Converting Bigfoot Upper Bunk to Shelving

[ZachO]

I just started a very small part of this probably pretty simple project. I have no use for the bunk, and to use it as a cupboard the way it's set up is a little awkward.

It'll probably be a small bookshelf, then some other sort of dividing/organizing system. But all "open". It's really a lot of space. If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

Probably I won't do much more than a bookshelf until I actually get out and use the trailer a little and see what my storage requirements are.

[Glenn Baglo]

Where does the stuff on an open shelf go when you are traveling?

[ZachO]

Nowhere if you build a ~4" railing along the front edge.

Then, depending on personal needs, you build low dividers to organize different stuff in different places. Other than the bookshelf, the setup of that is yet-to-be-determined.

By open I just meant there will be no enclosed areas that require opening a cabinet door or anything to access. It will all be in sight and at hand.

[Borrego Dave]

Zach, I've got the same bunk set up in a sticky and agree with Glenn. Agree with you also about it being a bit tricky at times. I've thought about doing the same thing but I don't use the trailer enough for the effort. You may want to use your trailer for a full camping season before making that mod. You may find the perfect design you need to fill your camping style.

[ZachO]

Thanks Dave. Yeah it's easy to get carried away and want to get after this stuff...But I'll hold off as long as I can.

In my last camper, I had no cupboard doors on anything. Mostly because I didn't have the carpentry skills to build them...but I also like it being open. Surprisingly (or maybe not), with just a 1-2" lip along the bottom of the shelves, it was very rare for anything to fall out. And I took my camper down a lot of crazy roads.

But there's a lot of space on that upper bunk to work with, and I want to make sure I use it well.

[ZachO]

A little progress update. I decided it was time to get after this. I shopped around thrift stores a bit trying to find the bookshelf and as much other stuff as I could, used. I found a little, ok bookshelf and a wicker basket that I'm kind of building stuff around. Unfortunately our local recycled building material store is closed right now for renovations. Bad timing.

Not completely sure of the wisdom of buying two cheap things at the thrift store that I only "kind of" like, and building the rest of it around them...but either way, this set up will work and I can fit other stuff in there later if I find anything better.

I'm going to probably stain everything a pretty dark color, just because I like contrast. Then I found an old, worn fence board in the shed of my friends house I'm living in, and I'll use it on the face of some of this stuff. Should have a look kind of like old barn wood.

The wicker basket will have just a small lip in front of it, holding it from sliding out while I drive, but allowing me to slide it out if I want something in there. I like that I'll be able to see what's it in.

The little shelf above it will be for sun hats.



Kind of just seeing how high I want the bookshelf. Probably just a couple inches higher. That way there should be very little wasted space above it, and I can still stuff some things underneath it.

[ZachO]

In case anyone cares

Before



After



I think this will work a lot better for me.

Here's one with the start of the new curtains a friend is working on for me.

[Jon in AZ]

Looks great, Zach! I believe you're going to be spending a lot of time in this trailer, so having stuff out of the way but ready to hand is important.

[Evergreengirl]

Nice job, Zach. It makes the trailer look a lot more spacious. We thought about doing something like this too. It would get rid of some weight. We mostly store our clothes up there though and it can get a little messy so we'd want some sort of bins to corral things if we went to that system. Looks like this will work well for you though.


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[ZachO]

Thanks.

Definitely makes it feel more like home.

If all goes well, I'll be taking it down to southern Utah for a few weeks pretty soon and get to really test the whole thing out.

[ZachO]

FWIW, I used the camper with this shelf setup for a full season, mostly living out of the camper, twice down to southern Utah up & down roads like this, and only on the most bumpy roads that sent the camper swaying side to side almost violently, did anything fall from the shelf.







Usually the books would be a little skewed but still on the shelf, maybe a hat would fall on the floor, and very very occasionally (I think twice) something made its way out of the wicker "drawer" in the middle. I did, on my first trip down to Utah, need to put a little hook on that drawer to keep it from sliding out while towing. Also, things only ever fell out on crazy dirt roads. Maybe only a couple times on pavement, which is where most people probably keep their trailers.