Toyota HiAce rear drawers and drawer-top shelving with a built-in ladder hutch

HiAce Ladder Storage Built Into Drawer Top Shelving

A ladder needs a place in a work van, but it does not have to take over the loading area. This Toyota HiAce fit-out uses a dedicated ladder hutch built into the drawer-top shelving, making practical use of the space above the rear drawers.

The important detail is the length: the hutch fits within the standard shelving length, so it does not protrude into the sliding-door area. The ladder has its own storage position while the side doorway remains clear of the hutch.

A Ladder Hutch Within The Shelving

The folded ladder is stored on edge beneath the shelves, in a narrow compartment accessed from the rear of the van. The photos show it both fully stowed and partly withdrawn, making the arrangement easy to understand.

Instead of placing the ladder across the main deck, the hutch gives it a dedicated position alongside the shelving. The shelves above remain available for other equipment, and the central carpeted deck provides a separate load surface.

Folded ladder partly withdrawn from its dedicated hutch within the HiAce drawer-top shelving
The folded ladder withdraws through the rear, from a hutch built into the shelving.

Keeping The Sliding-Door Area Clear

In a trade van, the storage layout needs to work with the doors you use throughout the day. A compartment that extends into the side opening can make access awkward, even if it looks like a good use of space from the rear.

For this HiAce, the ladder hutch stays within the existing shelving length. It is a compact way to combine ladder storage and drawer-top shelving without extending the unit into the sliding-door area.

Close-up of the ladder hutch beneath the HiAce drawer-top shelving with the ladder stored upright
With the ladder stowed, the hutch sits neatly beneath the shelves.

Drawers Below, Shelving Above

The build also includes twin rear drawers beneath the carpeted deck. One drawer is shown extended, with internal dividers separating the storage space. Above the deck, the shelving and ladder hutch organise equipment at a different level.

It is a useful example of planning the whole layout around the items carried: drawers for smaller equipment, shelving for accessible storage, and a fitted compartment for the ladder.

Toyota HiAce rear drawers and drawer-top shelving with a built-in ladder hutch
The complete HiAce arrangement: rear drawers, carpeted deck and shelving with an integrated ladder hutch.

For the wider layout, see our custom HiAce fit-out with stacked side drawers, full height shelving and Cable Holders.

Planning Ladder Storage For Your HiAce?

Tell us the folded dimensions of your ladder, the other equipment you carry and which doors you need to keep accessible. We can discuss whether a similar hutch can be incorporated into your shelving layout.

Explore our Toyota HiAce storage systems, try the HiAce Van Builder, or browse Shelving Systems for more ideas. This ladder hutch is a custom shelving arrangement, so contact us to discuss it with your chosen system.

Lawson Automotive designs and manufactures Australian Made vehicle storage systems in Adelaide, with delivery available nationwide.

Discuss Your HiAce Shelving And Ladder Storage

Call Lawson Automotive on 1300 300 450 to talk through your layout.

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