Parcel Shelf Prototype Complete.

.50

.50

Senior Member
T6 Guru
Finally got a bit of time today to construct a parcel shelf for behind the second row of seats in my kombi.

I believe, ( and certainly in my case ), that this area is pretty dead space, even when loaded up for a trip.

The shelf will alloy the rear passengers, ( my kids ), to have somewhere convenient to shove various bits and bobs like jumpers/jackets gadgets, pillows etc.

I just used some 9mm ply and some 20mmx20mm box section steel.

The steel I cut and welded to the correct size/angle and tgen cut a slot in the bottom to locate over the lashing points on the seat base.

The bottom the shelf I allowed wide enough so that I could drill holes in it to push the headrests through to locate it and keep the whole thing on place.

Its worked out great, and I just need to sand it all down and prime it ready for carpet.

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That is amazing, absolutely perfect for the kids in the back. looking forward to seeing finished product and the plans to make forum members shelves or just share the plans :thumbsup:
 
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.50 said:
Finally got a bit of time today to construct a parcel shelf for behind the second row of seats in my kombi.

I believe, ( and certainly in my case ), that this area is pretty dead space, even when loaded up for a trip.

The shelf will alloy the rear passengers, ( my kids ), to have somewhere convenient to shove various bits and bobs like jumpers/jackets gadgets, pillows etc.

I just used some 9mm ply and some 20mmx20mm box section steel.

The steel I cut and welded to the correct size/angle and tgen cut a slot in the bottom to locate over the lashing points on the seat base.

The bottom the shelf I allowed wide enough so that I could drill holes in it to push the headrests through to locate it and keep the whole thing on place.

Its worked out great, and I just need to sand it all down and prime it ready for carpet.

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Cool. With a cushioned floor and a wire bulkhead, that's the perfect place for my hound!!
 
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Cherokee said:
Cool. With a cushioned floor and a wire bulkhead, that's the perfect place for my hound!!
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I tell you what, its very sturdy !!!.

I've got a couple of plastic framed cargo nets from Kirivans which will be fixed to the rear upstand for gsdgets etc, and I am planning a couple of usb outlets jyst by the headrests for charging etc.
The cabling for this will run down the inside of one of the steel support legs and have a quick connector that plugs into a power outlet that I will be putting in the front of my rear whell arch boxes when I make them.
 
Don't want put a downer on it but for me lots of things stored at head height and uncertified/untested - would hate to see where things go in a crash. Just my opinion.
 
Dan M said:
Don't want put a downer on it but for me lots of things stored at head height and uncertified/untested - would hate to see where things go in a crash. Just my opinion.
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As I said, its only for light stuff like clothing/travel pillows which are more volume than mass.
There's been parcel shelves in cars as long as I can remember and I think common sense would dictate what to put up there.
 
It's not the fact that there's pillows or just soft stuff on it, my main concern (as an automotive engineer currently working on the rear end crash structure of a new car) is that what happens if you get shunted in the rear, that ply will not crush, you are putting loads into the seats in an area it's not designed for, basically anyone in those seats could be toast, it's up to you but with my experience I wouldn't sit my enemies in those seats let alone loved ones. I'm not trying to put a dampener on what you've done as I understand what you're trying to achieve, but seriously please consider the implications should something unfortunate like a rear end shunt happen.
 
WheelieBealie said:
It's not the fact that there's pillows or just soft stuff on it, my main concern (as an automotive engineer currently working on the rear end crash structure of a new car) is that what happens if you get shunted in the rear, that ply will not crush, you are putting loads into the seats in an area it's not designed for, basically anyone in those seats could be toast, it's up to you but with my experience I wouldn't sit my enemies in those seats let alone loved ones. I'm not trying to put a dampener on what you've done as I understand what you're trying to achieve, but seriously please consider the implications should something unfortunate like a rear end shunt happen.
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If it worried me that much I wouldn't have done it.
 
When I was a baby I’m sure I was usually put to sleep on the parcel shelf and I’m still here, not on the parcel shelf anymore though.
 
WheelieBealie said:
If you're comfortable with it then crack on :(
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If I was worried about that sort of thing then I certainly wouldn't put 5 huge mountain bikes in the back tight up to the back of the rear seats. ( and wouldn't encourage anyone else to either ).

I understand where you're coming from, but things have to be kept in context.

Even if the van was empty during a catastrophic rear end collision, the meter plus of metal in the sides and roof panels would have to be displaced somewhere.
Maybe it would concertina outwards, or maybe it would concertina inwards.

Either way, if the rear end of the van, after a collision, is pushed that far forward, then all the cargo that was between that and the rear seats will have to have gone somewhere. ( quite possibly through the seat back ).

I suspect that the thousands of vans that have had the walls lined out with 6mm ply are also putting rear passengers at risk if involved in a large rear end impact, as this ply will simply break from its plastic retaining clips before being pushed forward onto the chamfered C pillar, and deflected inboard.

I love forums like these as it allows members to share ideas, and others comment on them.

I can now make a few alterations to my prototype such as de-webbing the ply base and altering the flat box section support to 45 degrees, this will allow the metal work to easily detach if it is exposed to an impact and be pushed outward, and the bottom ply shelf will simply break into small sections along pre cut shear lines.
 
.50 said:
As I said, its only for light stuff like clothing/travel pillows which are more volume than mass.
There's been parcel shelves in cars as long as I can remember and I think common sense would dictate what to put up there.
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It's your call and as long as you are satisfied. Horses for courses, some people will use non tested R & R beds etc
 
.50 said:
If it worried me that much I wouldn't have done it.
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May I just add my ha’pence worth.

In a former life I was a full time accident investigator, reconstructing fatal and serious accidents and also conducting vehicle examinations to discover causes.

In my humble opinion the shelf does pose an increased risk, but this is fairly minimal and totally dependant upon what is likely to cause it to move. It seems to be a fair distance from the rear of the van so load contents are more likely to be an issue..
So avoid carrying anything substantial at high level behind the shelf

Secondly the shelf should be made of as lightweight material as possible, could you not use something like that plastic square section material used for conservatory roofs? Might that be better??

Thirdly, a slight adjustment to the design. The two metal arms that support the base could be angled at aprrox 45 degrees and still provide ample support whilst minimising the risk of becoming lethal spears in an accident. People often sit at variance with the head restraint (note - not head rest!!) and may unwittingly line themselves up to be a target

Otherwise it’s a skilfully made piece of work, made with the best of intentions.


Incidentally, one fatal I recall that puzzled me for some while was an elderly chap with a rear skull fracture in a head on.

He had skilfully made a wooden case for his geographia. In the accident, the deceleration caused the cover containing the moderately heavy book to come off the parcel shelf at speed and strike the back of his head.
The other injuries sustained meant that he wouldn’t have survived anyway but he might of......

Just a thought eh!
 
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