Since its first appearance on the market, back in 1981, the Fiat Ducato has been a top choice for commercial van buyers. The various models produced in the years since have increased positive qualities of the vehicle, keeping it competitive in the market; the various versions of the Fiat, Citroen and Peugeot have sold over 4.5 million vehicles. The latest model with cleaner lines, out in 2006, is even more adapted to Syncro System upfits and the installation of racking units – making it possible to truly maximize its cargo space. The pictures on this page show a complete upfit of the Fiat Ducato with cargo ramp, ladder rack and shelving units. The first step, in any upfit, is the the protection of the cargo walls and floor. In this Ducato, the customer chose pre-coated galvanized steel paneling, completely covering the side walls and upper and lower parts of the rear doors, while the floor panel and the bulkhead are protected with chequered plate aluminum panels. The upfit on the left side consists of two wheel arch base frames: one over the wheel arch, complete with front door panel, and the other (1.5 meters long) equipped with the Syncro storage and locking system for transporting utility and power tool cases. Above the wheel arch frames is a drawer unit with four drawers and a large shelf that is closed with a space-saving vertically opening front door panel. Above that, is a 25mm wooden worktop, complete with raised side and back edges: a functional workbench where work can be carried out in comfort and safety. Towards the van's bulkhead, you can see a shelving unit with three shelves with a total of 23 removable plastic containers. At the very top of the left hand racking unit, there is a long shelf with raised sides and a hinged front locking flap – perfect for transporting tubes, pipes and other long objects. Mounted above the worktop is a drawer unit with 16 forward-tilting plastic drawers – the ideal way to keep all your small parts conveniently visible and at arms length. On the right side, we've installed a simple yet practical racking unit: a wheel arch base frame with forward-tilting baseboard . Above that, there are six shelves with polypropylene containers: 36 total including 20 (31 centimeters deep) and 16 (26 centimeters deep).

The Syncro System catalog is full of many useful van accessories, making work on the van and on site easier and more productive. For this upfit, we mounted two LED ceiling lights (10 watt and 15 watt) just above the work space. Both are compact and low energy consumption but let off a nice, bright light that keeps the whole mobile workshop lit! On the right side, we also mounted a spray can holder, a folding workbench with mounted vise, a silicone tube holder and a first aid kit. On the Ducato's roof, we mounted a double ladder rack with cushioned rear rolling bar for easy ground loading and unloading. In the middle of the ladder racks, we also mounted a stainless steel, roof-top tube carrier, to transport tubes, pipes and other long thin objects.

Last, but certainly not least, we mounted a steel and aluminum rear loading ramp that can hold up to 1,500 kilograms. Thanks to a built-in system of springs and shock absorbers, it can be effortlessly opened, or folded up and swung out of the way (when not needed). To ensure our client's protection against eventual robbery, we added UFO locks to both the back doors and the side doors.

Click here to discover other Ducato upfits, interior protection and floor panels, roof and ladder racks.