The advantages of metal van racking

The discussion of choosing between wood and metal van racking has been around for a long time. They both got their own merits and demerits. So, which one is to be preferred? Wood van racking, or metal van racking?

If the title of this article wasn’t a dead giveaway, in this article we’ll go over the main advantages of investing in van racking/vehicle storage solutions made out of metal.

Lightweight, yet solid

The first stop for many van owners is often homemade vehicle storage solutions made out of wood. While they do provide a cheap and easy solution, it’s important to be aware of its limitations, one of them: its weight. Wood is heavy and van racking made out of wood will eat into a vehicle’s payload.

Adhering to a van’s payload is essential to travel safely and within the law’s regulations. In comparison, metal van racking out of high-strength steel offers a lightweight, yet very solid solution that’s easy to install. A similar van racking out of wood, will weigh half made out of metal.

High ROI

As a result of metal van racking being so lightweight, you can generate hefty savings. Reducing the weight of the van racking leaves you the option to increase the weight in other areas, such as cargo or equipment. Thus, allowing you to carry more at any one time, making more deliveries or fewer trips per day. 

Also, the heavier a vehicle is, the higher the fuel consumption. A lower fuel consumption does not only generate cost savings, it also reduces your carbon footprint.

Easy maintenance

While wood may appear to protect the interior of the van effectively, it often needs to be laboriously treated to prevent it from getting damaged, such as to prevent the absorption of fluids. Without regular treatment, the wood is at risk of cracking or getting discoloured. 

While metal van racking runs the exact same risks, the maintenance of it is much simpler. Also, the forces at hand need to be much greater than for wood for it to get damaged in any meaningful way.

Sturdier

In the event of a crash, everything within the cargo space can become a deadly projectile with enough force – even the van racking itself. While wooden van racking can appear very sturdy when braking or driving around corners, problems often occur in the event of a crash. Van racking made out of wood often disintegrates in a forceful crash where not even the bulkhead might be able to protect the people within the cockpit. 

Where wood will break, metal will instead bend, and requires a much greater force to be broken.

Choose vehicle storage solutions out of metal

Hopefully this article has been enlightening and will help you make the right decision between choosing either wood or metal van racking. If you’re looking for one of the most flexible, crash-tested, modular based van racking systems made out of metal out there, we’d suggest you check out System Edström. They offer one of the markets most flexible van racking systems for all of the most popular van brands.