[ChrisKul]

Hi, this is my first post. We just bought a new red 2016 250 van, 148" mid-roof with windows. So far all we've done is have the windows tinted and order a ton of stuff for the conversion. The layout will be a slightly scaled-up version of my old 1978 VW Westphalia van. In fact I ordered a VW-style folding bed frame. In any case, I had a few questions that I was hoping someone could answer:

• I'm an experienced woodworker, but have never made cabinets. What's the thinnest Baltic birch plywood to use for van cabinets? We want to keep weight down, but still have sturdy boxes. I was thinking 9mm or 12mm?
• Where do you get the hinges for upper cabinets, the sort that open upward and hold the doors up?
• Is there anywhere in the US to get water tanks like the Fiamma tanks they sell in Europe with big clean-out/fill lids and molded-in anchor points?
• Any suggestions for headliner or hull-liner material that will take the contours of the window recesses? Any threads or blog posts I might have missed on installing same?
• My company ordered some of this flooring for a trade show booth: Has anyone used it in a van? It should provide good insulation, is nice to walk on, and it's not as ugly as I imagined it would be.

 

[jethaden]

I would use 12mm ply. No real experience with 9, except in my boat where I made a couple seat tops with 9 mm, and I had to add reinforcing to keep it from flexing more than I liked (I listened to designer who said 9mm to save weight). All structure ply in my van and boat is 12mm, with exception of 18mm for boat floor. Where I used 8020 frames, either 6 or 9 mm would be fine since it is non-structural at that point. My drawers are all 12mm ply with dovetails and they are very stiff and warp free. Just my opinion.

 

[NetDoc]

I used 3/8" plywood for all verticle components. I did have to reinforce one section where I hung two tool boxes. I did use 5/8 (16mm) for a table top on my tank rack.

 

[sschefer]

There's a trick to keeping the weight off and still having a sturdy cabinet. Use true face frames. These are 3/4 and made from hardwood. You can then make your boxes out of 1/4 and hang them with a french clip.

For reference, 3/8 spans 24", 1/2" spans 36 and 3/4 spans 48".

If you add a 1x1 strip to the face frame back side and the clip you can use 1/4" for the bottoms as long as the depth doesn't exceed 16". 3/16 will go 14".

Bear in mind I'm speaking to the use of cabinet grade materials with few or no voids.

As a side note, invest in the Air Lift Ultimate 5000 kit with the 72000 wireless remote and compressor. Easy to install and they'll let you be a little more relaxed about managing your conversions weight.

 

[NetDoc]

Do you have a specific part number for that Air Lift Ultimate 5000?

 

[NetDoc]

NVM, I finally found it: 88213

Here's a link from Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Air-Lift-8...qid=1477826957&sr=1-1&keywords=Air+Lift+88213

 

[Michael Ophus]

boating places are a good place to find cabinet hardware and maybe the hinges you are looking for http://www.westmarine.com/cabinet-hardware

 

[Michael Ophus]

wall liners that follow the contours of the windows http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/interior/20386-bodyguard-liners.html

 

[sschefer]

NVM, I finally found it: 88213

Here's a link from Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Air-Lift-8...qid=1477826957&sr=1-1&keywords=Air+Lift+88213

That's the one, Thanks NetDoc

 

[Taz Pengra]

If engineered correctly, 1/2" ply is more than strong enough for cabinets. The vertical load is over 1000lbs if it is prevented from deflection. Even 1/4" would work, but it's hard to work WITH (hard to center a screw or nail when connecting pieces).

Orton's use of 80/20 for a frame and then using ply just for non-load panels to fill the spaces makes pretty good sense. More costly, but it's modular; you can take it apart and make something new with it if you find it's not what you want after "test driving".

sources for hardware and weird hinges: www.rockler.com www.woodworker.com www.woodcraft.com www.americanwoodcrafterssupply.com

 

[ChrisKul]

Wow, thanks for all the help.

Those bodyguard liners are wild. I had no idea that those existed; I'll look into them. But I was thinking of either the stretchy carpet like stuff that's glued on or the stretchy perforated vinyl they use in boats. I'm just not sure if either will adhere to all the compound shapes around the windows.

I've got all the hardware picked out from Lee Valley (great resource), except for those pesky lifting arms for overhead cabinets. Of course sliding doors would be simpler.

I'll go with the 12mm (1/2") ply for the cabinets; thanks. If it looks like the Baltic ply is too heavy I can always use okume (I've used that for a lot of boats, but I'm just tired of the look of it). Might even go with foam core plywood if I can stomach the cost. After it's draw up in CAD I'll know the exact weight.

 

[orton]

except for those pesky lifting arms for overhead cabinets. Of course sliding doors would be simpler.

Even simpler is to use baskets instead of doors. No doors, no hardware, no rattles, easier to build and less weight.

The clincher is that it is much easier to access what you stored in the cabinets.

 

[Michael Ophus]

seems expensive but i have never bought any before http://www.westmarine.com/buy/attwood--gas-spring-7-25-to-10-5-20-lb--6727911?recordNum=2

 

[bicyclist]

Ikea has some upper cabinets with swing-up doors that use lift arms. You can buy the hardware separately. I looked at it briefly, but didn't note the cost. I'm in Dave's camp on overhead cabinets: No doors, no hardware, no rattles, easier to build and less weight, much easier to access what you stored in the cabinets.

Ikea has a lot of things that can be used in a conversion and is worth a visit if you have one nearby.

 

[Taz Pengra]

I agree that Ikea is a great resource for the resourceful. There are even websites dedicated to "Ikea Hacks"; taking existing Ikea products and converting or combining them in ways unintended by Ikea for other uses or objects.

I've seen pictures of a few DIY vans where they simply took some Ikea cabinets/furniture and scribed and cut the back to match the van wall contours, and to make them the desired depth. Pretty cheap and easy way to get custom cabinets! Most relevant to this conversation were some upper cabinets made from a standard wall storage system with up-swinging doors. You're limited to Ikea colors and finishes, but most are OK. I used some of the plastic tip-out shoe bins in my Sprinter between the rear doors and wheel well for years.

On Dave's idea of the pull out baskets; That works great if you get your baskets/bins FIRST and design your cabinet around their dimensions. I built a campervan for someone and decided to put some bins in one of the cubbies after I made the cabinet, and couldn't find any that either didn't stick out an inch or were too small to be effective. I ended up making some out of 1/4" material. I could have avoided that if I designed it AROUND the bins.

 

[orton]

On Dave's idea of the pull out baskets; That works great if you get your baskets/bins FIRST and design your cabinet around their dimensions. I built a campervan for someone and decided to put some bins in one of the cubbies after I made the cabinet, and couldn't find any that either didn't stick out an inch or were too small to be effective. I ended up making some out of 1/4" material. I could have avoided that if I designed it AROUND the bins.

First step is the determine the location of the lower front edge of the cabinets. This can be done with a rope. Move rope up/down and in/out to find the best location for the cabinet bottom edge. Once that is determined the search for the correct size baskets can be done. Basket purchase is harder to do that what one would think. How many stores have the basket size you want and the quantity required in the same color. I must have visited 10 HomeGoods stores up and down Northern Ca. to find the required 12 baskets.

 

[ChrisKul]

OK. You've convinced me to make a trip to Ikea. I'm not sure about the quality of their cabinets, but I used their beech counter-top in a friend's condo and that was nice for the price.

Here are a couple of photos of the VW-style Just Campers folding sofa bed frame that I just recieved. The frame is loosely bolted together in the photos, so kinda floppy. The width is adjustable and it's currently set at 59", the max. My impression is that this is lower quality, functional, very clever, and is inexpensive for what it does. I'll drill a few holes, add some bolts to reinforce the mounting, and it should be fine. The only issue is that it's meant for a VW bus and not intended for a level floor; I'll need to add a wooden spacer under the back legs. Also, I have left over parts and I did carefully follow the directions...