Securing loose items?

[sting]

In my van, I have a bed in the very back with bins underneath for lots of storage, but in the front part behind the drivers seat on the floor, I'm going to have several loose items, like a cooler, 2-burner camp stove, and 5 gallon water jug.

I'm curious how people would suggest I secure all these loose items? 

Bungee cords seem like a first thought, but seems kind of "clunky" and maybe there is a better way short of building a bunch of full cabinetry which I'm hoping to avoid. 

Thanks,
Lance

 

[masterplumber]

In my trailer I put D ring anchors screwed into the wall studs in places I needed them. Then I use motorcycle cam straps to secure stuff. I never use cam straps to secure my motorcycle, as it's pretty heavy and I've seen them fail (the web strap slips back through the cam tightener) but for stuff like coolers, kitchen box, water containers, etc... they work great. You can usually get a 4 pack at the big box stores, or Harbor Freight, for about $10. The D ring type anchors are available there also, usually in a 4 pack. These are the smaller D rings, about an inch across, not the super heavy ones for anchoring large equipment.

 

[SternWake]

I like rope cleats:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lehigh-2-1-2-in-Nickel-Plated-Rope-Cleats-2-Pack-7239S-6/100191035



Good for rope or Bungee cord.

I don't use the hooks on bungee cords, they get dangerous and can damage things.

  I buy higher quality black bungee cord and tie it in a loop and hook it over one of the several dozen rope cleats i have all over the place.

I also have underbed 1/2 inch plywood storage boxes that can slide back and forth on felt in between the wheel humps.  I use a 3/4 inch wide 16 inch long White oak wedge in between these boxes to push them apart locking them in place.

Can't really have enough attachment points, in my opinion.

 

[JLynne]

I have the same question. Learned about tie-downs, ratchet straps, soft loops, bungees. Didn't want to put screws in the wood and I don't have many exposed places to hook things.
      I found a product called RopeLoop and wondered if anyone has tried it. Seems a bit pricey but much safer than bungee cords which turn out to be pretty dangerous.  
      Seems like a great idea to secure lighter weight items.  Would love to know what you all think.

https://amzn.com/B004YD5MF2

 

[Mobilesport]

I chopped up a a old accessory belt into a bunch of 10 inch lengths , I glue the 10 inch rubber strips to the bottom of my storage boxes/ clutter catchers , I used the Amazing goop adhesive to glue the rubber to the bottom of the boxes  , keeps the boxes from slliding around.
Most stuff I screw storage containers to the walls or ceiling , everything has its place

 

[DannyB1954]

For some things like a cooler, toe boards fastened to the floor work well. Keeping them from sliding around is the major thing. Also look for boat cabin storage, lots of good ideas from the marine community.

 

[Mobilesport]

For some things like a cooler, toe boards fastened to the floor work well. Keeping them from sliding around is the major thing. Also look for boat cabin storage, lots of good ideas from the marine community.

Yes , toe boards are sweet , I sometimes use aluminium angle , I have a thing for aluminium.

 

[Mobilesport]

Every time you find something loose laying around that you use all the time  would be a good time to put it on a list of things that you need to make a special storage box for it then mount the box , to have a place for everything. 
Stuff thats just temporary throw it in a clutter catcher.
The key is to probably get good at making small boxes of different sizes and shapes.

 

[steamjam1]

My G/F introduced me to this stuff:

It's kinda like play-doh and it fixed stuff to floors, counters etc. Works pretty well as she uses it to secure glassware to the counter of her camper and even on rogh dirt roads... stays put

 

[WriterMs]

When putting my van together as cheaply as possible, I got my hands on a pickup truck cargo net... stretchy and BIG.  I learned I could cut it and simply knot exposed ends to keep it from unraveling. I'll attach a pic that shows it some on the left, sort of dangling from one of the vertical iron hold-on poles. I have a couple of small totes I use for food that get stacked in that corner spot made by the old microwave cart -- the cargo netting holds those securely... and anthing I happen to pile on top at any given time. It is stretchy enough and the openings are large enough that I can actually reach through and get a lot of what I need without ever pulling back the net.

The net is also a handy place to hang things to dry.

You may also see in the pic that I use rope with slip knots and with bungees to anchor some loose big stuff (totes and boxes and my rolling "office cart") during travel. I simply unhook those in about three places to be "camp ready."

My hightop is fiberglass and I'm paranoid about putting any holes in it at all but since my van was public transit, there is an escape hatch and a few other already embedded anchor points. You can't see much of it in this pic, but I have more of that stretchy cargo net strung up against the ceiling to store very lightweight items. (my ceiling is about 6'3" high, so I can still walk under the net without stooping)

 

[WriterMs]

OOOPS.... forgot to attach photo and hitting Edit still did not let me attach. So I'll try it here.

 

[Vacilador]

Milk crates.

 

[LeeRevell]

In the motorcycle world, we use "spider nets", stretchy large mesh cargo nets with hooks but smaller sized, about 18" square. Could work well for cabinet fronts.

 

[Vanada]

Re-igniting this thread because I'm running myself in circles as to how to secure my Camp Chef two burner stove.

I want to be able to take it outside at will so I don't know if museum putty will do the trick because I'd be using more of it constantly. I do actually have a bunch of butyl left so perhaps that could substitute in that instance.

Other options include:
Straps with buckles but I feel those would get in the way.
Dowel on the surface to stop movement in X and Y but not Z.
Real strong magnets attached beneath the worktop. Not sure if those would bother the operation of the stove.

Just looking for a bit of extra input to cure my indecisiveness!

 

[Stargazer]

For my camp stove, I had a work surface that was open underneath. I used this surface for the stove when in use. I built a shelf under the top that just fit the stove (like a pullout computer keyboard drawer), except it was stationary. I glued/screwed a piece of quarter round on the edge. It was sized so the stove j-u-s-t fit in the shelf and the trim piece on the edge kept the stove from sliding out. Easy to take it out and put it back for storage but it stayed in place over some rough roads (including the Dalton Hwy, aka The Haul Road, in Alaska).

On the subject of stoves, cork is a great fire resistant product. I found cork tiles and used them under the stove when cooking inside on that wood surface. Worked great!

Best wishes.

 

[MrNoodly]

I have a wastebasket, a 12-pack of Coke (standing on its edge) and my "toilet" just sitting on the rubber mat of my floor. Before that, my tall, narrow Dometic fridge was also just sitting on the floor. I'm surprised how well those things just stay in place, even on winding mountain roads. They might slide forward an inch or so on a hard stop, but that's it. On the other hand, the small things I accidentally leave out — hand sanitizer, lighter, etc. — roll and flop around, slide off the counter. Because light things require less force to move. If heavy things ever go flying in my van, it's because I'm in some other far more serious trouble.

 

[TrainChaser]

Keep an eye out for yard sales and thrift shops, and look for cabinets that would fit in the van w/o much (if any) altering. Add some half-inch hardwood strips that would prevent your stove from shifting around, but would be easy to lift out.

 

[Stargazer]

In a pinch and on a lark, instead of hanging things in nets like a hammock, I used scarves. Tied knots in the ends, looped it through large cup hooks in the ceiling, and used them to store light weight items, including produce, bread, socks, underwear, etc. Nothing fell through, it was free (already had the scarves), and pretty! Not that some would care about pretty but...