IT CAN BE AWKWARD moving around in a vehicle home. It can be almost impossible if you have mobility limitations to begin with. Even simple things like reaching for our shoes can make us wish we still lived in a building. Or at least in a large RV. If you’re not as flexible as an octopus, I might have the perfect solution.
When it’s good to be grabby
Adding handles around my van has been one of my best ideas ever. I attached the first one to the tradesman’s cabinet that came with the van. It helps me maneuver around, from scooching along the bed, to lying down, rolling over, and sitting up. On occasion it has helped me off the floor where I had been getting something out from under the bed.
I added another handle to a brace that anchors the aforementioned cabinet. (Then I got in a creative mood and wrapped it with faux leather strips.) It aids in moving around the “living room/kitchen/bathroom/entry hall.” Using the bucket is so much easier. And safer.
Finally (for now) I mounted a handle to the insulated box that houses my refrigerator. It’s right by the door so it steadies me while entering and exiting the van. Because graceless dismounts can be embarrassing. And painful.
Okay, but how do you attach them?
Handles like these need to be able to bear your weight, so they need to be securely mounted to the strongest surfaces. Those places are easy to find in a bare cargo van or utility trailer. Lots of exposed metal — or wood you already attached to metal.
But if your vehicle has plastic and fabric covering the metal, you’ll need to do some detective work. That will probably require some car trim removal tools to pry off the panels, or to at least peek behind them. In a pinch, you can use a screwdriver, putty knife or table knife, maybe a spoon or fork. Be careful prying the panels so you don’t snap off the clips. If you do, replacements clips might be available at auto parts stores (because a lot of people do break the clips). And be aware of any wiring or hoses back there.
Nuts and bolts will hold better in sheet metal than sheet metal screws will. If you can’t get to the back side of the surface you want to mount to, you can use rivet nuts (a.k.a. rivnuts or nutserts). Rivet nuts are like rivets (hence the name) except they’re threaded in the center. When they’re compressed, the sides bulge out and squeeze tightly against the sheet metal creating what the fabrication folks call a “captive nut.”
The rivet nuts themselves are cheap, but the installation tools are not. However, those tools aren’t really necessary. There are YouTube videos showing alternative installation methods using just bolts, nuts, washers, and a wrench.
Screws are good for mounting handles in wood. Just use the fattest ones that will fit through the handle holes. That will provide more gripping area than thin screws. And, of course, make sure they’re not so long that they poke out the other side of the wood and into something critical, like an exterior wall or roof, or a bundle of wires. The best place to get the right screws is a hardware store that has a big aisle of all sizes and types of fasteners. That’s probably also the best place to buy handles.
If you’ve never used wood screws before, there are lots of online tutorials covering everything from types of screws, how to choose the right kind, and how to drill pilot holes. (Don’t know what a pilot hole is? Then definitely check out the tutorials.)
No dainty handles
Again, we’re dealing with your body weight here, and relentless gravity, so you want big and beefy handles — or even grab rails. Get them large enough to fit all your fingers around them. And they should be comfortable to grab and pull.
Oh no, holes!
Yes, attaching handles to your vehicle means making holes. It might even mean cutting away part of a plastic panel in order to mount to something solid. Well here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of making permanent modifications to our rolling homes. Which is more important? Living comfortably and happily in a functional space, or pleasing a possible future owner? Think about that when you’re on the floor and can’t get up.
Would like to know more, if anyone has more idea’s.
I fabricated our ExpeditionVehicle with grabs every direction all over the place:
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/expeditionvehicle-build.44908/#post-576110
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And they still are not enough.
Half the time, after rasslin’ inside with the dogs, I use any handy edge of the wire-shelf racks to regain my dignity.
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Although any dismantle-yard/wrecking-yard usually has a half-dozen RecreateVehicles and ambulances with grabs by the pound, my preference is a heavy-truck dismantler such as:
* Anderson Brothers,
* Highway 99,
* Eugene, Oregon.
Truck operators need to climb all over tarnation to secure the load, so stout grabs are all over the cabs and trailers.
After the main components — engine, trans, axles — are removed, the cab and its grabs head to the crusher.
Ask!
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For the ‘posh’ crowd, I bet you could find something here:
http://www.grabbarspecialists.com/products-life-line.php?cat=25
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And remember:
* Bolt through a main cross-member.
* Bolt through to the exterior wall.
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Examples of bad ideas:
* Any attachment to the surface of an interior wall is only secured by the paint on the surface of the wall.
* Any temporary suction-cup to tile is only secured by the mortar behind the tile.
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Test your potential grab:
* Try some chin-ups.
* Grip, then take off running.
If it holds, you might be on to something.
What a great help. Thanks so much. Loon
Get a sense of humor. Actually if you read it, it gives very practical knowledge whilst entertaining the same time.
Cargo vans will still have the mounting holes for passenger version seat belts, trim clips, etc. On my 2011 Express 2500 cargo van turned basic camper, I used a loop of seatbelt material for a grab handle above the side cargo doors. It’s held in with a factory seat belt mounting bolt and a large flat washer ( it helps I work in a salvage yard but this is something you could pull out of a u-pull-it yard ). I use it more for exiting, than climbing in. It’s a standard height van, and I’m 6’2”. I’m pretty bent over and off balance getting out. Of course, I also have a step stool. Cheap metal gate handles are attached to the inside of my cargo doors so I can pull shut from inside.