Best Van Racking Systems

Those looking for the best van racking systems on the market will quickly find choice overload. The internet is quite literally spilling out with van racking ideas and solutions to suit every trades person's potential needs. Whats most important though is when you finally settle on a van racking kit, is that you do not rationalise by "best overall" but what's best for you and your business. This means if you are on a limited budget and do not require inch by inch, meticulously labelled van racking compartments, you stay away from the high end custom van racking configurators designed for big budget fleet markets and opt for a more universal van racking option. On the contrary if you are blessed with personality traits of a perfectionist and are able to invest an adequate budget into your van storage solutions you will most likely need working with the many online van racking kit suppliers to build out a van racking solution that is perfect for you down to every cm.

Van Racking Suppliers

In no particular order, here is a list of 5 well recognised van racking suppliers to the UK market.

(*Disclaimer - we are not affiliated with any van racking supplier listed above apart from Van Guard).

Van Racking installation videos

The major van racking brands will all provide detailed, step by step fitting instructions and in some case videos. For those that don't there is a wealth of van racking installation videos on YouTube carried out by professional supply and fit businesses that install van racking day in and day out. Below are 2 videos from the Whitebox UK's Youtube Channel

 


 

Van Racking Ideas

To help manage the process of filtering through van racking solutions we suggest you start with material - ply or metal. Below is simple comparison table of pros and cons of the two. These should be used as a rule of thumb and for definite accuracy between differences we suggest comparing your selected branded products at a product specific level.

Metal Van Racking Vs Ply Van Racking

  Metal Van Racking Ply Van Racking
 Cost Medium-High (Single Units from £200) Low-Medium (Single Units from £100)
 Strength Medium-High Low-Medium
 Weight Lightweight Heavy
 Durability Robust Limited

 

The 4 key differences between ply van racking and metal van racking is cost, strength, weight & durability. Ply will always be one of the most low cost materials to construct van racking however it does come with its limitations. Most notably is it's sheer weight difference in comparison to aluminium based metal van racking. Our aluminium van racking options are almost 3 times lighter than our ply van racking options with one of our singular metal van racking units (product code TVR-202) weighing just 16kg where as one of our singular ply racking units (product code VL100/E/3) weighs 45kg. Extend this across an entire load area when you opt for a full van storage kit and you are looking at an additional 90kgs of weight.

"Did you know? Ply van racking can weigh nearly 3 times more than metal van racking"

For most strength is the most important as they want to carry as much weight as legally and safely as possible. This is why it's important to consider whether the van racking you are installing has been crash tested and will safely hold the loads you require. Lastly, the durability of the van racking is often overlooked until it has been installed and quickly weather with use. Ply may not be as durable out of the box as specifically selected metal sheet composite but with care and specialists advice the wood can be treated to extend its shelf life slightly further (no pun intended) but it will rarely compare to the long term durability and accompanied aesthetics of van racking made from metal.

In short if you have a very limited budget, you aren't fussy about long term aesthetics or the additional weight, ply van racking is the option for you. If however you want a van racking unit that will look the same in 12 months time, carry large amount of goods and heavy tools plus save a little on fuel thanks to aluminium and steels superior weight profile then metal van racking is for you.

Van Racking Installers Near Me

Want to find local van racking installer to fit your van racking system? We have a network of supply and fit specialists who will be able to take care of your needs from order to installation.

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Van Racking Inspiration

Van Guard Racking