#HTE

A Super Organized Work Van

When Zack Dettmore replaced his old work van he went to extremes to organize the interior of the new one, outfitting it with a manufactured bulkhead and home-made shelving designed for the tools he carries.

I’ve seen a video of the setup he once used in his contracting business and his tools have changed a lot since that time—at least insofar as how he carries them. He now uses modular boxes, Festool Systainers for tools and Milwaukee’s first-generation organizers for fasteners and small parts (Milwaukee’s next generation organizers just came out, but they’re incompatible with the first).

Because so much of what he carries is modular, there’s almost no wasted space. I like how he notched the shelves to house the “feet” of Systainers to keep them from sliding out. 

His vertical charging station, with chargers mounted to the back of the bulkhead, is an excellent use of space. I also like that he puts heavy items close to the side door so he does not have to drag them out the back.

His labeling system makes a lot of sense—horizontal labels for what’s in front and vertical labels for anything stored in back. Because when items are stored two deep, it’s easy to forget what’s behind. 

Long flat tools such as levels, short ladders, and track saw rails store in cross-wise cubbies behind the bulkhead (which he was smart enough to buy rather than build because you don’t want to be hit by shifting cargo ).

Check out the video tour of Dettmore’s work van. He has a lot of good ideas about organization, many of which would work equally well in a workshop or office.