Casita closet shelves

[Jann Todd]

Does anyone have an easy idea on how to put shelves in the front closet of a Casita 17'? I've had a thing but it isn't working at all now. With the curve, wiring cover in the bottom of closet and no wood to attach to I'm challenged at how to do it. I only want to put shelves on about a third of the closet on the right side. Bottom area is about 8"X8" but then up higher I can go about 10"X18".

[Casita Greg]

Well, many have made some really excellent self-made shelving units, I was fortunate enough to obtain some vacuum molded shelves, custom formed for the 17' Casitas. They are nothing short of excellent. Very solid, they have a raised lip around the perimeter, and were designed from the ground up for the Casita front closet. Unfortunately, they are no longer being produced. As far as the bottom area, I made a wooden floor at the level of the bottom of the cabinet door and added a lower access hatch.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

Well, many have made some really excellent self-made shelving units, I was fortunate enough to obtain some vacuum molded shelves, custom formed for the 17' Casitas. They are nothing short of excellent. Very solid, they have a raised lip around the perimeter, and were designed from the ground up for the Casita front closet. Unfortunately, they are no longer being produced. As far as the bottom area, I made a wooden floor at the level of the bottom of the cabinet door and added a lower access hatch.

I love your bottom access panel door. I want to do that but moving the electric plug in and cutting the fiberglass is scary. I only want shelves that cover about a third of the closet on the right side. That is the problem. It is smaller at the bottom than up in the middle. I still want to hang clothes in part of the closet.

[Gerry]

Wife and I just put in those plastic storage bins and carried most of our cloths while on the cross country trip last summer. Fit in had 3 deep draws and still left room along the sides to put extra hiking boots or sneakers. And cost almost nothing.

[Bob & Jackie C]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

Does anyone have an easy idea on how to put shelves in the front closet of a Casita 17'? I've had a thing but it isn't working at all now. With the curve, wiring cover in the bottom of closet and no wood to attach to I'm challenged at how to do it. I only want to put shelves on about a third of the closet on the right side. Bottom area is about 8"X8" but then up higher I can go about 10"X18".

We made shelves for front closet and under sink. This is what we have in the front and can still hang some clothes. Not pictured, I built a small removable box to cover wire in bottom of closet.

[Bob Penn]

One solution I have seen is the use of a hanging shoe organizer holder. They are a quick and clean way of adding storage to the closet.


Search for "Simple Houseware 10 Shelves Hanging Shoes Organizer Holder for Closet w/ 10 Pockets, Grey" on Amazon. Not the best one, but it will give you some ideas to explore.

[Ttocs M]

I looked at several examples of home-built closet shelves for frg's...so bought this from Amazon: Simple Houseware 5 Shelves Hanging Closet Organizer,, It gives me lots of shelves, ultra light-weight, and I still have hanging room for clothes on hangers in my 13 ft Scamp, cost $12 and no work.

[Casita Greg]

Originally Posted by M Scott

I looked at several examples of home-built closet shelves for frg's...so bought this from Amazon: Simple Houseware 5 Shelves Hanging Closet Organizer,, It gives me lots of shelves, ultra light-weight, and I still have hanging room for clothes on hangers in my 13 ft Scamp, cost $12 and no work.

Well, it's just another one of those fabric type vertical storage bin things that hangs from the top clothes hanger crossbar on weak wire hanger wires, I'll guarantee that if you put anything that weighs more than a pair of shoes in it, those over the bar wire hanger hooks will give up and straighten out due to gravity and bouncing down the road, leaving whatever you have in it in a big pile in the bottom of the cabinet. I, like many others early on, bought one of those too, and promptly tossed it as a piece of useless junk. Oh, and anything placed in those "pookas" will naturally fall out on its own without any outside assistance other than just driving down the road.

[thrifty bill]

I built 1x2 verticals on each side then cut plywood shelves to fit. They are going nowhere, very stable.

Take a piece of cardboard and make a template.

[k corbin]

Jan if you don't have the ability to cut pieces of wood then hire a local handyman. It is a simple job, it does not require a lot of tools.

[LarryB.]

I used Rubbermaid wire shelving for shelves in my Casita’s closet. The cost was minimal and working with the wire shelves was easier than trying to work with wood. As a byproduct, the wire shelves are a lot lighter than wood and are just as strong.

1. Remove closet door (including hinges) and set aside
2. Discard the pine 1x2 that supported the door
3. Cut 1x3 hardwood to fit space previously occupied by the pine 1x2 and temporarily fasten it thru holes vacated from the closet door hinge (use two of the hinge screws at the very top and very bottom)
4. Guestimate where you want the shelves to be and mark the 1x3
5. Remove the 1x3 hardwood; mount shelf support brackets using short drywall screws (or equivalent)
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 if necessary to reposition the shelf brackets
7. Using cardboard, make templates for the shelves (easier said than done but with the shelf brackets in place you have something to support the cardboard as you tweak the templates)
8. Cut shelves to fit the templates
9. Temporarily, one at a time, slide each shelf onto its shelf bracket and tweak as necessary
10. Fasten the shelves to the shelf brackets using ⅜” bolts, fender washers (on top) and lock washers (below)
11. Cut and fit vertical support; temporarily fasten to hanger bar by drilling a hole in the top and by using a small angle bracket on the floor
12. Using a bubble level for each shelf, mark pilot holes on the vertical support for the shelf clips
13. Remove the vertical support, drill holes for the shelf clips and install the clips (repeat step 9 if necessary)
14. Permanently install the vertical support and clip the shelves to it
15. Reinstall the Casita closet door
16. Voilà !!

The toughest steps were #7 & #9. You have to notch out each shelf for the 1x3 and get the curve “just right” so that the wire on the back of the shelf can “bite into” the wall carpet. I used a $9.99 (with coupon) Harbor Freight angle grinder to easily trim and re-trim/nibble the wire shelves until they fit.

The support for the shelves comes from the brackets on the 1x3 and the vertical support. Aside from the angle bracket on the floor, no drilling to/thru the fiberglass is necessary.

Note that I installed the shelves upside-down to act as a brace to keep things from falling off. See picture below.

I got my parts at Menards but they should be available at Lowes, Home Depot and other hardware stores:

• Shelves
• Shelf brackets
• 1x3 hardwood
• Rubbermaid vertical support pole & shelf clips
• Rubbermaid end caps

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

Well, it's just another one of those fabric type vertical storage bin things that hangs from the top clothes hanger crossbar on weak wire hanger wires, I'll guarantee that if you put anything that weighs more than a pair of shoes in it, those over the bar wire hanger hooks will give up and straighten out due to gravity and bouncing down the road, leaving whatever you have in it in a big pile in the bottom of the cabinet. I, like many others early on, bought one of those too, and promptly tossed it as a piece of useless junk. Oh, and anything placed in those "pookas" will naturally fall out on its own without any outside assistance other than just driving down the road.

I had one of those hanging things that lasted but now has stretched and sags in the middle so it hangs wrong. It never fell as it has Velcro that goes over the closet rod. In fact I almost couldn't get it off the rod. But yes the stuff falls out of it.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by Bob & Jackie C

We made shelves for front closet and under sink. This is what we have in the front and can still hang some clothes. Not pictured, I built a small removable box to cover wire in bottom of closet.

How did you attach the metal braces against the wall of the closet. I do not want to drill through the fiberglass to the outside.

[Randy P.]

We've been using a hanging shelf unit for 5 years with no problems. Inexpensive, easy to install and leaves room for hanging coats and shirts. As far as I can recall nothing has fallen out and the hooks are like new. If it fails in the future I would probably just get another but I don't expect that anytime soon.

The other options shown look great but if you want a simple solution give the hanging shelf a try.

[Jon in AZ]

I tried hanging shelves and had the same result as the earlier poster- everything ended up on the floor of the closet.

In my experience, whatever you build or install should have a lip on the edge. Trailers are rolling earthquakes.

My closet is not in the corner, so it has straight sides and 90* corners. I found some plastic bins that fit nicely. With a corner closet I think you’ll have to cut custom shelves to fit or you’ll end up with a lot of wasted space. Main decision is whether you want full-width shelves or partial width with space for hanging clothes.

[Glenn Baglo]

I already have enough cupboards and drawers that I don't need to convert my wardrobe. What I need is to convince my wife that certain cupboards are for certain things, and just because there is space in a cupboard, you don't have to fill it with something you can't find later.

[Bob & Jackie C]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

How did you attach the metal braces against the wall of the closet. I do not want to drill through the fiberglass to the outside.

Jann, I replaced the light weight splintering piece of pine with a piece of oak for better strength.

[John Linck]

30,000 miles later I am pleased with these. We do not hang any clothes as it wastes so much space.


https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ves-64075.html

[Dudley]

I put in 3 shelves in the closet. i bent some stiff wire to get the shape of the wall and transferred it to some card stock. I double checked the cardboard template to make sure they fit well then used them to layout the wood. My 1998 came with a shelf at the top of the closet but this was discontinued on later models. I attached a piece of wood from the floor to the upper shelf and attached the wood to that as well as the wood strip that the door hinges screw to. I replace the hinge wood with a wider piece of wood and attached the shelves with angle brackets. I added the second support towards the front of the shelves after the angle brackets bent (not shown in the pictures). Some people have used the tv shelf to get the basic curve but ours was missing when we bought the trailer.

[nefldiver]

I made two hanging plywood shelves that we suspended from the coat clothes hanger bar. It was cheap quick and easily removed if the new owner doesn't like it