What gear to leave in Van?

F

firehawk

Veteran
After many years I’m very grateful and excited to soon become a van man (Ford Transit Cargo). It will be nice not to have to load and unload so much gear for each shoot. Unfortunately it will be a while before I have a secure indoor place to park it so until then I am asking for advice on what gear to leave in the van.
Where I live it can get 100F in the summer and sometimes single digits in the winter. Humidity is high.

All of my gear is organized in cases so I can find it quickly. So I am trying to decide what I can leave in the van. I do not plan on leaving any cameras, lenses, computers or remote heads; I will still pack them for each job. Not sure about some of the rest.
Note: almost none of my cases offer Pelican grade protection. They are simple plastic cases or soft cases. Heat, cold, moisture, theft and vibration from driving are my concerns.

Here is how I have my gear currently organized that I am considering putting in van:

Case with audio recorders

Case with hand mics, lav mics, wireless mics

Case with shotgun mics

Case with LED on-camera lights

Cases with LED lights (Dracast, Astra etc) accessories and stands

Case with Lowel Halogen lights, stands, gels etc

Case with misc camera mounts, action cam mounts, car mounts, superclamps, etc..

Case with Teleprompter system w/ beam splitter glass

Case with video cables and various adapters etc

Case with audio cables and various adapters, plugs, etc

Case with extension cords, power blocks etc

Slider system

C-stands, tripods, monopods, mic stand

Reflectors, white cards, clap board

Chroma key backdrops

Headphones

Jib, tripod & weights

Rock-n-Roller gear cart

4lb tub of Damp Rid moister absorber?


Any advice is appreciated.
 
As Morgan says, there are durable and cheap items that can take the heat. The documents I've seen don't provide a terminal heat rise, but from the graphs I've seen, the temperature in a vehicle will rise to a maximum of about 50F over the ambient temperature. So a 100 degree day will result in a 150F vehicle interior. Do your own test on a hot day. Put a thermometer in there and find out.

150F is seriously hot.

Once you know the maximum temperature in your van, look up the storage temperature maximums listed by the equipment manufacturers and decide if you want to keep it in the van. Over the long term, I wouldn't keep anything that is not really durable.

Here's what I would do: Take out of the van. Leave in van.


Case with audio recorders

Case with hand mics, lav mics, wireless mics

Case with shotgun mics

Case with LED on-camera lights ?? check with manufacturer

Cases with LED lights (Dracast, Astra etc) accessories and stands ?? check with manufacturer

Case with Lowel Halogen lights, stands, gels etc

Case with misc camera mounts, action cam mounts, car mounts, superclamps, etc..

Case with Teleprompter system w/ beam splitter glass

Case with video cables and various adapters etc

Case with audio cables and various adapters, plugs, etc

Case with extension cords, power blocks etc

Slider system Only if it has no electronics or plastic.

C-stands, tripods, monopods, mic stand

Reflectors, white cards, clap board

Chroma key backdrops

Headphones

Jib, tripod & weights Caution - tripods have compounds that may break down in high heat.

Rock-n-Roller gear cart

4lb tub of Damp Rid moister absorber?
 
Regarding heat I disagree, I think it's fine to leave it all in the van. All of the equipment can last in the full sun all day long.

Theft is dependent on the area. For vibration You should put a layer of foam in the cases and drive conservatively.
 
rob norton said:
Regarding heat I disagree, I think it's fine to leave it all in the van. All of the equipment can last in the full sun all day long.

Theft is dependent on the area. For vibration You should put a layer of foam in the cases and drive conservatively.
Click to expand...

I live in the Deep South and in the Summer we leave gear in sealed vehicles for extended periods of time with no ill effect on the gear. In Winter it is periodically below freezing where I live and same there- we regularly leave the gear in near freezing / sub-freezing temps without any problem.

As Rob said, the concern is the security of the gear. Theft risk.

In regard to your upgrading to using a van, avoid the temptation to put graphics on the van that make it known that expensive video gear is inside the van. Plain-jane white is the standard and, again, no graphics or decals indicating what is inside. Not even a "Duclos Lenses" decal or a "Cameramen do it better." decal.
 
I live in the freezing uk.

As for heat in vehicles - I think condensation is the main concern.

My van interior roof can be dripping wet on a sunny morning after a cold night.

Certainly electronics should be cased to protect from those drips.

Moving from an air con building to an oven hot vehicle could cause the camera to condensation like a cold beer - bad.

I think most kit is safe if heated in a dry environment - but in fiercer sun under glass one could certainly cook gear.

Intelligence is needed in moving kit across temperature changes - as simple as opening the doors and airing the vehicle after it has been in a summy car park all day while you shoot.

In terms of overnighting kit security is the lead concern.

Your insurer may have specifics on this such as no coverage after 2200 hours.

I consider my stands and sand bags to be uninsured.

My van was busted last year and the thief chose not to steal anything when offere free 25kg light stands !
 
Incidentally the bust showed me just how weak the locks are and I upgrade to steel plates under the handles for about $200

A small punch hole under the vehicle door allows the lock to be flipped - crazy!

The only trouble with armour plate around the lock is that it does provide a small advert to a thief of goodies aboard.
 
morgan_moore said:
Incidentally the bust showed me just how weak the locks are and I upgrade to steel plates under the handles for about $200

A small punch hole under the vehicle door allows the lock to be flipped - crazy!

The only trouble with armour plate around the lock is that it does provide a small advert to a thief of goodies aboard.
Click to expand...

Sam what about metal screens inside across windows? Too big an advertisement?
 
My van is fully enclosed no windows and full bulkhead between kit and people.

Bringing up another point - consideration of what happens if you crash - i would highly suggest a bulkhead because you don't want a peli or cstand hitting you in a crash.

I guess dark glass and a cage is ok but not as good as no windows.

Which brings up another point - learning to reverse with no windows! If you have a buddy onboard work out procedures for safe manoeuvring - there is a video on one of the YouTube gaffer channels.

Buddy stays visible in driver mirror at all times.
 
Also take driving seriously. Consider advanced driver course and the fact that a van loaded with grip and sandbags does not break or corner like a car.

(Am I sounding old yet?)
 
Consider that gear insurance policies cover theft from a vehicle differently than theft from your home, office or work location. Your deductible likely goes up dramatically from theft from your vehicle.
 
Like JP, I live in the south. Hot, humid summers and the winters can be cold, too(last night it was about 14F and the daytime temps didn't get out of the 20's). I leave everything in except camera and audio. I made the mistake of leaving one of the mixers out in the truck overnight(SD664) back in the early spring when we were on-location and the overnight temps were still frigid and the LCD display screen cracked.

Re: insurance. I've never had a company tell me the rate, deductible, etc. was different if the theft occurred from the vehicle(and I had a $40k+ theft occur almost 12 years ago from my truck. They stole the whole truck. Recovered the vehicle, but 99% of the gear inside was gone). My policy covers it all just the same. But of course, and it should go without saying, the vehicle has to be locked.
 
If you tint the windows, make sure they are within the legal level for your state; and if you travel, make sure that they are within the legal level for surrounding states. Vehicle wraps can also prevent people from seeing through the outside of windows.
 
gkantziper said:
Chris, you may want to check your current policy.
Click to expand...

Hey Glen. I actually just spoke to my insurance company within the last half hour(about something unrelated) and I asked about that while I was on the phone. They said my deductible is the same no matter what. The rep said that is strange to have a policy worded that specifically and there must be some very high-risk factors involved to have a policy written like that.

As far as window tint, that varies widely from state-to-state. In my state, trucks, SUV's and van's with tinted windows only have to have the front driver and passenger windows "legal". Any windows in the rear of the vehicles can be as dark as you want(or even spray painted black for that matter). I don't know about a vehicle registered and plated in one state having to abide by the window tint laws in another state just because they may be driving in it or passing through it. They have been real b@ll-busters here the last few years in regards to window tint, but I can't say that I've ever heard of anyone from out of state getting cited for having a vehicle that was tinted and it was legal in it's "home state", but not here. I'm also not a lawyer, so seek out your own qualified legal counsel if it's that important. ; )
 
In my van I generally will only keep a grip package in there at all times. Anything worth any money (lights, camera, audio lives indoors).
 
Chris, I'd pull out your policy and read it completely if you really want to know the entire truth.

Mine also says,

"Theft from any unattended vehicle unless at the time of theft its windows, doors, and compartments
were closed and locked and there are visible signs that the theft was the result of forced entry.
However, the maximum we will pay for a covered unattended vehicle loss is $50,000."

Notice the language, "visible signs". So, if broken into with a slim jim without visible damage???

You get what I'm saying? They will say anything to pacify you. They will do anything not to pay you in the event of a loss.

If you read thru all your policy and are happy, great!
 
Thanks to all of you. You guys are great and appreciated. +1 to all.
Going to pack the weight bags, stands, jib weights and blunt, not high $$ items. I'm concerned about tripods compounds breaking down.
I think I'm going to leave out most of the electric devices and just pack them from job to job until I have an indoor place to park it. A few things I'm going to check with manufacturer specs regarding storage temps and then decide.
Van has rubber floor and all cases have padding to hopefully (?) help with vibrations.

I used to drive a dump truck years ago so I should be able to do ok driving the van, once I get used to it. Has backup camera and alarm to help too ;)

One case has misc odds and ends I'd love to always have with me: HDMI adapters, V-mount adapters, ipad cables & adapters, rechargeable AAs, and all kinds of misc connectors and things that sometimes you need and never know when you will need them. Metal, plastic and rubber items. Not sure about that case...

All my cases have small silica gel packs in them already. Do you think these help in each case?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0743WRHX5/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A17QCEXR2SHYMI&psc=1
And do you think a big 4lb tub of damp rid in the van cargo area would be of benefit or a waste of money?

The van has rear windows but no side windows and has a perimeter alarm. Looking at window screens like these
https://www.inlad.com/transit-med/high-roof-window-screens-ws-fth-rear?page_id=947
or
https://www.ebay.com/itm/162509796448?rmvSB=true

I'm curious about the earlier mentioned plates to help stop drilling holes to unlock.
And have to check in detail with insurance to see about all that jazz.
 
Last edited:
I live in Montreal, Canada. It is cold here, right now -37c, I have worked in colder conditions and not had any issues with my gear. Certainly there are the obvious effects from cold, your batteries won't last as long and cables that are pvc will be more brittle. In the summer it is damn hot and humid here but those issues have been discussed in previous posts...humidity is a killer.. Theft is the biggest issue I have dealt with, have had Sachtler tripod snatched out of the back of a local TV Station van that was well protected or so we thought. Watch out for guys who see you shooting and stand around and then follow you home or like a local shooter who went in to Costco to pick up a couple of things for supper after the shoot and when he came back his truck had been done and his camera and lenses gone.
I say insulate the van and keep the pitbull kinda well fed and unfriendly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top