Van uplifting — or upfitting — involves making interior and exterior customizations that make vehicles more versatile and user-friendly. It is popular among people with work vans who want to make them more suitable for specialized trades.
DETERMINE THE MAIN GOALS
People should start by figuring out the main things they want to accomplish through their truck uplift projects. Do they want to increase the storage, add onboard power sources, make the seats more comfortable or something else?
It is also essential to decide whether those involved will do the upfitting themselves or hire specialty companies to handle it. The former option is more involved because it requires sourcing the required materials, accessories and other necessities and installing them.
Conversely, professional van-uplifting companies handle most of the main steps and give clients the details of various options. Tradespeople with time shortages understandably prefer letting specialists handle the upgrades, especially if they do not want the work to interfere with their clients’ needs.
Anyone interested in uplifting should know what they want to achieve with these upgrades before approaching professionals about them. Staying firm about those must-have items will increase the chances of work van owners feeling satisfied with the outcome and believing they got their money’s worth.
FOCUS ON WHAT WILL INCREASE USABILITY
People should emphasize the improvements that will directly support their trades. Narrowing down the possibilities starts when people consider which aspects of their current work truck prevent them from using it in the way they would prefer.
If someone spends longer than they would like at the end of the workday trying to fit all their tools back into a vehicle that lacks the necessary space. Efforts to retrofit van storage could result in the interior being able to hold hundreds of pounds more inside if it has deep, foldaway shelves. Alternatively, pursuing van uplifting to add a built-in refrigeration unit provides a convenient, cooled area that prevents the driver from relying on portable coolers that take up room in the truck’s cab.
Many tradespeople also like adding workbenches to their vans because it gives them an always-available surface for measuring, cutting and other essential tasks. Prioritizing designs that fold down and stow easily will make the additions maximally practical while supporting the truck owner’s trade.
PLAN THE LAYOUT
Before individuals retrofit van interiors and exteriors, they should take careful measurements of their work trucks to confirm the current state of things and how specific upgrades would change it. Next, they can use that information to create detailed diagrams containing specific dimensions, functional features and other helpful content.
Van uplifting is not something to approach with a trial-and-error mindset. It could lead to costly mistakes and incorrect assumptions that cause people to waste time and materials. The more a person knows about their truck measurements and other particulars before starting, the easier it will be to find the most appropriate solutions.
LOOK FOR REPURPOSING OPPORTUNITIES WHEN APPROPRIATE
The construction and demolition industries contribute hundreds of millions of tons of waste yearly. That outcome has caused more companies to offer products featuring recycled or recyclable materials. In other cases, they make it easier to handle components that are no longer useful responsibly. When there are few or no barriers, making it more challenging to do that, people are more likely to embrace such options.
Progress is ongoing among companies offering electric work trucks and their batteries. Many enterprises have recycling programs so people can bring back those power sources to appropriate places rather than discarding them in landfills or using other inappropriate means to get rid of them. Similarly, many businesses offer conversion kits that allow people to turn diesel-powered trucks into electric models.
There is also a United States-based startup that received $15 million from an investment firm in 2023. The company’s business model focuses on offering electrification options for existing vehicles, removing the obstacles that could make truck owners believe diesel trucks are the most accessible possibilities.
Repurposing also extends to examining different ways to use the available truck space. Rather than wasting space, could someone get more use out of it by adding a custom-sized shelf or compartment? Adding external and internal racks is another way to repurpose a work truck’s formerly useless or low-purpose areas. People will get the best results by thinking creatively and approaching professionals who can suggest viable ways to achieve what they envision.
MAINTAIN A REALISTIC VAN UPLIFTING TIME FRAME
It is ideal when people can plan their van uplifting projects to occur when they can use alternative vehicles during the upgrades. Specialized upfitting can take a while to complete, requiring people to plan accordingly. However, that long lead time can encourage truck owners to think about how their needs might change between now and then.
A future-oriented mindset can lead to a decision to make more upgrades than initially planned. This is because the person is thinking ahead about client needs, the state of their industry, trade-related trends and more.
Rather than feeling discouraged because they may need to wait a while to use their improved work vans, people should stay focused on the eventual benefits, such as how the upgrades will help them operate more productively and safely. For example, specific compartments or storage racks made for particular tools will prevent those items from rolling around and getting damaged.
Additionally, when everything has a proper place and stays well organized, tradespeople can immediately begin working after reaching clients’ properties rather than spending precious minutes finding what they need for specific jobs.
STAY MINDFUL OF HOW OTHERS WILL PERCEIVE VAN UPFITS
After enjoying the benefits of van-uplifting projects and going through the steps recommended here, be aware of how the chosen upgrades may make your improved van an increasingly likely theft target. If a vehicle looks impressive, many criminals will be more curious about what the inside contains and assume they could get reasonable prices by selling whatever they steal.
Budgeting for appropriate security upgrades that will show people your work van is not worthwhile because of its strong deterrents. Since the vehicle contains trade-related essentials, your theft preventives indirectly allow you to keep working without unplanned disruptions.
About The Author
Emily Newton has eight years of creating logistics and supply chain articles under her belt. She loves helping people stay informed about industry trends. Her work in Global Trade Magazine and Parcel showcases her ability to identify newsworthy stories. When Emily is not writing, she enjoys building Lego sets with her husband.
