Holding my van shelf to Van's wall

[Keitai]

I ply in which the hook holding my heavy shelf up is damaged and coming apart, I figured to fix directly to van wall. Shall just screw hooks with self tappers or use the holes already in the side (as ive temporarily done in pix)?

 

[HERTS P&D]

Here we go again!

Andy

 

[Munroast]

pop riveting on is best - but do be careful to just get the inner skin, you don't want them visible from the outside of the van, that could give the impression to your customers, present and future, that you were a bit slap-happy.

 

[big-all]

i have made shelve units for at least 5 vans for a shelve i would simply use 2x1 par[21x44mm] only use the metalwork for support but also screw to the panel as that helps make the whole setup ridgid
you just countersink the baton nothing else i use wood screws about 1/2" 9-12mm more than the say 21+9+2mm[32mm] so 1 1/2 -1 3/4" 40-45mm the screw will take about 5 seconds longer to make its way through the strut but will be the tightest possible now i dont use metric as they have weaker shanks and screw heads can shear off they can also have flutes that act like a chisel so any hidden wiring can be abraded rather than pushed to one side
the shelve its self will need a say 2x1" baton on all open edges
if the shelve is going to be heavy loaded, a baton tightly fitted under shelve to van floor fixed to the wall to stop the load bouncing off the wall
try and avoid a shelve only fixed to one wall with open legs as they will move and fail far more easilly

 

[Deleted member 174758]

On my last van (a Berllngo) I pop-rivetted some perforated aluminium strips to the ribs on each side and fixed my 4mm plywood sheathing and shelves to those. The plywood also retained some mineral wool insulation which made the van warmer and quieter. My plywood shelf units went down to floor level rather than depend on using the van sides to carry much of the weight

 

[big-all]

yes definately best floor up as say 3 or 4 box units made from 12mm ply with backs on side by side
i just got the impression it was a shelve with open space underneath ??

 

[big-all]

just further to add all open corners need legs to the floor and not "hung off the wall" floating shelve style where the load at the front edge is pulling the back top edge off the wall

 

[Keitai]

yes definately best floor up as say 3 or 4 box units made from 12mm ply with backs on side by side
i just got the impression it was a shelve with open space underneath ??

They've been resting on ply over wheel arches but slowly disintegrating. Could build floor near ground around wheel arch