Hello, I’m new here but I have been lurking for a while. At work we will soon have to regularly carry a special container in the back of our van. Due to the size and weight my colleagues and I agree it needs to be secured, but we can’t agree how -we don’t have experience with this kind of thing, which is why I’m posting here.
The container is not quite a 1m cube, and weighs 100kg. The base is plywood. The van has four tie-down loops and has typical ‘boot lining’ carpet on the floor.
Due to the placement of the tie-down loops I was thinking of using a ratchet strap, threaded through the loops on one side, then the end hooked back round the strap, before going over the top of the container and the same arrangement on the other side - see diagram. The container would be pushed up against the back of the seats, acting as a bulkhead.
CryoCombi1:
Hello, I’m new here but I have been lurking for a while. At work we will soon have to regularly carry a special container in the back of our van. Due to the size and weight my colleagues and I agree it needs to be secured, but we can’t agree how -we don’t have experience with this kind of thing, which is why I’m posting here.
The container is not quite a 1m cube, and weighs 100kg. The base is plywood. The van has four tie-down loops and has typical ‘boot lining’ carpet on the floor.
Due to the placement of the tie-down loops I was thinking of using a ratchet strap, threaded through the loops on one side, then the end hooked back round the strap, before going over the top of the container and the same arrangement on the other side - see diagram. The container would be pushed up against the back of the seats, acting as a bulkhead.
What would a professional driver do?
0
(front of van is towards top of diagram)
Shut the doors and crack on…
What you’re showing is quite adequate, it only weighs 100kg so won’t go far
Army way you’re taught would be strap over the top from the front hooks then again from the front hooks a strap going around the back near the bottom of it to stop it going backwards. Strap from rear hooks around the front.
1 metre high and only 100Kg doesn’t sound a lot, but if the van has a head on accident that 100 Kg is still moving at its original speed, so it needs to be prevented from moving forward more than anything else.
El Deano’s plan sounds like a good one with the straps crossed at angles, as it gives opposing restraints and most importantly gives the aforementioned protection from forward movement with the wraparound strap (most critical).
With load restraint, you’re trying to use Newtons updated 3 laws of motion to prevent movement:
Box will stay still until BMW driver pulls out in front of you and you have to hit the brakes, then use horn + middle finger.
Box will carry on moving until an equal and opposite force acts upon it, eg: the driver gets squashed against the dashboard.
Box will move in the same direction as the van which will be either forward for braking or sideways as the van tips over.
3a) Boxes are evil but some are more evil than others. BMW drivers much the same.
As for seats bulkhead - back in the 70’s, they did public information films about kids not wearing seatbelts. In a crash, a 30KG kid unrestrained would fly forward with the weight of a baby elephant (approx 1 ton) and kill anyone in the front seats. So a 100KG box will fly forward like a herd of adult elephants and make a heck of a mess of the dashboard (squashed human is hard to clean out of the vents).
Just make sure they buy decent straps maybe 1 ton as you need to take into account the extra forces, and they should be wider so give more friction. Friction is your friend in this case.
PS: Alternatively, get the boss to buy a decent van like a Sprinter with a proper bulkhead then you can do biggriffin’s version, which is why you see so many vans on their sides.
Do the rear seats have seat-belts fitted to their backs?
If so, the seat backs must be strong enough to restrain any adults sat there. So should be strong enough to act as a bulkhead for 100kgs surely?
One strap over top, one around back, and one around front of you like.
Don’t overtighten any big ratchet straps or you’ll pull the anchors out of the floor!
The way we do it in Germany A piece of lumber 3x3 on the floor against the bottom of the seats where they are bolted to the floor, the full width of the van,
A Pallete on its side with the feet pararel to the floor up against the Lumber
Anti slip mats under the Box on all 4 corners
The Box against the Pallete
A pallete behind the box on its side with the feet facing the rear
a strap from the front along one side of the box around behind the box over the middle foot of the pallete(this stops the strap from sliding down the box when you tighten it )down the other side of the box to front and tighten with ratchet
gbtransp:
The way we do it in Germany A piece of lumber 3x3 on the floor against the bottom of the seats where they are bolted to the floor, the full width of the van,
A Pallete on its side with the feet pararel to the floor up against the Lumber
Anti slip mats under the Box on all 4 corners
The Box against the Pallete
A pallete behind the box on its side with the feet facing the rear
a strap from the front along one side of the box around behind the box over the middle foot of the pallete(this stops the strap from sliding down the box when you tighten it )down the other side of the box to front and tighten with ratchet
Repeat with a 2nd strap in the other direction
[zb] "Made in Germany "
[emoji5]
Doing it 'alf arsed eh? BAG wouldn’t like that:
What about reinforcement under the box?
You remember the Chelyabinsk meteorite that landed in Russia?
Well, if the next one comes through the roof of your van, it’ll push that box clear through the floor, stop the vehicle and cause an accident.
Maybe needs a thick bit of cardboard under it as well really.
El Deano:
I wouldn’t use the seats as a bulkhead. If it slides your squashed
I had that happen to me by a ton pallet of cashew nuts when i had to brake sharp and it pushed the back of my seat forward so I had about two inches of room betwen my gut and the steering wheel, mind you it was in a Sherpa van so should have been expected …
Franglais:
Do the rear seats have seat-belts fitted to their backs?
If so, the seat backs must be strong enough to restrain any adults sat there. So should be strong enough to act as a bulkhead for 100kgs surely?
One strap over top, one around back, and one around front of you like.
Don’t overtighten any big ratchet straps or you’ll pull the anchors out of the floor!
Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk
Wow, just wow.
On a professional truckers forum, for the world to see.
Speak to the relevant main dealer, many small vans are available with a half height steel bulkheads which are bolted into the B pillars even from factory, not welded as you might expect. If this is the case with your van then one of these bulkhead can be dealer fitted at little cost. If it’s not possible with your particular van then you’re back with multiple straps.
Speak to the relevant main dealer, many small vans are available with a half height steel bulkheads which are bolted into the B pillars even from factory, not welded as you might expect. If this is the case with your van then one of these bulkhead can be dealer fitted at little cost. If it’s not possible with your particular van then you’re back with multiple straps.
Why not construct a stillage/crate which will contain the load and fit snuggly in the van.
If you were to give us more information we would be able to give more help.
At the moment we are guessing your problems.
chester:
Why not construct a stillage/crate which will contain the load and fit snuggly in the van.
If you were to give us more information we would be able to give more help.
At the moment we are guessing your problems.
Excellent idea:
Filling up the load space with a mostly empty crate will also prevent over-loading.
acd1202:
Speak to the relevant main dealer, many small vans are available with a half height steel bulkheads which are bolted into the B pillars even from factory, not welded as you might expect. If this is the case with your van then one of these bulkhead can be dealer fitted at little cost. If it’s not possible with your particular van then you’re back with multiple straps.
Why go to a dealer, get one of the internet and fit it yourself in under an hour. Last one i fitted was about £100 …
chester:
Why not construct a stillage/crate which will contain the load and fit snuggly in the van.
If you were to give us more information we would be able to give more help.
At the moment we are guessing your problems.
Excellent idea:
Filling up the load space with a mostly empty crate will also prevent over-loading.
Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk
Don’t be too offended by its response Franglais, it pops up now and again to spew some inane drivel that generally demonstrates it’s at best tenuous grip on reality before crawling back under its rock again.
Genius idea though; take a container and put it in a stillage! So now you not only need to secure it inside the stillage you also need to secure the stillage! You couldn’t make this ■■■■ up.
chester:
Why not construct a stillage/crate which will contain the load and fit snuggly in the van.
If you were to give us more information we would be able to give more help.
At the moment we are guessing your problems.
Excellent idea:
Filling up the load space with a mostly empty crate will also prevent over-loading.
Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk
Don’t be too offended by its response Franglais, it pops up now and again to spew some inane drivel that generally demonstrates it’s at best tenuous grip on reality before crawling back under its rock again.
Genius idea though; take a container and put it in a stillage! So now you not only need to secure it inside the stillage you also need to secure the stillage! You couldn’t make this [zb] up.
I see where you’re coming from. Maybe it’s a Russian troll? Trying to sell a set of those dolls?
chester:
Why not construct a stillage/crate which will contain the load and fit snuggly in the van.
If you were to give us more information we would be able to give more help.
At the moment we are guessing your problems.
How much more information do you need??
What colour undies he is wearing?
He even drew you a diagram FFS!!!
