Using Top Kitchen Cabinets To Hold Air Conditioner and Microwave?

[Suzanne P.]

I was thinking "what if" I could ADD ON to the current upper cabinet, lowering the bottom, punching out the front a bit, thus increasing the depth by overbuilding (overlaying over the top of existing) with wood cabinetry and cutting away the bottom/front of the existing (thus avoiding having to drill holes to attach to Boler side), and adding some vertical supports to brace the weight to the counter. I've seen pix with the fiberglass cut to install air conditioner vents (scary part -- measure thrice cut once).
What would I cover the external opening with? Would I have to frame the new hole opening with some material (what) to stabilize it?
There's a 110 outlet coming in to that cabinet anyway, can the A/C be hard wired via that?
Can the microwave also be hard wired there, too?
Thank you for any advice.

I was going to order cabinet doors from http://sierracabinetdoor.com/orderform.html

[Mary F]

Suzanne, You want to be careful about putting heavy stuff (like an air conditioner or mickeywave) too high up.

I suppose the appliances could be hard-wired, but my '99 Casita has them all plugged into 110v outlets.

[Suzanne P.]

Yes, good point, I would have to brace the wood cabinets and strap the units in well, in fact now that you mention that I could make a fold down door with support chains like the Casita uses on its microwave area, but I think it's doable.
I can't think of another a/c place that's logical other than the closet, but I harbor notions of enlarging it into a hemi-shower/toilet area which I could enlarge because I'm going to make the bed permanent. That way I'd have it all...microwave, fridge, heater, a/c, shower, toilet, and lots more storage drawers under the bed and still the gauchos...I just have to design a murphy table top that works with the seating.
I could just put another 110 in series and plug them in. I wonder if this is problematic?

Suzanne, You want to be careful about putting heavy stuff (like an air conditioner or mickeywave) too high up.

I suppose the appliances could be hard-wired, but my '99 Casita has them all plugged into 110v outlets.

[Roger H]

Suzanne, many of the newer units have the microwave installed in wood kitchen cabinets, and a small microwave is a pretty light appliance these days. You could probably make that work. An A/C unit is a whole different issue. Even if you could support it adequately, Boler tops are weak enough that they can bow out with a snow load. I'm not sure that having that much mass pushing and pulling the glass top would be such a really good idea. Then also, you'd be changing the center of gravity of the trailer to a very odd location. There's a reason that Casita and Scamp installed them low when they were using residential air units. I think I'd pass on the A/C in a kitchen cabinet.

Roger

[Bob H]

I echo everyones suggestions about keeping your AC as low as you can go. If you can rest it on one of the wheelwells you'll go a long way as to having a stable support for your heaviest appliance. Putting it up in the cabnet area is giving a lot of dead weight a big chance of reeking havoc on a bumpy road.

[CindyL]

Here's the address for how we put air conditioning into our 13' Burro : http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...50&hl=Burro

CindyL