A Ford Transit Connect with Ranger’s electrical storage package.Hard Working Trucks spoke recently with three companies that specialize in producing van storage solutions.
First up in our three-part series is Ranger Design. The New York-based company reports that business is good.
“Month after month we are seeing an increase in the number of website hits on all of our products, but the Max View partition is gaining momentum as more customers are recognizing the value in having a see-through, durable, well-fitting partition,” said Steve Milizia, regional manager at Ranger Design.
The Max View partition, which won the Innovative Product of the Year award at this year’s Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, features a clear, polycarbonate top with a thermoformed ABS base. The clear partition helps improve climate control in the cab and reduces blind spots by providing 180 degrees of rear visibility, something that’s lost on steel and aluminum partitions.
A rear-facing mounting bar on the back of the partition allows for mounting Ranger accessories.A rear-facing mounting bar on the back of Max View allows for mounting Ranger accessories, such as a drawer base or hooks, including either a 6-inch hook with a 3-inch opening or an 8-inch swivel hook with a 4-inch opening.
Max View is currently available for Mercedes Metris, Ram ProMaster City and Ford Transit Connect.
Another Ranger product designed to make the work day more manageable is a drop down ladder rack called the Max Rack.
“With an all-aluminum frame construction, stainless steel hardware and glass reinforced nylon components it is the strongest most durable ladder rack with the farthest side drop in the market today,” Milizia said.
Ranger offers plenty of van shelving solutions in various sizes and materials. Its most popular van shelving line, Fleetline, is designed and manufactured with the commercial tradesmen in mind.
“It’s high quality at an economical price,” Milizia explained. “It’s durable and quiet without sacrificing strength.”
If cutting weight is a serious goal, Ranger’s Proline shelving, made from military grade aluminum, can shave off roughly 33 percent in weight compared to typical steel shelving.
Of course, time is money, so to that end Ranger provides estimated install times on all of its products.
“We do this to help the upfitter as well as the do-it-yourselfers to help them plan the time it takes to assemble and install the product,” Milizia said.
The fastest way to get information on Ranger products, Milizia said, is to visit rangerdesign.com. On the homepage, users can jump right into shopping by vehicle, by product or by trade.
Ranger’s Transit Upfit GuideI chose to start by shopping by vehicle. After clicking on the image of a Ford Transit, I was taken to a page titled “2015 Ford Transit Accessories, Shelving & Racks. Full Range of Commercial Van Interiors.”
Below that was a message stating, “Your dealership will give you up to $1000 upfit assistance towards an upfit through the Ford Truck Commercial Connection Program.” Not a bad way to start shopping!
Below that is Ranger Design’s 92-page Ford Transit Upfit Guide. On page 5, Ranger states that its staff is available to answer calls in two rings or less between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern.
On pages 6 and 7, detailed dimensions of a Ford Transit are laid out along with explanations on partition depth, door opening, floor space and dimensions in red (indicate unique measurements for each wheelbase).
Pages 8 and 9 ask the reader to write down information about storage zone use. The pages are very user-friendly and ask detailed questions about van use.
It won’t take long and you’ll find yourself quickly clicking through easy-to-use pages on Ranger’s website.
When it comes to product warranties, Ranger is pretty proud to report that it offers the best warranties in the market. The Proline series comes with a 10-year warranty, while Fleetline has a three-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Warranties remain intact regardless of who performs the install.
A Ford Transit Connect with Ranger's electrical storage package.
