Cabinets

No matter how well laid out the plan, things will change and measurements will need to be adjusted.

Putting in the plumbing and electric framework without taping out cabinet space lost us valuable space and made us rewind and start again. I'm not including the before plumbing picture. This is the after with the tape to set some boundaries.

The benches are coming along too. But again, we had to adjust our plan so that the wheel well wouldn't hit the side of one of the bench walls. We used thicker plywood for the benches because they will hold more weight.

We added boards to the face to hold the table when it's lowered to bed mode. We also put these straps on for easier opening and because they squish flat when sitting on them.

The framework for the bottom cabinets follows the bench installation. I like how these came together organically, measuring as we went. The cabinet sizes changed as we built them. We used thinner plywood for the cabinets.

Big thanks to Judy Parker for her upholstery skills and to Frank Parker for being a helpful assistant to Judy! The cushions are perfect! We got the foam here and the vinyl here.

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Next step was the upper cabinets. We built the frames first and then brought them in the van.

They are attached to both the wall and the ceiling with brackets. We also installed a ledger running the length of the cabinets for extra support.

Doors, handles, and magnets to keep them closed while traveling were next.

Open shelving is also useful. We still need to think about hardware for bungees to secure shelved items while driving.

In hindsight, the butcher block counter tops are not ideal because they're so heavy. We've been trying to pick light materials to keep the weight down and the gas mileage good. If we build another, we'll go with something lighter. But they do look good!

Here are the shelves with bungee hooks.

These latches for the drawers were added after trying magnets and then using bungy cords when the magnets weren't strong enough. They've made getting ready to drive much quicker!

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