Structure question

[WADDYWOODSTOCK]

Does this part support the structure of the camper? Can it be removed?

[Bob Miller]

Do you mean the entire kitchen unit? If so I would guess Yes, it's structural.... but that's just a guess.

That said, the wrought iron looking support that went from the end of the kitchen unit up to the overhead cabinet is necessary so, if you take out the kitchen unit, this support will disappear and your upper cabinets will start to pull out the rivets holding it in place.

[WADDYWOODSTOCK]

There is no support running from the cabinets.

[Bob Miller]

I stand corrected, I was thinking it was a Scamp, kinda hard to tell them apart when all you have is the bare bones.

[WADDYWOODSTOCK]

Yea I am not putting the burner or sink back in. So I am thinking about taking the bottom part out but don't know. The room would be nice

[Jon in AZ]

Bob, this is a Casita, not a Scamp, I think. Does Casita also use the twisty metal supports?

Claudia, it is quite possible that somebody removed the supports at some time. You might look for evidence of such - marks or unexplained screw holes in the fiberglass. I don't know about Casitas, but most of the other single-hull manufacturers use some kind of support between the lower and upper kitchen cabinets. Scamp uses the twisty metal pieces, Boler uses a post in the middle of the cabinet,… Without it, not only does the upper cabinet lack support, but the roof itself is weakened. Bottom line, I'm thinking you probably need to restore it to some semblance of original, or start over, making sure that whatever you design includes support for the upper cabinets and/or the roof, but that's my guess. You can always call Casita and ask.

[Pam Garlow]

Claudia, here are a few suggestions:
1.Try looking at the Casita website for interior shots of the Casitas. Not sure if the interior layout/structure has changed over the years or not.
2.Look at some 'for sale' Casitas on this site Casita Fiberglass Trailers - US | Fiberglass RV's For Sale
3. There is a Casita forum, you might also ask your question there. I googled and got this: Home - The Casita ClubThe Casita Club

It's an interesting question. Removing that kitchen would give you more floor space, and you might only need to add more stiffening along the wall.

[tractors1]

The casitaforum.com site has a lot better details about mods and rebuilding Casita than the club forum - just my opinion.

Charlie Y

[John Linck]

Originally Posted by Pam Garlow

It's an interesting question. Removing that kitchen would give you more floor space, and you might only need to add more stiffening along the wall.

I think Pam is right. The walls will get pretty floppy without some support on the walls. Eg: closets, kitchens, bath bulkheads. But you should be able to add curved wooden "studs" to supply the stiffening.

Good luck, john

[WADDYWOODSTOCK]

Well I have done a search for pics of the kitchens and haven't seen any supports I. Those pics.

I'm not 100% I want to take it out, but I would love to have the extra room.

So instead I took the old fan out and started working on installing the new fan.

Thanks for all the info. Gonna think about it for a bit and work on the fan and windows, and do some research!!

[WADDYWOODSTOCK]

Ah ha!!! That looks like a support!! Opinions?

[blodn1]

Odd place for a support. What's it holding up?

[WADDYWOODSTOCK]

It looks like it's holding the top cabinet. I went out and checked mine, nothing.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by WADDYWOODSTOCK

Ah ha!!! That looks like a support!! Opinions?

It looks a lot like a Boler support, except it's on the end of the cabinet (like a Scamp) rather than the middle (like a Boler). And yes, it's supporting the upper cabinet, which is helping support the roof.

[Thinh]

IMO, in particularly with Trillium/Boler trailers, anything of F.G which runs from ceiling to floor is structural related design, such as cabinet. Over-head shelves and kitchen/ sink themselves only.. play a role of wall reinforcement. , also structural related, but not that important like the main beam of a car body. So, if one wants to get rid off those (kitchen sink, over-head shelves) he or she should replace them at least by other posts, either wood or F.G and attached to the wall to keep the strength of original design. This way, more rooms will be utilized but the structural strength wouldn't be altered. Just my thought and I could be wrong...

[blodn1]

It was the placement so close to the wall that made me wonder- but it could be a part of the support system for the roof and/or wall - just don't think it would support a cabinet very well.

[WADDYWOODSTOCK]

Well I took it out today. Well worth it!! I am going to be adding some roof supports in the next couple weeks!

[Pam Garlow]

Ah ha!!! That looks like a support!! Opinions?[/QUOTE]

That doesn't seem like much support against the wall. I don't see anything like it in other Casita photos, so I'm not sure its support. It might be some sort of wire-run for power, etc between the top and bottom cabinet?