Scamp Upper Cabinets Questions

[peterh]

. . . When I started to work on the shaping for the face piece I ran into a pretty good snag. My ceiling is drooping a bit in one spot. And I am not sure what to do about it. If I shape the cabinet to the roof it is going to look "FUNKY MONKEY"... I tried to push up on the roof and I was not really able to move it much. It appears that the factory cabinet over the cook top is the issue. The unit has the wrought iron supports attached and they appear to be actually pulling the roof down around the upper cabinet. I never noticed this before.

Hanging the cabinets - I believe that wood blocks or strip glued and or glassed to the cupboard drilled though and bolted with SS hardware is the best method for installation. Using wood will provide an even stress point load to the cabinet walls and bottom. Also wood will absorb and muffle vibrations and minimize vibration transfer into the fiberglass. This dampening effect is also reversed and vibrations in the fiberglass wall will also not be transferred as easily into the structure of the cabinet. This is less of an issue with the stock fiberglass cabinets due to the fact that they are the same materials and will vibrate ad the same frequency.

I would not be surprised if the cabinet supports were installed a little low . . . 1/4 or 1/2 inch would be very believable. Beyond that I think you should look for damage elsewhere. Perhaps someone pulled the braces out for a while before re-installing them. If that's the case you might try loosening the lower part of the brackets (both sides), then bracing the counter top and under the cabinet and using a hydraulic jack to carefully push the roof up (on both sides). Then you can use straight cabinets and prevent roof sag all at once.

I thought I'd point out that it would be good to leave a little gap between the new cabinet and the existing fiberglass one. That way you won't get stress cracking in the cabinet as the trailer flexes.

[David Morgan]

I would not be surprised if the cabinet supports were installed a little low . . . 1/4 or 1/2 inch would be very believable. Beyond that I think you should look for damage elsewhere. Perhaps someone pulled the braces out for a while before re-installing them. If that's the case you might try loosening the lower part of the brackets (both sides), then bracing the counter top and under the cabinet and using a hydraulic jack to carefully push the roof up (on both sides). Then you can use straight cabinets and prevent roof sag all at once.


I thought I'd point out that it would be good to leave a little gap between the new cabinet and the existing fiberglass one. That way you won't get stress cracking in the cabinet as the trailer flexes.

1:
Well....... I can say without a doubt that some inexperianced person...... Did pull those rusty black ugly braces off and clean them up all pretty like and then re-mount them.... Without being for sure the upper cab was fully lofted.... (Allthough I was pretty sure I put them back in the same holes.... ----)

2:
That is a good point.... I have about 1/16" or so of a gap on the piece that I cut for the bottom of the cabinet. That is a good Idea I wondered if that would be a problem going wood to fiberglass... as them being dislike materials...

Thank you for the advise.. I will check my supports... I bet I missed the alignment when I remounted them

[David Morgan]

I finally had a chance to build some of the new cabinets. I used most of PeterH's design. I am actually astounded at how strong they are. It will be a few weeks before I have time to build the door fronts but the cabinets them selves are in and we are way happy! Many thanks for all the design help! I posted all the pictures on my may thread here is the link.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/in...howtopic=37646

[peterh]

Those cabinets look awfully familiar. If it wasn't for the squared-off windows I'd think you stole my trailer.

Nice job.

[David Morgan]

Those cabinets look awfully familiar. If it wasn't for the squared-off windows I'd think you stole my trailer.

Nice job.

Thank you!

What can I say, if your going to rob the patent office.... At least go for the best designs!


BTW - Where will you be next weekend? I still need a bridge and door fronts


-----

[james kent]

Food for thought
Here's another opton for the side shelves. We used some closet wire shelving and inverted it. It doesn't make the trailer feel so closed in. I left the arms a bit long, drilled the holes and inserted one end and pulled back to insert the other. They have never moved.

[Robert Johans]

Attachment 26952

Food for thought
Here's another opton for the side shelves. We used some closet wire shelving and inverted it. It doesn't make the trailer feel so closed in. I left the arms a bit long, drilled the holes and inserted one end and pulled back to insert the other. They have never moved.

I love this idea!

[Raya]

I've always liked James' wire shelf idea too - have it saved in my idea file

Thanks for posting it, James

Raya

[David Morgan]

Attachment 26952

Food for thought
Here's another opton for the side shelves. We used some closet wire shelving and inverted it. It doesn't make the trailer feel so closed in. I left the arms a bit long, drilled the holes and inserted one end and pulled back to insert the other. They have never moved.

That is a really cool way of doing that. I had actually considered this for the lofts over the bunk bed, Would be a great place for kids stuff! I like it! I once saw a picture of a Scamp with a fairly deep version of the same kind of wire deck, that had been contoured and affixed in the back over the entire dinette. Last year I strung a cargo net in the that fashion over the dinette because I was desperate. Although ugly it was quite useful!

Thank you for the tip!

I have a terrible picture of that one.. I think it was for sale on Ebay or something and I added to my "Really cool Scamp Pics" Folder..

[Chris Z]

We'll, I'll throw in my picture. We had 4 or 5 tension rods (looks like one here but they're behind one another) across the back that we used for a shelf when stopped and a wet towel rack when travelling.

[David Morgan]

Attachment 26962

We'll, I'll throw in my picture. We had 4 or 5 tension rods (looks like one here but they're behind one another) across the back that we used for a shelf when stopped and a wet towel rack when travelling.

Thats a pretty good idea too! Thank you for adding your idea to the list!

[Donna D.]

You may wish to check out this topic, some good information, especially check out LauraW's posts.. with pictures on the second page: Roof Mounted Shelf/Cabinet, made one? and inside the topic, I've posted a PDF that gives info on how to make one.

[David Morgan]

Fabricated the center cabinet for the dinette over the weekend. I used Oak, still needs a finish but I was too excited to wait!