Rear Shelving - Interstate GT

[Tronadora]

Grand Tour Storage Shelf - Part One

Having been intrigued by Pahaska’s rear shelf creation, I’ve been conjuring up a method to install a shelf at a lower level for storage of my “garage” items. Then Alex beat me to it with his shelf project. But wait... I still have some tricks up my sleeve.

Over the past seven months of being on the road, I’ve been spending day after day packing and unpacking my garage items in a demented game of Jenga meets Tetris. The last thing in, and the first thing out, each day was our wonderful reclining zero gravity camp chairs. But there were many days we did not use them and I have been wishing I didn’t have to deal with them or their awkward bulk. They had to go away in order to make way for some improvements. So now we use Strongback folding chairs. They are surprisingly comfortable and take up a LOT less space in the back of the van. https://amzn.to/2Qod2um

Like Alex, I too used a standard shelf from a big box store but I have introduced some unique features you might like. I covered my shelf with a vinyl product from Lowes that looks like fabric. I edged it with oversized C-channel so that the vinyl would fit underneath the aluminum and used spray adhesive to hold it down flat. I added a T-Channel underneath that acts as a spine to reduce sag. Then I installed low profile cabinet pulls and their mounting screws hold it all together. Bungee cords hook onto the cabinet pulls to secure cargo.

If you want more detail, you can read the blog post about it:
https://www.winstonsadventures.com/b...state-part-one

Coming Soon: Grand Tour Storage Shelf - Part Two

[Pahaska]

Nice shelf. We all use our AI in different ways and I can see that yours fits your use.

We don't use the bed extensions, so I went high so that we can hang clothes between the bed and the rear doors. I can't quite get two of my covered bins stacked on my shelf, so now I wish I had either gone a bit higher or a bit lower. My shelf is 1' below the overhead cabinet. Next time (if there is one) I would settle on about 9" or 10".

[Alex AVI]

TRONADORA - I like it. On my shelf, I used a long strip of 1"x1" molding as an edge retainer so things don't slide off when I open rear doors. But I have nowhere to attach bungee, rope, straps, etc. I really like your cabinet pulls idea. I will remove my 1"x1" molding and install similar cabinet pulls. They should perform the retaining function and even take less space. Thank you for the ideas.

[bugsbunny]

Love the Cavalier too!

[Tronadora]

Pahaska - Wait for Part Two....

Bugsy - Thanks, our Cavalier has turned out to be a really great travel dog. Lots of charm and personality to boot.

Alex - Thanks for the thumbs up. If you want to up the cool factor, here is another alternative that would serve dual purpose for you as a classy railing and provide multiple places to hook a strap. It's a whopping 40" long made by Richelieu and available at HD for $34. One idea is have this fancy one facing the rear and still go with the garden variety $2 pulls on the interior side.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Richelie...9170/202212126

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Tronadora

railing and provide multiple places to hook a strap. It's a whopping 40" long made by Richelieu and available at HD for $34.

TRONADORA - thats a nice railing. I wouldnt mind spending $34 or even a little over if it comes in 50" coz that is the width of my shelf, the part that sticks out past the power screen. If not, the cabinet hardware is very nice. I know they even come much longer sizes.

[Tronadora]

As promised, I have finished the second tier shelf. This one is a little wider and rests on the magazine box, but not on the same little shelf that the lower shelf rests on. This distributes the weight, but still all the weight of the two shelves and their cargo is sitting on top of those two magazine boxes.

As a follow-up to Part One... I found those little ledges that support the lower shelf are not strong enough. They are only held up by two wood screws. So in one of these photos you will see a couple of bolts that add strength. The angle bracket in that photo is the anchor point for the upper shelf support pieces.

Those magazine boxes don't sit on the floor but are attached to the wall of the van. It's one thing to support the weight of both shelves and their cargo when sitting at the campsite, but with all the jolts one can experience on rough roads and abrupt pavement seams... you know, the kind that can break battery boxes from their moorings and send batteries hurtling to the pavement (happened to me, and to Eyechip)... it gives one pause.

I don't want those magazine boxes to tear loose on the road so we have decided to only load the upper shelf when parked and place those bins on the furniture when traveling. Easy to do and adds peace of mind. The last photo shows the T-Channel I added for shelf stiffness.

For a detailed description of how this got put together, here is the link to the blog page: https://www.winstonsadventures.com/b...state-part-two

[Alex AVI]

J8h

Originally Posted by Tronadora

As promised, I have finished the second tier shelf. This one is a little wider and rests on the magazine box, but not on the same little shelf that the lower shelf rests on. This distributes the weight, but still all the weight of the two shelves and their cargo is sitting on top of those two magazine boxes.

TRONADORA - Nice work. Good stuff adding 2nd shelf. I would've added one myself, but I needed a certain minimum height for 1 racing bike, so I am limited to 1 shelf.

BTW - are you not using the pullout metal support previously used for the headboard flip downs? Its a hefty metal bar. It certainly supported 300 lbs very easily (me + wife) when I tested it long ago . It is same level as top of the mag boxes. It is pulled all the way out, with 2 bolts to keep it attached to shelf. Then 3 bolts through top of each mag box to unitize entire structure with bed frame & side walls. It aint moving. Most of my shelf weight is supported by the pullout bar with no sagging, no stiffening angle iron, even at 69"×16".

I am like you, no heavy weights stored on high cabinets or shelves. Only pillows, sleep pads,
folding mats, and sleeping bags. Even if have one of my race bikes on it, its only a 15 lbs. bike.

Mine sticks out past power screen. Actually power screen rests on top of shelf

[Tronadora]

ALEX - Oh my word! You've reminded me of something I left out. We bought our AI 18 months ago and the previous owner had removed that slide out bracket for the bed wing extensions. We've never known life with it. I had gear stacked back there that could act as a support for those wings, but we never really needed them.

Having that slide out piece removed is what enables me to use a standard 12" wide shelf and still have room to drop the screen past the shelf. I know on yours you shifted your shelf rearward to make room for your step ladder and therefore your shelf extends past the path of the screen, which stops at the shelf. Your setup is a great solution for those that want to keep their support bracket intact.

I will correct my blog to reflect the absence of that item, so thanks for pointing it out !

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Tronadora

ALEX - Oh my word! You've reminded me of something I left out. We bought our AI 18 months ago and the previous owner had removed that slide out bracket for the bed wing extensions. We've never known life with it. I had gear stacked back there that could act as a support for those wings, but we never really needed them.

Having that slide out piece removed is what enables me to use a standard 12" wide shelf and still have room to drop the screen past the shelf. I know on yours you shifted your shelf rearward to make room for your step ladder and therefore your shelf extends past the path of the screen, which stops at the shelf. Your setup is a great solution for those that want to keep their support bracket intact.

I will correct my blog to reflect the absence of that item, so thanks for pointing it out !

TRONADORA - OK, glad you clarified. I only know 1 other person who has removed that pullout bar - WACHUKO did. I do agree with you, with the pullout bar, you have limitations in the bottom part that could interfere some taller items. I have managed even with it, so far. But should I need more contiguous room close to the underside of shelf, I would probably remove it too and angle-iron support the shelf like you did. For awhile, I thought you didnt realize pullout bar was there (or used to be there)