Cabinet doors or No cabinet doors?

[openthegates]

I know this is just preference but we took our 300 trillium camping before we were finished with it. One thing I actually liked was not having the cabinet doors in the way. We didn't have time to decide what we wanted or put them on. Just curious how others use your top cabinets? We decided not to reinstall the top trays as well and found that to give us a cleaner, more open feel. I would love to hear others thoughts on the idea of no cabinet doors.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by openthegates

I know this is just preference but we took our 300 trillium camping before we were finished with it. One thing I actually liked was not having the cabinet doors in the way. We didn't have time to decide what we wanted or put them on. Just curious how others use your top cabinets? We decided not to reinstall the top trays as well and found that to give us a cleaner, more open feel. I would love to hear others thoughts on the idea of no cabinet doors.

I think that something is needed to restrain things because the laws of physics will prevail.

I do think that the upper cabinet doors that lift by means of gas struts are better suited to small spaces.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by k corbin

I think that something is needed to restrain things because the laws of physics will prevail.

I do think that the upper cabinet doors that lift by means of gas struts are better suited to small spaces.

Photo example:

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by k corbin

I think that something is needed to restrain things because the laws of physics will prevail.

I do think that the upper cabinet doors that lift by means of gas struts are better suited to small spaces.

I resisted adding a link to Bobby Fuller's "I Fought the Law" here.

I have consided making cabinet doors that could be readily removed at the destination, but I haven't come up with anything that's working for me. Like, where would they be stored?

Here's a few alternatives to struts for holding overhead doors open. I am currently employing a wooden spoon in the Casita as I ponder other possibilities. I'm not saying I'm proud of that, it's just a fact.

Just Finding Our Way: Just Hold It

[Burro Bill]

I prefer the doors. It gives a less cluttered look
and I really like the look of the birch.
I hand picked and cut the lumber to get the
most interesting grain patterns. One of these
days I will learn how to post photos!

[openthegates]

Bill, I would love to see your pictures. Its really easy if you know a young person with a phone! FYI, after I preview my post, first I browse my computer, then upload, then wait. After about a minute I press the button to preview again. Try it, I'm really interested in seeing what you've done!

[thrifty bill]

+10 Install doors.

No doors = stuff will end up scattered all over the trailer. We had one upper cabinet on our Casita without a door. Ended up stopping by the Casita factory and having one made.

[Raz]

Without something to restrain things your storage is limited to the height of the lower lip. We experienced the same issue with the front and rear shelves. We add netting there. Perhaps you could use netting on your cabinets instead of doors. Raz

[JRTrillium]

Raz, I love the netting - how does one install it?

I really like the shelf along the top as it holds all sorts of things I like to grab and go - saves me rooting around in a cupboard or remembering what cupboard I put it in. Maybe I don't camp enough to remember my belongings in the trailer!!

[Raz]

Maggie did the sewing, I did the install. Netting, shock cord, Velcro. Had to stiffen the front of the shelf with metal to stop it from buckling. Here's the original thread.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ves-47934.html

[openthegates]

I just want to thank everyone for posting. It's really good input. Netting is a very original too. Thank you all for your pictures!

[Steve Outlaw]

Doors, definitely doors.

[Donna D.]

Door, oh my stars... doors. No one needs to walk into my trailer and be horrified at my messy cupboards. Ignorance is bliss.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Door, oh my stars... doors. No one needs to walk into my trailer and be horrified at my messy cupboards. Ignorance is bliss.

Tough to hide stuff in a 13' Trillium with open shelves at each end. Besides once you're in there's no room for guests. Raz

[Darral T.]

I cant imagine my house cabinets- ANY of them- without doors. The same with my Scamp. We dont have many "visitors" in our Scamp, but it's viewed probably an average of 5x's a trip. This is my opinion, but I cant imagine cabinets without doors. While the shelves are a good idea for storage, I just do NOT intend on carrying that much stuff to require them! We did add a cloth hanging "shoe" rack in the bathroom for towels/rags/toilet paper. It was/is VERY hand and no one knows it's there unless they stick their head in and look. But again, this is in the bath tucked back where there was wasted space.

Here's a pic I took in our Scamp of the "Shoe rack" addition.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/50351683@N08/7476476138/

As far as the living quarters, cabinets and neatness all the way for us.

[Gilda]

Doors! See photos.

[Kai in Seattle]

eye hooks and bungees.
on the other hand, a shut door looks neater.
on the other hand, open doors lower down intrude into the area.
we're working right now to do "something" with the upper cabinet doors because
on the Oregon Coast Road, they began (for the first time) to pop open in spite of
the hold-up/hold-closed devices (original). We found toilet paper and games scattered all over the trailer when we stopped. No two wheels were ever on a plane on that road; it was twistier than rotini pasta. One of the cabinet frames split from the torque!

we're considering a magnetic catch on the ceiling to hold up and open, and discreet eyebolts at the trim below to bungee to the door handles above to hold shut.

Meanwhile, our one big closet area will likely be getting a roll-down curtain panel soon to hide during viewings (and sooner or later somebody usually wants to take a peek) but inside we are using those fabric bins, Bass bags, and eyebolts/eye screws and bungees to hold things in place. Caveat: Paul discovered that cup hooks are no substitute for eye screws! If a bungee is jounced enough, it'll find that little gap and make a break for it.

No breakage, even though our little folding table bounced off the multi-hooks that held it neatly inside the putin. Now we'll stow it under one of the beds during travel.

[Kai in Seattle]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

I cant imagine my house cabinets- ANY of them- without doors. The same with my Scamp. We dont have many "visitors" in our Scamp, but it's viewed probably an average of 5x's a trip. This is my opinion, but I cant imagine cabinets without doors. While the shelves are a good idea for storage, I just do NOT intend on carrying that much stuff to require them! We did add a cloth hanging "shoe" rack in the bathroom for towels/rags/toilet paper. It was/is VERY hand and no one knows it's there unless they stick their head in and look. But again, this is in the bath tucked back where there was wasted space.

Here's a pic I took in our Scamp of the "Shoe rack" addition.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/50351683@N08/7476476138/

As far as the living quarters, cabinets and neatness all the way for us.

This was a real concern for us as we began redoing our amerigo; for one thing, the old doors were fancy, but delaminating. I thought they were presswood and heavy, but in fact they are hollow.

We got to a point where it was decision time; Paujl relaminated one door and painted it. A friend insisted we needed the doors. Paul was able to salvage all but one of the hold-up/hold-shut devices, but they began to fail during our latest trip.

Anyway, we replaced all the upper doors, and are working on ways to make them work. They look a lot neater than open cabinets, and we can put much smaller things up there with doors than with bungee cords.

The netting is interesting; a lightweight solution.

BUT I do want to say, "Jerry Seinfeld" with his open cabinets, as well as Ray and Debra Barone with theirs (Everybody Loves Raymond). It's a look, that open cabinet method. We lived for years without upper cabinet doors in our kitchen. Took them off because a. they were nearly black Formica and b. I couldn't remember where I'd put anything from yet another move.

Then I discovered how grease and dust settles on everything (OK, yes, it took way too long to figure that out) plus I got used to where things were, plus Paul stepped up and redid the surfaces) -- so we put them back on. It was a good choice.

Guess my option would be for doors. Maybe a bit of work to get them right, but once right, they're close to effortless.

[Raz]

We have netting on the end shelves and doors on the cabinets. As the plastic catches broke I replaced them with magnets. The trouble with magnets is if they are too weak, the doors open and then close and until you find stuff on the floor you can't tell it's happening. Stronger magnets make opening the doors difficult. In the end Maggie came up with a simple solution to keeping them closed while travelling.

[JRTrillium]

I was carefully looking at your doors and also noticed the nice things you have on your walls. How does one attach little racks and holders on the walls - it such a lot of space that could be utilized properly when stopped at a campsite and setting up.