Everyone spends hours before and after a show wrapping, crating and securing their artwork and displays inside their vehicles ensuring that during travel no unusually large bumps or minor accidents will cause any damage to the artwork. But how about the artwork or displays damaging the artist?
Most artists I see travel in minivans, full size vans and even small cars filled to the brim with artwork, cases, tents, weights and walls. While cargo vans with cargo petitions exist to protect the driver from what they are carrying in case of an accident, I see few artists using them.
Do any artists retrofit their vehicles with partitions to protect themselves from their own work or displays in case of an accident?
I'm curious to hear about experiences and products (specifically cargo walls, nets ect. fitted into regular vans or cars) that can help protect us from our cargo.....
Replies
I need to construct a plywood or other form of barrier myself. I retained the seats in my Ford 150 van. I stack my bins on them. They usually stay in place, and are loaded with weight in mind, but a quick slam on the brakes can still send the middle ones in between the front and passenger seats. I want to put up some kind of barrier but I’m not sure what kind or how to secure it in place.
Alison Thomas, Can you provide any more details of what you had in your old van?Thanks.
The barrier that was installed in my cargo van was a heavy wire screen that had a door in the center for access if necessary. Rarely used the door, but liked having it there just in case.
Alison, this is a timely topic that many artists probably don't think about until after an accident. What do you do to protect yourself from the stuff you care? Do you have any good tips to share.
Thanks for starting this post.
This is a very important question. My husband had a CDL (truck drivers license) and was licensed to drive semis. He also had spent time loading trucks at a warehouse. (It's no wonder he preferred the art fair life.) We drove an E250 Ford van. Everything was restrained and/or lashed to the truck walls. Anything that was heavy was on the floor of the van. There was a large box installed behind the drivers seat that held large framed pieces, nothing was going to go past that.
Not mentioned here is the most important thing about keeping your vehicle in tip top condition and those tires well taken care of.
Also, Alison, you might look at the video about Chris Coffey's recent escape from disaster here: for a few more tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STMCLi7I8LM
Hadn't though about this but my steel reinforced plywood divider and load would also have some effect as a roll bar in reference to Chris' pictures.
I use a Ford E350 11/12 passenger van. The second row seat stays in. Tubs are stacked high, but the second layer is still restrained by the second row seat. The tent frame goes in with the wheels hanging over the rear tubs next to the rear gate, and are tied down with rope in case I have to hit the brakes hard. One time of watching an EZ-Up frame and bag slide between the front seats next to my head was enough.
I don't have a picture of it because I traded the van in over the summer but I put in a shelving unit in the van right behind the front seats and then my husband attached a plywood barrier to the shelving unit between the seats and the shelving unit.
We use dh's Ford F150 that has a camper shell on it. It was already like this and everything, to date, fits in the back including our canopy. When the day comes that we get rid of dh's truck we will probably go to a trailer.
I researched cargo barriers for commercial vehicles but didn't find anything that would fit in the Suburban at the time. I first used a tubular steel pet barrier, but as the inventory pile got higher and heavier I built my own. The one shown is 5/8” plywood with 1/4”x2” steel straps welded in an “H” form. The steel straps bolt into the truck frame behind the front seat near the roof. The holes in the wood are for rear visibility and to reduces weight.
There is more to “taking care of yourself” but that belongs in another thread about staying physically fit to do the hard work of shows.
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