Adding wood shelves on canvas shelving?

[bigsallysmom]

Am trying to save weight in a 17' high top van.  I installed a lightweight 5-6 canvas shelf which hangs from a tiny clothes rod. Didn't take long for the shelves to sag, and when making a turn, everything tumbles out.  Has anyone tried to put in a piece of wood above each shelf?  How did it work?  Maybe drill a couple of holes in each and sew it to stay in.  A second piece two inches or so tall glued to the edge in front to help hold stuff in.  Sew in some velcro along the bottom back to keep the bottom from kicking out.  Or should I bite the bullet and build some real shelves or somehow secure a basket in each?  Photos encouraged.

 

[Sylvan Secrets]

Could we see what it currently looks like?

 

[bigsallysmom]

Yep, I'll post a photo tomorrow.

 

[jonyjoe303]

is this what you talking about?


If you have a hotglue gun, you can reinforce it with cardboard. All my cabinets are made with foam insulation, I reinforce the sides with cardboard, it makes a very solid construction and lightweight. Some people use netting to keep things from falling out, they also sell heavy duty velcro you can make some sort of lightweight door.

Unless you put heavy things in those cabinets no need to use wood/metal. You be surprise how sturdy foam insulation and cardboard can be, its all I use to make my cabinets.

 

[John61CT]

What is the cardboard for, the foam panels are plenty stiff just using Gripper and cloth?

 

[bigsallysmom]

is this what you talking about?

yep that's it.

 

[bigsallysmom]

As you can see, fainting is in full force.

 

[Weight]

With out a system for closure, things are going to continue falling out while driving.

 

[John61CT]

Make up 4- or 5- sided boxes that slide into the spaces, prototype with cardboard & duct tape, then as they fail, replace with coroplast or luan.

Get thin double-sided velcro to hold them in place from the sides if they also fall out.

 

[Almost There]

With out a system for closure, things are going to continue falling out while driving.

This!

No matter what you do to firm up the shelves, as long as they are open to the front, the stuff is going to spill out on any drive longer than a few miles.

Open shelving just won't cut it in a moving vehicle.