RACKING FOR PLUMBERS IN A DUCATO AND A CUSTOM
A comparison between a Fiat Ducato and a Ford Custom for plumbers
Same job, different vans, similar use of space
On this page we compare Syncro racking systems for plumbers installed in two different vehicles: a Fiat Ducato L2 H1 and a Ford Custom L1 H1. Both businesses operate in logistically similar parts of Italy’s Veneto region. Apart from a few minor differences due to different working methods, both customers requested racking systems with similar characteristics, namely:
- a large number of enclosed containers for small items and spares
- a clear central aisle and a bulkhead left free but fitted with accessories for securing bulky cargo
- good lighting inside the van
Let’s take a closer look at the choices made by each customer.
Liners for vans: an optional that is almost mandatory
No aspect of fitting out a van is actually mandatory, but there is one precaution that all Syncro racking centres strongly recommend to avoid dents, scratches and rust. Fit bodywork protection! Liners – in whatever material you choose – should always be installed before any racking and accessories.
The Ducato seen on this page came into the Syncro workshop with a floor liner already in place. Our installers simply supplemented this with honeycomb polypropylene panels on the walls.
The owner of the Custom only wanted a floor liner, and chose a version in marine grade, marble-look plywood.
Syncro can also fit custom-made door, wheel arch, bulkhead and roof liners in all models of van.
The left side: removable containers
The left walls in the plumbers’ Ducato and Custom have much in common:
- Metal drawers with non-slip mats and internal space dividers (2 in the Ducato, 3 in the Custom).
- Special open shelves for carrying plastic containers (a column of 3 in the Ducato, 2 side by side in the Custom).
- Case compartments with lashing straps (one in the Ducato, two in the Custom, one above the other).
- A floor-level compartment over the wheel arch, enclosed by a door (of the patented lift-and-rotate type in the Ducato, of the lift-up type in the Custom).
The differences in the Ducato are:
- a top tray with an access door at the rear, running across both columns.
- A set of shelves including three configurable shelves and an open shelf with a Syncroblock bar on the wall behind it.
- Two open floor-level compartments.
- A paper roll holder on the side panel near the rear doors.
Only found in the Custom are:
- a bar rack with a flange and lashing strap on the racking side panel.
- A pull-out case tray containing two metal tool cases.
- Two top shelves.
Other racking solutions for the Ducato
Other racking solutions for the Custom
On the right: just storage or a workspace too?
The requirements of the two plumbers start to differ on this side of the van. The owner of the Ducato told us he needed to do certain small jobs in his van, and asked us to include a vice bench. The plumber who owns the Custom, on the other hand, most wanted to find small items like seals and fittings as quickly as possible, so requested transparent containers to hold all his small and medium size parts and materials.
Ducato
The racking on the right comprises a floor-level compartment with a lift-and-rotate door, four shelves with removable containers of different sizes and, at the top, a Multibox cabinet of tilting transparent containers.
A pull-out bench with a metal vice and a robust telescopic support extends through the rear-facing side panel. A rack for silicone tubes and nozzles and a spray can rack have also been fitted here.
Custom
The racking on the right of this van consists of a floor-level compartment with a lift-up door and Multibox cabinets with a total of 24 transparent containers, 16 of the pull-out type in the bottom cabinets and eight larger, tilting containers at the top.
Same choice for the bulkheads of the Ducato and Custom
The bulkheads of both vans have been left in their original condition apart from the addition of a Syncroblock bar with attachments and lashing straps. This versatile solution enables cargo of all shapes and sizes to be carried in complete safety inside the van.
What’s the best configuration for your work?
As we have seen from this comparison of two vans, there is no such thing as a standard solution for plumbers, just as there is no standard answer to the needs of electricians, service engineers, or anybody else.
The modular design of Syncro racking allows all tradesmen and professionals to find exactly the right solution for their own van and their own working methods and preferences.
Want to see how Syncro can design the perfect racking system for you? Contact us now to arrange a non-binding consultation with the van racking specialists!