Roof Mounted Shelf/Cabinet - Fiberglass RV
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Old 01-30-2009, 12:32 AM   #1
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Anyone ever made of these for your trailer? Finding an OEM one is impossible so thinking of making something to gain some extra storage space...anyone have pics or link to similar posts?
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Old 01-30-2009, 10:58 AM   #2
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Quote:
Anyone ever made of these for your trailer? Finding an OEM one is impossible so thinking of making something to gain some extra storage space...anyone have pics or link to similar posts?
Kurt-- is something similar to these what you are refering to? Two are of our Scamp and the other is in the Compact JR we did last year. Larry
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Old 01-30-2009, 11:44 AM   #3
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Kurt
If are these what you are looking for? I have seen some that people have made fron 3/8 plywood. Make a template of your roof curvature and transfer it to the plywood face. Do the same for the 'floor' of the cabinet. They are usually about two or three inches above the end windows. The wiring for the lights under mine runs up behind the moulding from the benches. The ones in my unit are held in place with a couple of layers of fiberglass tape about 6" wide. Someone at the Emily gathering last summer was selling some. Sorry I don't have his name. Maybe someone else can help here.
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Old 01-30-2009, 12:06 PM   #4
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Kurt
If are these what you are looking for? I have seen some that people have made fron 3/8 plywood. Make a template of your roof curvature and transfer it to the plywood face. Do the same for the 'floor' of the cabinet. They are usually about two or three inches above the end windows. The wiring for the lights under mine runs up behind the moulding from the benches. The ones in my unit are held in place with a couple of layers of fiberglass tape about 6" wide. Someone at the Emily gathering last summer was selling some. Sorry I don't have his name. Maybe someone else can help here.
yes, that is what I am looking for. The guy in Ontario making them will not ship them, so I have to make one. I would like to make one out of fiberglass for the weight savings but wonder about their strength? I assume they are attached via the roof and walls?
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Old 01-30-2009, 12:06 PM   #5
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PS - how deep is yours anyway?
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Old 01-30-2009, 01:08 PM   #6
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Kurt,

I inherited homemade overheads on each end. The PO made them out of 1970's interior paneling and 1x1's. I did the HGTV solution and painted them with what we painted the hide with and added some trim and new doors to clean up the look. Eventually, I plan to replace them(using the pieces a templates) with a more permanent and modern solution.


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Old 01-30-2009, 04:29 PM   #7
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Anyone ever made of these for your trailer? Finding an OEM one is impossible so thinking of making something to gain some extra storage space...anyone have pics or link to similar posts?

You could check these out from Paul Neumeister

http://www.fibreglass-rv.ca/

Or is this the guy who isn't shipping them? If so that's too bad as I was considering one, or two for my Boler.
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Old 01-30-2009, 04:38 PM   #8
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I contacted Paul Neumeister but he is unable to ship the cabinets....and he is on the other side of the country.

Interior panelling sounds not too bad. I am not against using wood at all but I want to retain the smooth look of the fiberglass so they look like they belong. My cabinets are sprayed with automotive paint via a HPLV sprayer so I can do the same with what ever I make. I may try amold out of wood and then fober glass around it and add some lights....yours look great up there, one on each end would be great.
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Old 01-30-2009, 04:40 PM   #9
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PS - what are you guys storing in yours anyway? Anyone know the depth and general height?
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Old 01-30-2009, 04:50 PM   #10
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Just to point out another rock that has been turned, I called Scamp to ask about these shelves, last October.

They said that they did make some that would likely fit Bolers, and the price was not bad, but the shipping was killer as they have to go by truck. I think it was as much or more than the shelves. I ruled it out based on that.

Good to know about Paul N. (assuming it's him) not shipping. I had contacted him about that same time but had not heard back.

I think that "tabbing" them in using fiberglass tape would be a really good way to go, but it would involve removing and re-affixing some of the Ensolite, and possibly making slits in it (if you did not have the windows removed in order to get to an edge.

I remember reading where (was it you, Larry?) one person who made and installed their own shelving units fastened them using the rivet holes that are usually there for the curtain rods (which do seem a bit trivial to justify four to six rivet holes apiece!). Then he/she hung the curtain rods from the bottom of the new units (you'd get more space in them this way too, because they'd come down lower where the trailer is bigger).

I've been toying with different ideas for these:

1) A simple cleat fastened to the trailer using the curtain rod holes, with the shelves' base on top of it.

2) A cleat fastened to the trailer as above but then the shelves being lightweight "box beams" using the cleat as spacer and thin ply top and bottom.

3) A length of fiberglass angle with the bottom of the "L" supporting the shelves. The angle would be either tabbed in with fiberglass or fastened as above. Would have to check to see if the angle would be a problem vis-a-vis curving trailer sides. Perhaps it would not have to be a continuous piece.

I really would like to tab, and it makes the trailer (slightly) stronger, as opposed to having holes (which are a slight annoyance), but given the Ensolite issues, and the fact that the holes are already there, I may choose to go with #1 or #2 (or maybe a new idea I pick up here!)

Oh, note: I assume that unless one were tabbing with fiberglass, that one would have to add holes to the roof to help support the shelves, or the face pieces.

Raya
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Old 01-30-2009, 06:01 PM   #11
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yes, that is what I am looking for. The guy in Ontario making them will not ship them
How far are you from Chilliwack? While at the Oregon Gathering last July, I spoke with a couple who had Reace build them a unit for their Boler. He did it in wood... They have subsequently bought an Escape.
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Old 01-30-2009, 06:02 PM   #12
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I live right here in Chilliwack
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Old 01-30-2009, 07:49 PM   #13
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Quote:
I remember reading where (was it you, Larry?) one person who made and installed their own shelving units fastened them using the rivet holes that are usually there for the curtain rods (which do seem a bit trivial to justify four to six rivet holes apiece!). Then he/she hung the curtain rods from the bottom of the new units (you'd get more space in them this way too, because they'd come down lower where the trailer is bigger).


Oh, note: I assume that unless one were tabbing with fiberglass, that one would have to add holes to the roof to help support the shelves, or the face pieces.

Raya
YUP--- that was me. Used the rivet holes to hold the "L" brackets for the bottom. Then put eyebolts down from the bottom of the shelves to hold the Cafe rods. Just open the eyebolts up to sorta make hooks out to hold the Cafe rods.
And yeah, did have to put 3 holes in the roof to support the cabinents/shelves, one in the center between the doors and one in each corner. Where the cabinents run into the closet and the kitchen cabinent, hung them on those. They don't interfere with headroom at all. (of course the bed is always made up-but were designed not to hit heads anyway) Larry
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Old 01-30-2009, 07:50 PM   #14
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PS - what are you guys storing in yours anyway? Anyone know the depth and general height?
In answer as to what we are storing in them---- anything that fits..... Mostly clothes, that way no suitcases or bags to get in the way... Larry
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Old 01-30-2009, 08:40 PM   #15
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Ours are made of 3/8" pre-finished plywood.; the cabinet faces are shy of 10" tall, the bottom "shelf" and 10-5/8" deep with 3/4" square stock along the back and top edges for screwing from the outside hull into the 3/4" strip. We store mostly lightweight things like clothing in our loft cabinets of our 5er (pictured) because I worry about increasing our center of gravity too much and making the trailer tippy.


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Our loft's upper cabinets were assembled in-place. I thought it was easier doing it that way over pre-assembling and fitting them. I made and test-fit cardboard templates to get the round corner angles correct before cutting my plywood.
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Old 01-30-2009, 10:15 PM   #16
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Kurt,
I bought some of the ones sold at Emily. The person selling them really did not want their name broadcast all over the place. They are from NS.
They were made of thin birch veneer plywood with about a 3/4" support glued on the inside corner and 6 small pieces of the 3/4" glued on just back from the edges. We used small L brackets and 6 SS bolts to attach the units. They were very light and surprisingly strong once installed. Front and rear are slighty different due to the difference in the body. The front is slightly smaller. The thin plywood is easily shaped with a belt sander or in my case an angle grinder with a sandpaper disc.

We really have not had them long enough to decide what we will store in them. Partly because our storage needs are still changing as we work on the trailer. I put a stereo in the front unit and cut a slot for facial tissue in the back over the bed. No more box of Kleenex on the counter - yeah! We will be mounting some of the battery operated Princess Auto "space ship" lights under them this spring with voltage regulators wired to our 12V. (Item # 8173403)

Somewhere on the web, I found a template in a PDF that you can use to start with. Send me a PM with your email and I will send it to you. BTW the person that made the drawing is about 3.5 hours from you so you might have a closer source than you think.

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Old 01-31-2009, 01:24 AM   #17
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Hi Roy, thanks for that update, PM Sent Any pics of yours?

thanks.
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Old 01-31-2009, 02:25 AM   #18
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Peter,
Those look nice. Assuming they attach to the shell, how did you do that?

Roy,
I was going to ask if you would mind e-mailing me the .pdf too, but on reflection, I wonder if it could be posted on the site for others to use as a base as well? Nice to have something to start with, even if it needs tweaking.


I thought about adding weight up high also, but then I figured that (depending on one's ratio of travelling to staying put), one could always put any "heavy" stuff in a nylon duffel on the floor for travelling, then "re-stock" the shelves for camping (and then the duffel would fold up very small). Not that you'd be putting encyclopaedias up there regardless. And I bet I would find a lot of light stuff that it would be great to get out of the way.

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Old 01-31-2009, 07:02 AM   #19
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My wife stores towels, washclothes and an extra blanket over the dinette and tea towels, kleenex, playing cards, books and magazines, dog needs, and some of her personal things over the front end. By the end of camping season the front one needs to be emptied and sorted as it tends to collect everything that has no other permanent place. Don't worry about what to put in it. Someone will say "Oh, now I can bring....."

Junk has a tendancy to expand to fill available space.
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Old 01-31-2009, 07:45 AM   #20
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Here are some photos of how I made overhead cabinets for my boler.

Hope this helps!
_______________
Laura
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