how best to transform your van.

But remember, Syncro racking systems really do revolutionise the way you work, so once you’ve had one you won’t be able to do without!

If you want to explore other solutions first, take a look here:

Other Syncro racking solutions for the Ducato

Mobile workshops for servicing forklifts

Lining solutions for the Ducato