Picking a van up this weekend and wondering about tie down and wheel chock setup.  Ive always had a truck.  its e350 extended, not a cargo version.  Do you guys just drill straight through the floor for mounting the chock and use eye bolts straight through the floor as well.  Also, planning on tinting all windows as dark as possible, and thinking I should put some type of wall over the side windows.  How secure are the the bikes in the van, I dont want a handlebar going through the side window if it comes loose.  Just want a setup to carry 2 bikes, tools, and gear comfortably, but as times goes by ill prolly want to mount a bench seat behind the front seats.  It has one in it now, but think it will need to be moved foward.  Thanks

Yeah you can usually just drill through the floor to mount. You might want some recessed D-ring type hardware to attach your tie down to. You'll have plenty of room to have a bench seat in addition to two bikes in an extended length van. We've fit two bikes in the back of a astro van with the first row bench in(4people 1 large dog and supplies for a week long cabin trip fit). The wall is up to you. It would be a decent idea because if you drop the bike when your loading or something it could be an expensive mistake. I think you made a good choice with the van. You'll have plenty of room for all your stuff.

I have a ram 3500 van, with the seats out we use the seat lockdown lugs recessed into the floor to attach tiedown hooks, the strapped down bikes don't roll after I crank them down in gear.

The van is a passenger van.  I have never installed anything like this, but do you buy the d ring and use bolts straight through the floor with a nut under the vehicle.  Is this strong enough to hold.  The van is carpeted and looking for a rubber mat to lie over the carpet as well, any ideas on where to get the rubber mats at for a reasonable price.  As for the walls over the windows, If I used plywood, How would I mount it.  Should I rip everything out of the van so It is bare like a cargo/work van.

I have an 03 15 passenger that we converted over to a mx van. If you get l braces from lowes or home depot and drill the mounting holes out for a strap and bolt you can use the seat and seat belt bolts to fasten it down to the origionalmounting points. Also might want to use a piece of plywood to mount the bike shoes too. The floor is thin so having the plywood helps. Just watch where you drill with the gas tank on the left side of the van and being a 35 gallon tank.

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MasterCraft
Setra 200B

Thanks, do you have any pics of your setup.   Im picking the van up today.  Im gonna get started to today just 2 wheel chocks and tie down points is all im going for right now, then I want to use it amd after loading and unloading find the best spots for some sort of storage compartments for gear tools ect

One more question, did your passenger van have a raised platform form the last bench seat, if so does that come off easily I havent had a chance to get to work on it.

Yeah, just don't go to town drilling recklessly in the floor.  Lke said above, you have to be careful of the gastank.  There is also lots of other stuff under there, filler neck, brake lines, exhaust heat shields.  You have to measure, measure, measure!

Also, you have to be mindful of the corrugation of the floor.  Try to keep your holes and bolts on the top flat sides of the raised ribs.  If you get them on the bottom or the transitions things can get kinda funky and crooked.

To cover the side windows, get some thin plywood that can bend and follow the curve of the wall.  Then you can screw it to the wall with short self-tapping screws.  Just make sure they are short enough that they don't touch the outer skin or poke through to the outside!!!!!!!

I wouldn't rip out all the interior.  That stuff keeps a lot of the road noise down and provides some insulation.  Just take out what you need to.

The very rear of the van is about 3 inches higher than the rest of the van where the very last bench seat is.  Is the van made like this.  any idea what this is and how I can make it level

The van is the fattest in the middle. The rear doors are a few inches shorter than in the middle. I use the removable chocks with the slide mount. I just dry walled screwed the mounts thru my 3/4" plywood floor into the metal floor of the van(It would take a hell of a crash to shear all 4 of the screws). My cargo extended has a wall and I hook the tie downs at the top of the side walls in some factory holes(its a hold up system as opposed to a hold down system). It has very little pressure on the shoe on the floor. Watch your knuckles because its very close going thru the door frame. I use a 2x8 with a ramp lip from Home Depot for a ramp and put my stand about 10" from the bumper to step on during loading.

Good Luck!

For rubber flooring to cover the carpet......Go to local "tack shop" and buy that rubber matting for horse pens, it's sold by the foot and should be reasonable.
With an Extended Ford van  you should EASILY be able to fit the 2nd row bench (behind captains chairs) and your bikes inside. I use the seat frame and eye bolts thru the fender wells to tie my bikes down. Works great. Also, if all the seats are there, put the 4 passenger rear seat in the second row, this gives you the longest seat for sleeping, more passengers etc. You will thank your self in the future for doing this.
PS My thoughts on tie downs for the bikes in the back of the vans, is to use turn buckles to the foot pegs and tighten. Also I don't use any type of tire shoe, I turn the bars so that the tire is between the wall and seat, I can fit 3 full size bikes this way.

Edited by 6 Riders, 28 September 2012 - 01:47 PM.

6 Riders, on 28 September 2012 - 01:47 PM, said:

two good ideas! do you have any photos with your van loaded with three bike using the turnbuckles? curious as to where /how you secure the lower eyelet? thanks

joe_joe, on 24 October 2012 - 07:51 PM, said:

I haven't done the turnbuckle idea yet, I'd most likely use e-track since it's the most compact (flattest) mounting system I've seen and leaves the turn buckles movable. The three bike i've done many times (using cam-buckle tie downs), turn the outside bikes wheels outward, pegs will be over the wheel wells. The 3rd bike fits nicely right in-between the other two, front wheel straight. The 4 passenger seat, just move it forward.
I'm trailering a bunch of bikes right now, so I don't load the bikes into the van very often anymore, but I will take a picture next time I do.
BTW this is done in a STANDARD length '95 Chevy passenger van (old body style, 12 passenger), so it should be do-able in any "modern" body style van.