How much weight does the upper cabinet hold? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-09-2018, 10:53 AM   #1
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How much weight does the upper cabinet hold?

Does anybody know how much weight the upper cabinet over the dining area of a scamp can hold? The 2 sides over the 2 windows. I tried looking at Scamps website but it doesn't indicate such thing.

Would 40lbs be too heavy?

Do you calculate it by rivets? As in 1 rivet = 10lbs (don't know the actual lbs but for example)

Or....since the kitchen upper cabinet has those 2 squiggly bars is it stronger there?
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Old 08-09-2018, 11:29 AM   #2
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Accepted practice is to keep heavy stuff low in the trailer and over the axle.
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Old 08-09-2018, 11:37 AM   #3
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There's just too many factors to give an accurate weight. I doubt even Scamp Trailer Inc. will be able to tell you.
Here are some of the factors involved.
Weight and size of objects.
Roughness of roads traveled.
Large bumps like speed bumps encountered
Speed at which you drive. (As speed goes up the g-forces of impact with road conditions goes up).
High weight reduces the speed at which uncontrolled sway will occur.



In other words it's not advisable to store cast iron cook wear in the over head cabinets or canned goods.
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Old 08-09-2018, 04:37 PM   #4
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It's weird that they don't give ANY weight limit.
You can't really grasp how much if there is no numbers. It's just a guess and just assuming with the number of rivets etc.

I wasn't going to put the 40lbs in while driving just when at the campsite but there's no way to tell...ha.
They could at least give a number while standing limit and state like half of that if driving etc. lol

Oh well, I'll try not to put anything too heavy then. Thank you for your replies!!
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Old 08-09-2018, 06:03 PM   #5
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Just a good "rule of thumb," but put your light-weight stuff up above, (i.e. paper plates, spices, dried pasta, towels, plastic cups, etc,) and put all your heavier stuff, (i.e. canned and jarred food, liquor and liquid items, which are heavy,) down in the under seat cabinets. It's not just about the added weight, but every time you hit a bump, it adds additional stress on all your mounting fasteners. Keep it light on top.
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Old 08-09-2018, 07:18 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amy in maine View Post
It's weird that they don't give ANY weight limit.
You can't really grasp how much if there is no numbers. It's just a guess and just assuming with the number of rivets etc.

I wasn't going to put the 40lbs in while driving just when at the campsite but there's no way to tell...ha.
They could at least give a number while standing limit and state like half of that if driving etc. lol

Oh well, I'll try not to put anything too heavy then. Thank you for your replies!!
Just use your own common sense. It is pretty clear that you can read and write well, and you are curious and smart enough to wonder and ask questions.

This question is about a "two" on the "decide for yourself" scale.


Notice that the upper cabinets have very limited capacity.
Due to the shape of the trailer, the upper cabinets have little more than half of the volume which seems apparent at a glance.
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Old 08-09-2018, 08:05 PM   #7
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I will at some point do a thread on the roof sag of most Trillium 4500's. Because the upper cabinet is not supported properly, most, (all?) Trillium 4500's form a rather large puddle over the kitchen. This is as a result of the trolley roof being about 1" less elevation then on a 1300, and a slightly longer span then a 1300. The upper kitchen cupboards are a weak point in the design. Paper plates and cereal is all I put up there. On a Scamp, there are supports, so weight up there is probably not as destructive.

I also jack up the tongue when parked. It looks dumb, but drains the roof better.
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Old 08-10-2018, 12:45 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amy in maine View Post
It's weird that they don't give ANY weight limit.
You can't really grasp how much if there is no numbers. It's just a guess and just assuming with the number of rivets etc.

I wasn't going to put the 40lbs in while driving just when at the campsite but there's no way to tell...ha.
They could at least give a number while standing limit and state like half of that if driving etc. lol

Oh well, I'll try not to put anything too heavy then. Thank you for your replies!!
In my humble opinion a factory weight limit wouldn't mean much except to relieve then of any liability if it was exceeded, which would mean they would put a very low limit on it.
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Old 08-10-2018, 03:15 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amy in maine View Post
I wasn't going to put the 40lbs in while driving just when at the campsite but there's no way to tell...ha. Oh well, I'll try not to put anything too heavy then. Thank you for your replies!!
Amy, as others have said, the available room in the upper cabinets is the deciding factor....unless you're loading lead bars . But really, when you're stopped for camping you won't have the roads rolling earthquake to worry about, if it fits you're good to go and not rocket science. For the road, the heavy stuff goes low .
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Old 08-10-2018, 06:07 PM   #10
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Thank you all for the replies!

Yes, common sense....but I get carried away and if it fits...well then it fits! lol Then AFTER when it's all in there I'll be like wait a minute how much weight is that?! Haha...

In the beginning we left a LOT/most in the TV but if you stay at a place longer than 5 days it's SO much easier to put it in the scamp...yes just me being lazy *sigh

I have the back 2 cabinets empty so I just thought it'd be a waste to just leave it empty but it's amazing how once you think to fill it it just fills right up in seconds! Haha...
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Old 08-10-2018, 06:44 PM   #11
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BTW people who don't have water heaters in there campers should def buy one of those solar showers in a bag.

We have a different system for showers so we don't use it as a shower although we have used the hot water out of it.
We put it over the sink cabinet and wash pots and pans and wash our face/hands at night before bed. It gets REALLY hot. Seriously best thing ever, washing a pot with cold water vs hot makes a huge difference in rinsing time

And it's free! No propane, no electricity, no battery no nothin just the good ol sunny sun

I don't really recommend it for showers although it'd be better than nothing but it doesn't give you that feeling of showering (no pressure) But for a faucet it's WONDERFUL !!

Oh wait...on another thought maybe you shouldn't do that cause that's like another 30-40lbs on that upper shelf! Eeeeeeeeek!!

But hey, that's about how my common sense goes I'll still do it but YOU shouldn't if you have "normal" common sense!!
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Old 08-10-2018, 10:14 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amy in maine View Post
It's weird that they don't give ANY weight limit.
You can't really grasp how much if there is no numbers. It's just a guess and just assuming with the number of rivets etc.

I wasn't going to put the 40lbs in while driving just when at the campsite but there's no way to tell...ha.
They could at least give a number while standing limit and state like half of that if driving etc. lol

Oh well, I'll try not to put anything too heavy then. Thank you for your replies!!
If you have the diameter and material of the rivets you can certainly look up the tensile strength online; should be about the same strength at any manufacturers web site. Good discussion here: https://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/s...d.php?t=137283
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Old 08-10-2018, 10:30 PM   #13
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If you have the diameter and material of the rivets you can certainly look up the tensile strength online; should be about the same strength at any manufacturers web site. Good discussion here: https://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/s...d.php?t=137283

I have hung steel cabinets in my shop using a couple of roofing nails, loading them with cases of oil or gallons of antifreeze. In those cases it was sheer strength with a static load. There are just too many variables with dynamic loads applied in all directions to determine maximum load, so the best advice is to keep the heavier loads in a trailer down low in cabinets supported by the floor.
Our upper cabinets contain such things as pajamas, and potato chips, a couple of binoculars, dvds, cds, and a few dishes made mostly of plastic or paper.
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Old 08-10-2018, 10:57 PM   #14
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Wow, reading that forum rivets hold a lot more weight than I anticipated. I thought they could only hold around 10-20lbs each because they're hollow and "seemed" weak.

I'm not really worried now. I think it would hold 30-50lbs if it's standing still. I wouldn't put that much while driving but if it's steady and just standing it's probably good. I haven't weighed each item so I'm not sure if it is 40lbs over the dining but when I put that solar bag on the kitchen cabinet it IS 24lbs with the 3 gallon and the 2.5 is 20lbs. So I know I'm putting in that much weight. I only put it up there when we use it. But it's SO much better with hot water I don't think I could stop using it! It doesn't "seem" to be doing any harm as of now but I guess time will tell...

BTW the 2.5gallon bag is WAY better than the 3gallon one because it's triangle at the bottom so there's less water that sits in there and so much easier to get all the water out. You have to dry it out completely after camping or it'll start to mold. Don't buy the 5 gallon unless you're heeman it's WAY too heavy

I'm thinking of buying 2 more 2.5gallon bags. It's so much better (useful) than lugging tanks of water which doesn't collapse and just take up room after it's gone. It's a boondockers necessity IMO
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Old 08-10-2018, 11:38 PM   #15
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Tensile strength rating is for the load applied vertically in a cabinet application where they are held from the roof. Shear strength is a 90 degree force applied to the rivet, as in if it were inserted in the side of a trailer to hold up the cabinet.


I'm a retired mechanical engineer. The weakest link in this whole application is the fiberglass, not the metal rivet.
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Old 08-10-2018, 11:51 PM   #16
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Hmmm...does that mean it would be better if I put a bolt in the roof and hang it instead? I guess if that 100lbs or so AC is on the roof it can hold 20lbs easy? If I put in wood to structure it?

Not a bad idea...

I was even thinking of getting rid of that water tank under the dining and lining up bags of water in there LOL!!
It's a 12 gallon tank, I can easily put 6 bags in there probably more like 10!! Yay? That way I won't need that pumping faucet!! Wahoo?! Damn I'm getting excited!!
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Old 08-11-2018, 12:01 AM   #17
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40 lbs distributed across 4 rivets in the roof would average 10 lbs per rivet. If that fails you could always replace with bolts/nuts.
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Old 08-11-2018, 12:06 AM   #18
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Oh yeah, I forgot about the cabinets.
Let's forget about that.

What will happen if I bolt a hook on the roof??!!

and hook 20lbs on it? Distribute it with 2-4 bolts and maybe strengthen it with wood (i'd rather not) but from a mechanical engineer point of view what do you think?

Or....would you just say, "Naaaaaa, just stick em in the cabinet and if the rivets get's loose change it with bolts" like what I'm thinking?!
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Old 08-11-2018, 12:20 AM   #19
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40 lbs distributed across 4 rivets in the roof would average 10 lbs per rivet. If that fails you could always replace with bolts/nuts.
Oh, ok so if that fails replace it with bolts and nuts!! GOT IT!!
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Old 08-11-2018, 12:37 AM   #20
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But in all seriousness I would LOVE to get rid of that 12 gallon tank, I'll have 1 less thing to clean and drain and winterize. I hate that pumping faucet too so it's a win win for me all around!!

I'd have to get a clothing line so I can dry all those bags but to tell the truth it's a pain in the butt hole to fill that tank from that corner you have to stand there all day (gasp!) to fill it. And it just seems not clean enough even though I clean it every freaking outing so we never use it for drinking anyway.

This little camper is addicting, there's more and more and even more things you want to do to it that your brain starts to explode!!
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