TLDR: We modified dufflebags with grommets and stiffeners to form our overhead storage. Think Mule bags without the expense. It's light, cheap, and soft.
Based on our Van 1.0 experience, we planned to do similar dufflebag based overhead storage on Van 2.0 from the git-go. Here's our Van 1.0 approach:
Our early sketchup models told us that we wanted squarish bags, with dimensions of 12-16 inches wide by 13-16 inches tall. Note, in the mounted orientation, "tall" becomes "wide" and "wide" becomes "tall".
A couple other bag features are important:
- We want thin compartments on the square sides to allow insertion of stiffening material.
- We want a top (which will be front) closure system that provides good loading access. A single straight length-wise zip is not ideal, a swooping zipper or double zip is ideal.
- We an pockets on the long sides to be oriented such that they are on the "bottom" side when the bags are mounted, since the "top" side won't be accessible.
We started with about 8 contenders. We'd link them, but have found the internet lives of dufflebags are ethereal.
Upon van delivery we were able to identify exactly where our ceiling and wall L-track would run based on available factory holes. This allowed us to make some mockups (i.e. cardboard squares) based on the contender's height-width. This let us get a real sense of how much a bag would protrude into our head space. Based on this evaluation we narrowed down the desired sizes to 14Wx14H or 15Wx14H (meaning no more than 14 inches protrusion towards the center of the van when mounted). Those dimensions, in concert with our other desired features led us to order one each of these two options:
- 30x14Wx14H: $34 SKU:EV-1005LD
- 30x15Wx14H: $24 SKU:DFL30-36
These are the two we decided to move forward to the prototype phase.
Once we had our L-track installed, we added grommets and installed the 14x14 bag as a prototype. Based on its size, shape, and functionality we decided that was the one, so we ordered seven more.
We were happy enough with the first prototype to skip bothering with the second bag.
We mount the bags to the L-track using four ofthese 3/8-24 studs per bag, two in the top, two in the rear. The studs are installed with a thin nut that holds them in place irrespective of whether a bag is installed. The bag is installed by placing the grommet over the stud, against the thin nut, and captured with a washer and another nut.
We take one bag and hold it up in place and mark where the four L-track studs will pass through the grommets. We then install grommets that will pass over a 3/8 inch stud. We purchased our grommet kit from amazon. Update: We later reinforced the bags by sewing webbing into these locations and re-grommeting. We'd recommend doing that unless you are lightly loading the bags.
For stiffeners, we use 1/4" expanded PVC sheet. It's light, can't mold or grow anything, and is available from home depot. Each bag gets a 14x14 inch stiffener that goes in the square compartments on each end. Then we add a 14x29ish inch stiffener that sits in the bottom (in the mounted orientation). These allow help the bags retain their physical shape when loaded. Update: We later rounded the corners on these to eliminate a wear point against the bag material when loaded.
Our last step was to use a steamer to steam the bags to get all those little wrinkles out. This purely for aesthetics, but really improves the look.
Here they are installed, steamed, and loaded.
What We Would Change
Nothing from the final configuration, we love them. We would have sewn in the reinforcement webbing upon initial grommeting, rather than waiting to see them fail! We also would have rounded the stiffener corners from start.
Timeline:
Note, this doesn't reflect full time effort. It's mostly evenings and partial days, limited by work, shakedown failures, etc.
- Cardboard fit test, narrowed the sizes to 14x14 and 14Hx15W bags (8-30-2021)
- Fabricated the first prototype and installed. Ordered 7 more of the selected bag. (2021-11-4)
- Cut stiffeners from expanded PVC sheet for the prototype (11-11-2021)
- Grommeted and installed the remaining 7 bags (11-20-2021)
- Cut stiffeners for the remaining 7 bags (11-21-2021)
- Reinforced the grommeted areas with webbing after a few shakedown voyage failures and rounded stiffener corners (4-8-2022)