A Fiat Ducato for a plumbing business: protected, equipped and transformed by Syncro New Zealand

New Zealand. Without proper racking, it is very difficult to use all available cargo space, even in a well-designed van like the Fiat Ducato. Practical racking lets you use all the space in your van, keeps everything tidy and ensures maximum efficiency. If you need a mobile workshop to support you as you work on the move, well designed racking is absolutely essential. Syncro has developed the perfect system for designing and installing efficient racking. Here, we can see how a Fiat Ducato was fitted out by Syncro System New Zealand to meet the needs of a business that installs and maintains heating, ventilation, air conditioning and hot water production systems.

A look at a Ducato racking system designed for order and efficiency

All van racking systems have two basic objectives: to keep tools and materials tidy and to save time and money by improving efficiency at the work site. So let’s have a closer look at how these objectives were achieved by the multi-functional racking system installed in this Ducato by the Syncro New Zealand team.

A plumbing company’s Fiat Ducato: left side racking

Two columns of racking are installed alongside each other on the left side of this Ducato.

• The first, nearest the rear doors, starts with a wheel arch cabinet with fold-down door. This turns the awkward space around the wheel arch into useful storage capable of holding all kinds of material. Further up are two trays for metal component cases. Syncro offers a wide range of different size cases that can be easily removed and carried around on site. Further up again are two metal drawers and two shelves. Inside these you can see metal dividers for arranging space as needed and creating different compartments for different types of spares.
• The second column of racking, nearer the bulkhead, starts with a tool case storage compartment with a sliding shuttle for securing all sizes of case, large and small. Above this are three shelves, the first of which is fitted with removable plastic trays with handles.

At the top, the two columns support a full length tray with a folding access door at the rear, ideal for carrying long pipes and cable ducts.

A plumbing company’s Fiat Ducato: right side racking

The racking on the right side consists of single column, again arranged in various levels:

• At the bottom we can see a wheel arch cabinet with fold-down door. The centre of the column consists of open shelving with metal dividers, easily accessible from the centre of the load compartment, and three shelves with closing panels, accessed from the side door. Another shelf above these extends for the full length of the van.
• Further up again we find two series of Multibox containers in transparent plastic, then, right at the top, another line of removable, tilting transparent containers, shorter than the others to follow the shape of the van’s body.

A vast range of accessories for van users

This Ducato stands out for the large number of accessories installed. Many of these are for securing cargo, but we also have:

• A bar rack with strap and a three-compartment metal holder;
• A fire extinguisher bracket, complete with holder and lashing strap;
• Two robust and versatile mobile hooks fitted to a tailor-made cargo lashing rail;
• A rail and strap cargo lashing system for heavy items, with a strap breaking strength of 4000 kg;
• A rack for nine tubes of siliconesealant, complete with nine nozzle holders;
• A vice with fold-away support that takes up very little space when closed but is large and functional when open, ideal for the small modifications and repairs typically needed away from base.