2008 Chevy Express storage solution

[frankie2108]

Hey everyone,

My partner and I have just purchased our very first van which we are doing up and driving across the states in...in about a week's time. The purchase of the van went through today... :/ (read about it...www.girlaroundglobe.com)
Anyway, my question for you was, we need to take 2 bikes and 2 surfboards as well as having the van habitable for up-to 3 months (it will be an on-going project while we live in it). Is there any clever design way to incorporate a bed, sufficient storage for our stuff (moving apartment so no furniture but all the other household junk) and toys (read bikes and surfboards) within the interior of the van? If not, anyone have any great places to get a roof-rack/bike mount for the outside at a reasonable (read as cheap as possible) rate? I'd be running around trying to find out myself but I'm in the UK and the van and partner are in New York. I'm doing a million things to try and get there in time, and he's managed to get himself restricted mobility with a massive slice through the bottom of his foot. So I'm reaching out to you lovely people!
Thank you for all the entertaining build threads. I've been lurking a while and you've certainly imparted lots of knowledge and tips so far.
Cheers

 

[boardrider247]

In the past I have strapped surfboards onto the driver side wall with bungees. Works pretty well. Also if you take the front wheels off the bikes their bars can be turned sideways and also strapped to the wall without too much fuss.
Then a double cot for a bed and slide Rubbermaid containers under for storage.

That's how I would go about doing it in a short amount of time without any real building necessary.

 

[frankie2108]

That's what I initially thought too but the van's got windows all along the sides which makes strapping things to the side wall slightly more challenging. I was thinking about potentially bungee strapping the surfboards to the interior roof but not sure how stable that would be.
Thanks for taking the time to reply, appreciate it.

 

[boardrider247]

I have strapped board's on the inside roof before many times as well. It works but DO NOT use bungees. Use a webbed strap, something that doesn't flex.

 

[mikracer]

Be sure to check your local craigslist for used roof racks. Theres almost always used rain gutter mounts (I think the GM vans have rain gutters) and you would need 54+ inch cross bars. If your van has a trailer hitch, you could also pick up a used bike rack that mounts to the hitch.

 

[Raul]

If you plan to "live" inside the van, I'll not hang anything loosely from the ceiling. I'll build a tallish bed platform (short head room but plenty of storage) and put the boards under it, vertically along the driver's wall. For the bikes, get a bike carrier. Harbor Freight have some that look decent for about $40. If your van do not have a hitch receiver, get a hitch receiver tube and with "U-bolts" try to clamp it to the bumper. If you manage to put the bike carrier a little bit off center to the driver side, I'll help to open the door while charring the bikes.

I loved what this guy did for a surfer van , but he has plenty of head room

Good luck with the adventure. I am very jealous.

 

[occasionaldirt]

Disc-O-Bed Cabinets

Disc-o-bed Cabinets fold flat, fairly good size (think 1 full-face motorcycle helmet in each of 6 compartments), attach to seat or wall with a bungee or 2, easy to pick up & move around (I put 1 on driver's seat when all drapes are pulled & passenger seat swiveled while camping), easy to set outside at camp or home to make room in van, about $40 each. 2 of us, we each have our own:







You won't be bringing that much stuff from your apartment, given your hurried departure & limited prep time, think 'storage unit in New York'.... I'd suggest a duffle bag for a kitchen, a duffle bag for toiletries, etc... soft-sided containers are much easier to live with in tight quarters than hard-boxes, and easier to grab out of the van and put on your camp table or truck stop/campground shower facility.

 

[frankie2108]

Thanks for all the suggestions, really appreciate them. Those storage boxes look great and now that I'm in the States I will be looking round the various shops to get a good idea.