Pantry for Hunter Compact II

[Brian G.]

I'd like to show you the pantry we built. Jill likes the slide-out baskets. The system is called Closet Culture. We made the microwave shelf out of plywood and the microwave is screwed down onto it. The doors are made from 5 inch tongue and groove cedar.

I didn't want to drill holes through the fiberglass so I fastened it to the existing cabinetry plus the shelf that supports the refrigerator. If I had to do this project over again I'd think about framing it with 2x2s instead of 2x3s. It's pretty heavy. We were going for a secure design that wouldn't rattle apart going down the highway. So far so good.

Brian and Jill

[francene]

Nice job! Came out looking great. Really like the cedar doors. Where did you find those panels?

I remember those days of gutting and reworking the trailer. Had the same flooring, too!

Fran
'74 Compact II

[k corbin]

1 x 2 Doug fir would have been sufficiently strong to attach the shelf hardware to. No need for 2 x 3 or even 2 x 2. It has plenty of screw holding power and plenty of strength too.

But I do have a method I use to make the screw holding power stronger when going into that 3/4" wood depth. Buy screws one length long than needed, start threading into the wood with those then back them out. Next trim the pointed end off the screw tips to get them to a length that is just right. If you do it this way then you have all the full gripping power of the widest diameter of the shaft instead of the weak gripping power that is at the tapered tip end of the screw.

I do that screw trimming method for all the wood pieces in my trailer remodel. I trim them to size using a fiber cut off disc in my Dremel motor.

Tall closet in a Sunrader that was framed with 1x2 Doug Fir attached to 1/8" plywood sides. It is very strong and sturdy. No need to over build, just choose the right lumber that has strength plus good screw holding ability and is still relatively light in weight compared to hard woods.

[Brian G.]

Originally Posted by francene

Nice job! Came out looking great. Really like the cedar doors. Where did you find those panels?

Thank you Francene. I found the cedar panels at Lowe's. I thought about applying a finish but then I learned that a lot of folks just leave cedar unfinished. That's what we decided to do.

Brian

[Brian G.]

Originally Posted by k corbin

1 x 2 Doug fir would have been sufficiently strong to attach the shelf hardware to. No need for 2 x 3 or even 2 x 2. It has plenty of screw holding power and plenty of strength too .... No need to over build, just choose the right lumber that has strength plus good screw holding ability.

Good point. I'm a rookie and still learning things after it's too late.

Your cabinet of drawers looks great, and I like your screw trimming method too.

[k corbin]

Just remember what you do in a stick framed house is not the method of construction for a fiberglass trailer. But that is all most people are familiar with so that is the only way they know how to design.