After the hitch Haul, these Sterilite 4-Drawer units were critical to a couple fitting in the van. They gave us a huge amount of storage and organization which we had to have. Highly recommended.
Today we are going to look at how we converted the interior of Judy’s van to fit two people in a standard van. We both knew it was going to be very hard! Fitting one person in a van takes a lot of work and adjustment and the idea of two in a van just seems ridiculous! But our situation demanded it so we set out to get it done. As I showed you in the last post our first step was to add the Hitch Haul and that was a tremendous step in the right direction, greatly increasing our storage capacity. But we still needed more storage.
The units are very strong. We loaded both bottom drawers up with canned goods and heavy grocery items and they have never been a problem.
The second thing I recommend for every couple in a van is something Judy had already done: get two Sterilite 4-Drawer plastic drawer units. Last fall when Judy and I took both our vans on a road trip to Utah and Colorado, it was the first time I had lived for an extended time in this van and I quickly realized I needed more organization and storage. So I measured the room I had and went to Walmart to find the best thing that would fit. I had owned a Sterilite 4-drawer before and knew how great it was so I looked specifically for it.
This is where they are in the store. You can see they are in with the shelving. Also, no assembly required! Pick it up, buy it ($59), throw it in the van, and you are done!
They are very hard to find in the store! You’re first thought is that they would be with the housewares and the other plastic items but they aren’t there. These 4-Drawer units are heavy duty and are intended to be used in your garage or workshop so they are back in the hardware section, not housewares. Every store is different so I can’t tell you exactly where they are but often they are in the general area of the paint department, usually within 4-5 aisles. Usually they are with the plastic shelf units. Home Depot also sells them, I think for the same price, so you can check there if your Walmart doesn’t have them.
Here are their dimensions so you can see if it will work for you.
They cost $59 and for what you get I think it is a huge bargain so back in October I bought one of those and was very happy with it. They are very strong and open and close easily. To keep mine from moving around I used a ratchet strap to secure it to one of the metal shelves that came with my van. It is very securely mounted to the wall and floor and with the ratchet strop the 4-Drawer can’t move either.
The ratchet strap goes around the 4-Drawer and hooks to the drivers seat.
When I got mine back in October Judy saw it and realized it would also be the perfect thing for her, so she bought one at the Durango, Co. Walmart. After having it for a little while she loved it so much she bought another one. That gave her a giant amount of organization and storage.
She put her first one right behind the driver’s seat and to keep it secured and from moving around she used a ratchet strap around it and then around the driver’s seat and that keeps it firmly in place; it has never moved. To keep the drawers from opening she ran a bungee cord from one of the seat belt brackets above the drawers and down at an angle to the base of the driver’s seat. It works well to keep the drawers in.
Looking back at the van.
To secure the second one she uses one of the existing seat belts that are right above it and screwed a hook into the floor. When she is driving she pulls down the seat belt and hooks it the hook and lets it retract. That holds it firmly in place and none of the drawers can come out.
So when we started talking about the two of us going to Alaska in one van, we were very glad she already had the two drawer units. She needed to find another place for some of her stuff so I could have 4 of them.
I took these pictures after I left. But when I was in it we maximized the space on top of the units and it was a LOT of extra room. Oddly, we never had a problem with things coming off it.
If you are going to have 2 people in a van, I highly recommend these drawers. They are cheap, light, very strong and extremely helpful for organization! Best of all they are easy! If you aren’t handy they are perfect because there is no assembly required, you don’t need any ability or tools. Just go to Walmart, buy them, and throw them into the van…done! You do have to be able to use a ratchet strap and bungees but most people can figure that out. Highly recommended!
The one problem they create is, “Where will you put a bed for two people with the two 4-Drawer units taking up so much room? they take up the first 6 feet behind the drivers seat and that only leaves 5’6′ in each direction side-to-side and front-to-back. That’s nowhere near enough to sleep in. How did we fit a bed big enough for two and still be able to open the drawers?”
Stay tuned, in the next post ALL will be revealed!
The two units together are 6 feet and Judy’s van is not an extended van. As you can see in this picture, there is very little room left for the bed behind them. How did we sleep together? I’ll tell you that in the next post!
Is there a bottom to the cases the drawers slide in? If so, it might be possible to screw them to the floor (if one has added a plywood subfloor) or bolt them through the van floor. That’s what I did with the cabinet I built.
Al, I don’t think you could bolt through the bottom. Besides I’m too lazy to do that if I can find any other way.
Bob
What a tease you are! I am dying to find out how you both slept in a double bed with these drawers taking up so much room.
They flipped a coin to see who would sleep outside with the mosquitoes and rain. And Judy has a trick coin.
Just a few more days!
Bob
I have the 3-drawer version of this that I have been dragging around for several years. I have moved it in and out of various places and pretty much “done whatever” with it. It still works exactly as it did when new. I will remember that the 4-drawer fits into a van. Also, I don’t believe there is a piece under the bottom drawer. I’ll keep it simple with ratchet straps and bungee cords.
Forgot to check the follow-up box.
Non-skid shelf liner is the secret to things not scooting off the tops of my drawer units while traveling. I keep a hammer in the container covered with butterfly material for weight.
When Bob’s small plastic baskets were on top of his drawer, quarters for laundry helped hold them in place.
Anything touching the shelf liner would stay put. For instance a stack of books would all fall off except the bottom one.
I know first hand that if you fail to secure the drawers closed for travel, it IS possible for all the drawers to slide open on a sharp fast turn at a red light & this Will cause the unit to topple over! Even filled with canned foods, the drawers slid easily.
You are correct Calvin. The only thing on the bottom is what’s required for the drawer to function.
Bob, you’re such a tease….but, Thanks for the post on these handy drawer thingy’s. I’ll be checking them out next time I go to Wally World or Home Depot or Lowes…since I’ve noticed that Lowes has about the same things as Home Depot.
Linda, I would expect most hardware stores to have them. If nothing else you could do site-to-store and get it from Walmart.com and have it delivered for free to your local store.
They are pretty easy to find, but if not they are worth the effort to search.
Bob
I got the idea from Judy at the RTR.I love mine it is the greatest idea yet. I also strapped mine down via a ratchet strap to the seat but I am still struggling with keeping the drawers closed while driving. I have a high top conversion I wish I could get 2 in. Because the hook to the seat is so low the 2 top drawers still fly open. I put a noodle (Foam Beach toy)across but it does not always stay. I will keep working on it. When I took out the middle seats the seat belts also came out. You did give me the idea to try a seat belt hook thanks.
Linda, getting great little tips like this one is the best thing about the RTR. I always learn something every year.
I suggested in a later comment that you use bungee cords around the whole drawer unit to keep a pole in place and keep all the drawers closed.
Bob
Looking at the first picture it seems like you could just get a 1/4-1/2″ 3′ dowel (or a yard stick) and stick it vertically under the ratchet strap to prevent the drawers from opening…….
KinA
I have tried a metal pole.It works for the bottom 2 drawers but not tight enough for the top. The problem is that the strap starts at the bottom of the seat so it is low. Wish I could show u pic.Anyway I will keep trying.
Linda, in the 1st and 5th picture you can see where the business end of the red ratchet strap is just next to the drivers seat. At the edge of my seat is where the metal ends of the strap hook together. My hooks have a circle of metal on them. I hook one end of a bungy cord into that circle of metal and the other to the clothes hanger hook. In the center of pic #1 you can see the upper end of my blue bungy. When the other end is brought down it catches the first 2 drawers.
On really rough dirt roads the bungy will allow the doors to bounce open an inch or so but that isn’t a problem at all. Does your van have the clothes hanger hook?
Linda, you could always run a bungee cord all the way around the unit at the top under the first drawer. Then put the pole under it and the ratchet strap. The unit is big so you would have to use two or three bungees but it would just be a matter of finding the right combination of lengths. You could actually run one around under the top two drawers and I’m sure that would keep the pole tight.
Bob
Ken, Judy changed her system and I just happened to have the perfect piece of wood for her to do that and it has worked perfectly for her. Bob
I’m glad you and ms judy had a great and safe trip to alaska i bet your glad to be back always nice to go somewhere bet evening nicer to get back to what a person is use to, how you coming on getting a new best friend aka a dog
Jim, actually I have got a new dog. His name is Cody and he is a joy to me. I’ll do a post about him probably after the next one.
Bob
Another way to keep the drawers closed while traveling: loosen the straps/belts and rotate the units 90 degrees so they’re facing each other face-to-face. Then tighten the straps/belts.
Al, are you saying to do that at the beginning and end of every trip? That seems very impractical to me. With canned goods in them they are fairly heavy and I don’t think ragging them around would be good for the.
I must be misunderstanding?
Bob
The training from my career has me constantly thinking of other ways to do things — whether they’re or not. 😉
That should be “whether they’re good or not.”
Al, that’s how all advancements are made!
Bob
Before getting the second unit, I considered placing my drawers facing to the rear of the van & ratchet strapping them to the drivers seat. I believe that placement would keep the drawers closed while traveling. But I wasn’t willing to have the area between the front seats blocked by that 7″ overhang.
Also in order to access the drawers, you could not have anything else placed near a rear facing unit except on a temporary basis. A huge drawback when space is so precious.
I’m impressed with your innovation!
preparing to begin my maiden journey from Santa Fe to the East coast and packing my RV knowing i have more than i will eventually need/want. Surely I will distribute to others along the way. So glad you’re here!
FreedomSerenity, I know what you mean. Every time I have began a new chapter of my mobile life I tarted out with way too much stuff. Like you, I left a bread-crumb-trail of “stuff” across the country.
That’s good for the soul and for other people both!
Bob