The Boler's new kitchen and other mods

[Lizbeth]

Since so many people originally liked it's new look I thought I'd repost it.

It's a Formica countertop from Lowes cut to fit with the iron on ends. I cut off the backsplash, cut it shorter and reattached it. The leftover counter piece is going to be the front two person dinette table. I reused the sink and stovetop, I scrubbed the heck out of them and used Meguires metal polish on them...now if I can just find the stove grates....they have vanished in my garage. Aliens must have taken them.

The faucet was a cheapy from HD and the accesories came from Ikea.

The window over the stove (ebay) replaced the original one which didn't match the other radius windows in the trailer.

I'll post more pictures after I figure out how to get the new cherry doors hung straight.

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Lizbeth,
Lookin' good
Anticipating more photos!
Kurt & ann K.

[Sandra Lair]

Wow, very sleek! I am impressed!

[Lance MacArthur]

Great looking job, Lizbeth. I'm in the process of doing the same mod in my boler.

Found a really nice marine propane stove on Ebay, and decided I'd redo the counter (I'm also using formica-blue, of course, with a maple facing). The wife decided that the sink was too shallow, so I'm replacing that. Also found a really nice hot/cold water unit at a garage sale, new in its box, and am going to install that, too.

The sink and stove are different sizes than the originals, so I'm making bigger holes in the countertop, and had to cut through the rear supports to make enough room. So I have to fix that, make new drawer supports and re-route plumbing, gas and electrical lines.

So remodeling projects go!

Anyway, sorry you missed Lake Casita -- I wanted to see your rig.

By the way, did you take any "in progress" pix? I'm thinking they may be useful to start refilling material on the website, if Mike can't retrieve what was there. I'll take pix along the way and post when the project is done.

[Lizbeth]

I don't have step by step photos of the project but I do have the really icky starting pictures of the Boler. Like this one.....

This was in the ripping out stage.

[Sharon Herman]

WOW! That is fabulous!
What is the backsplash? Where did you find the things you hung on the back?

[Lizbeth]

This one shows the hole where the stove lived. Cigerette burns, grease, and silver spray paint accesories.

[Lizbeth]

Originally posted by Sharon Herman@Nov 13 2005, 09:14 PM
WOW! That is fabulous!
What is the backsplash? Where did you find the things you hung on the back?

Sharon, the wall backsplash? It's the original fiberglass panel just cleaned and painted. The racks came from Ikea.

I also installed Ikea hologen puck light on the bottom of the cabinet, one over the sink and one over the stove. I'm going to use more Ikea stuff in the trailer too, great place for loads of stuff.

[Gina D.]

Liz, I thought about the sag and wondered why my kitchen doors, which are the same horizontal configuation in the way they are hinged, don't sag.

I realized that mine have latches. Despite the spring hinge, I bet that the "sag" is just the way it is if they are configed that way. You might consider some sort of latch.

Mine may very well sag without them there. I will never know because when closed, the latch holds them in place.

If you don't want them, you may have to do some glass work in order to get those hinges to work for you laid out from the top. As I recall, it is unlikely that will work.

[Ian R]

If the countgertop is made of fibreboard which they usually are, isn't it very heavy for your baby trailer?

[Lance MacArthur]

By the time you make the cutouts for the sink and stove, assuming you're going to keep them, there isn't a lot of weight left.

I opted to use 5/8 birch plywood for the mod I'm working on, mainly because the fiberglass counter was so warped that I wanted something strong to screw it into.

[Ian R]

You're right of course - after you have made Swiss cheese out of the top there will be hardly any top. I just remember lugging home the counter tops I used in my home - never again!

[Lizbeth]

Yes it's a bit heavy but the counter that was there was not useable. No matter what I chose to do it needed a new solid surface.

I'm not too worried about how much it weighs because somewhere in the not too distant future ( I hope) the frame is going to be beefed up and it's getting a new axle. The 1650 pound axle that is there has no boing left.

[Shelley]

I have one of those IKEA rack thingies that didn't fit in my kitchen! How did you attach it?



Btw, today we got a ton of snow here in "Winterpeg" so trailer projects will have to move inside!

[Lizbeth]

Gina, you are probably right about the latches helping hold the weight. I will have to look aroung and see what I can find the will fit and look ok. Thank goodness for online shopping!

Shelly, they are riveted through the fiberglass backsplash, the rivets are backed up with 1"washers. I had the whole thing taken apart so it was easy. On second thought the spice rack is bolted on not riveted. I used some bike water bottle holders over the wires with tiny through bolts.

[Lizbeth]

I'm not too worried about how much it weighs because somewhere in the not too distant future ( I hope) the frame is going to be beefed up and it's getting a new axle. The 1650 pound axle that is there has no boing left.

New 2000lb Dexter axle installed! We have boing!!

You won't believe this....I know I'm having trouble with it.....the axle swap took about an hour from start to finish. It was a direct bolt in. Next weekend we will hook up the new brakes and breakaway switch. The new axle raised the trailer approx. 6".

[brady hansen]

New 2000lb Dexter axle installed! We have boing!!

You won't believe this....I know I'm having trouble with it.....the axle swap took about an hour from start to finish. It was a direct bolt in. Next weekend we will hook up the new brakes and breakaway switch. The new axle raised the trailer approx. 6".

Lithbeth, I need you to tell me about your windows! Thanks- brady

[Steve Hilby]

New 2000lb Dexter axle installed! We have boing!!

You won't believe this....I know I'm having trouble with it.....the axle swap took about an hour from start to finish. It was a direct bolt in. Next weekend we will hook up the new brakes and breakaway switch. The new axle raised the trailer approx. 6".

I'm researching a new axle for a Burro I'm messing with; would you mind answering a few questions? Where did you get your axle from? How much did it cost? Did you get an axle with brakes?