The van had this "dead zone" in it. A section of the steel shelving system that didn't have an actual shelf. For all the years I used it as a work van I used this empty space for odd items like fan belts, extension cords, etc. Now as a personal vehicle it's become just one waste of empty space.
Until now! Saw this place on line that sells milk crates. The same design as the "real" ones but in different colors and styles, sold direct to the public. I did some measuring, and order a trio of the gray ones. They came in today. I parked out back of the UPS store, and the crates went straight from their shipping box to their work space!
They look great. On trips we can store clothes or food or jugs of water in there. And if I convert the van back to handyman work they'll hold whatever I need. Perforated so one can see what's in them, plus a flat spot to adhere a general label. With a handle on all four sides they're super easy to pull out and move around. Made from the same tough material as the crates you see all the time.
And I didn't have to steal them from the dairy farm! lol
Check out the company. They offer standard crates, these 4 gallon square crates, and super crates in like 12 different colors. reasonably priced, too.
https://www.milkcratesdirect.com/