The upper rear cabinets are 67 1/2" long and consist of a 80/20 series 15 front face frame and a 15/32" plywood cabinet bottom.  The plywood bottom bolts to the front face frame and sits on the edge of  15/32" plywood that is bolted to the van wall using the existing 8mm Transit tapped holes.  The front face upper 80/20 extrusion is hung at three places from the roof ribs.  Enlarged existing holes in the Transit roof rib to install 1/4-20NC Plus nuts.  An aluminum angle is bolted to the side of the rib using the Plus nut tapped hole.  There is a 2 3/4" x 3" plywood 3 hole 15/32" plate that is bolted between the angle and the top extrusion to create a thermal break and attach the cabinet front face to the van.  The plywood cabinet floor is the thermal isolation between the lower extrusion and the van wall.  Thermal isolation is required to prevent the aluminum extrusions from being the same temperature as the van steel.

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The cabinets were designed to hold 6 baskets on each side.  The baskets were purchased from Home Goods and are Simplify catalog # 3680.  Baskets are 10" x 12" x 8" tall.  Cabinets were designed to hold the baskets so the long dimension of basket is perpendicular to the van wall.  The plywood cabinet bottom is flush with the bottom edge of the lower horizontal 80/20 extrusion.  The bottoms of the baskets are about 1" below the top of the lower extrusion to keep the baskets from falling out.

The baskets eliminate the need for doors that get in the way, cost more, tend to rattle and weigh more.  Very easy to reach into the basket to get what you want or to remove the loaded basket.

The Transit high roof van allows a 30" high bed platform that provides enough height between the bed and the bottom of the cabinets so a person can sit up in bed without hitting their head on the cabinet.  The location of the bottom front extrusion was determined with a rope.  Moved a tight stretched rope around until I found the best location for maximum storage and still be able to sit up in bed.  The baskets should be purchased before the cabinet is built so cabinet is built to match the baskets.  Baskets provide extra storage space because items do not fall out when you open a door.

Put a string of LED lights in the bottom slot of the bottom extrusion.  The light switch is located on bottom of the cabinet so it can be reached from bed or from the aisle.

The Ford black plastic wireway was removed from the van side wall and the from above the rear doors.  Side wiring was moved up the wall so it was inside the cabinet in a 1 1/2" square Panduit snap cover wireway.   Boxed in the space between the two upper cabinets and above the rear doors to create a wireway and to bolt the two upper cabinets together above the rear doors.  Used one of the Transit LED lights with a switch on bottom of the box.
 

Upper Storage Cabinet Drawing # ODJ127-04                                          

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