Clever solutions for storage under bench DCiV

[Eurotransit]

Hi there,

The Transit Custom has all sorts of little bins and pockets for a variety of stuff that usually find its way into a car in and around the cockpit area including doors.

A place that I deem ultimately suitable for storage of stuff is the under bench area in my DCiV. Ford however has left that space completely open, with in my case only a removable rack to keep things from sliding out underneath (I presume).

Simply putting stuff there means it slides around from left to right and vice versa. Also it looks like crap as it's all in plain sight. The older DViV 2001 model I had, had a full cover under the bench that I made removable/foldable for easy access to the under bench area. That was a pretty good solution. I could keep stuff in there that I do not need daily but is handy to have at hand in a van. Things like rags for different purposes, tie downs, straps, rope, towing cable, jump leads, spare lights, umbrella's, safety vests, the like.

I'm looking for ideas on making the area underneath the bench more useful. Any of you done some DIY or found something aftermarket to help do that? If not, anyone got any bright ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Alex

[S60r]

Yes it's a pretty dead area in terms of using the space.... mine has the bars across the front so the only access is from the sides when the sliding doors are open. I have 3 black size 12 shoe boxes under there which are perfect for size. I stuck some self adhesive Velcro tape on the underside of them so they don't move whatsoever.... but I have to open the side doors to access them so it's a clumsy solution.

I really want to cut my bulkhead so I can slide 3 meter lengths through the van at floor level as my bulkhead is solid without the flap, so until I have decided which way to go I have left it as shoe boxes as they aren't noticeable and store first aid kit, jump leads, emergency battery pack etc.

Mine is the LWB and I can get 2.4 lengths of timber on the diagonal but with the bulkhead flap or cut I will get 3 metres to the bars under the passenger bench seat which I guess is what the bars are for in the DCIV. Just a bit strange that the flap is obviously an option. It would also be very handy if the seats folded flat but I think it would lose the 5 star Ncap rating if it had that feature.

Let me know if you think of a good solution for the space!

[Freedomtrek]

Yes it's a pretty dead area in terms of using the space.... mine has the bars across the front so the only access is from the sides when the sliding doors are open.

I think you'll find those bars are removable with a screwdriver.

[SteveOh]

I think you'll find those bars are removable with a screwdriver.[/quote]

Just bash the bars upward, then slot them out...

[loko]

The bars just slot in as i found out today when i thought i had snapped them off

[Eurotransit]

Yes, the bars are easily removed with a gentle push upwards. They also have two mounting positions! There are three holes in the seat base. You can put them in the bottom two holes or in the top two holes.

I'm thinking of making wooden boxes (covered in speaker box fabric or something) on sliding rails. Either so they can be slid out the sides or slid out from underneath the seats. As I'm also looking for a place to add rear speakers in the DCIV and I'm told it is illegal to modify the original devider (it's a customs thing) I'm thinking of making the boxes slide out to the sides. I could then mount speakers in a nice looking front panel under the seats.

I have no idea yet how viable this all is, as I don't know the floor structure of the van yet. Can rails be safely mounted and what type of rails would be available to do so. Also if modifying the devider was allowed I don't know how well the speakers would cope with a DCIV load area as a soundbox.

[S60r]

Not allowed to modify the divider? Do you mean the bulkhead? I'm sure you can do what you please to it can't you? You can remove the thing if you so choose!

[Eurotransit]

Yeah I mean the bulkhead. My info may have been out of date somewhat. But in The Netherlands it would seem that you are not simply allowed to remove the bulkhead completely. At least not without applying for a different tax bracket as the Van loses its designation as a van and becomes a car, if that makes any sense. It has to have a full hight full width bulkhead fixed in place as if permanent. So not simply removable as one desires.

I'm not sure about modifying the bulkhead by adding speaker holes or a means to slide long lengths through anymore. Hard to find info about the Dutch rules on that. But that would be my first choice for the rear speakers, cutting a hole and adding a box to the rear.

As far as under seat storage I'm thinking more and more about mounting a slide system underneath to build drawers to.