Okay, last update on this! I
Okay, last update on this! I spoke with one of the guys at Fiberine in California (http://www.fiberine.com) and he was very generous to donate some advice. He said that those cages are unique to ambulance vans for safety, and that it is, in fact, there in case of impact. So long as I’m not planning on any ambulance activities and getting stopped by the police while at it, I should be fine to remove it all together.
Whew! Frankly, that’s the answer I wanted. I’ll get another half-inch out of the van for myself and I get to cut this thing out and get moving again.