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epowell
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2015
Posts: 4733
Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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 Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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Very cosy interior! How did you make the cool shelf along the roof?
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www.edwardpowell.com |
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erste
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2013
Posts: 1110
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:50 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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| epowell wrote: |
Very cosy interior! How did you make the cool shelf along the roof? |
Shelf build starts about halfway down this page, but there's not a lot of detail.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...p;start=44
The bottom of the shelf is 3/16" plywood, quarter circles are 1/2" ply, I think. One solid oak strip runs the length of it (1" x .75"?). The middle is anchored to the grab handle location. The front has an L bracket that's screwed into the roof area with self tapping screws. Rear is supported by the rear cabinet. LED strip lighting was really easy with a dimmer and I'd recommend it.
Feel free to pm me for details!  |
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fxr
Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2014
Posts: 2325
Location: Bay area CA
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| Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 12:56 am Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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I note a couple of posters have advocated using 'disposable' plastic containers for water. Please don't!
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1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
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epowell
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2015
Posts: 4733
Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 10:47 am Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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This is an incredible thread...
….yes eventually I will make one of these shelves (if I don't end up putting a water tank up there 
Getting started today building the cabinet...
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epowell
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2015
Posts: 4733
Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 8:30 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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epowell
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2015
Posts: 4733
Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 8:35 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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www.edwardpowell.com |
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erste
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2013
Posts: 1110
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 8:59 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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| Nice progress! |
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Viking Funeral
Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 60
Location: Under the bus at the moment
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| Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 9:45 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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| erste wrote: |
...Here's a pic of my current setup...
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I appreciate the real-world approach you've taken toward utilizing your living space --- e.g. the book shelf, the fan, & the high shelf which utilizes space that otherwise never gets used. (Well maybe for a coat hook.) Your space looks like it has actually been lived in & travelled in.
As a refugee from the split bus forum, I visit the Vanagon forum just to read the trip reports & see practical interior additions like yours.
Maybe 20% of split buses are routinely used for camping excursions or actual travel (if you don't count all those trips to VW shows.) Over there, keeping everything Original is the gospel, which means that drilling a new hole anywhere in your bus is considered Original Sin. So I avoid posting anything about my rear cabinets & other camper interior mods, because absolutely nothing I've installed in the back is original.
Anyway -- it took me a while to realize that all of those decals in your camper are camouflaging the front of the ARB fridge that you have tucked into its narrow cubby hole on a slider. I also have an ARB and am considering a similar install which I'm afraid might restrict the amount of direct airflow to the rear cooling vents in the same way that you seem to have yours.
Given all the stickers, it certainly looks like you've had your ARB fridge in place for a long time so I'm assuming it keeps your food cold enough for you. But what kind of clearance do the cooling vents really need back there? One inch on each side? Two Inches? Maybe Three? Did you have to cut any holes in the back of your wood cabinet to provide additional airflow to your ARB?
TIA for any advice |
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erste
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2013
Posts: 1110
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:31 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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| Viking Funeral wrote: |
I also have an ARB and am considering a similar install which I'm afraid might restrict the amount of direct airflow to the rear cooling vents in the same way that you seem to have yours.
TIA for any advice |
Thank you! I've had the fridge for almost 2-1/2 years in that cabinet, running off solar 24/7 without issue. Definitely be concerned about airflow to those vents.
Here's a pic of the cabinet without the fridge. You can barely see, but on the left side that area is completely open. The panel on the right is peg board, so there are some holes. Originally I wanted the fridge on a slide, but nice slides were costly and it was going to be more work to do it, so I just laid a piece of 3/4" ply, anchored to 2 seat belt bolts and with the L brackets to the cabinet, then strapped the fridge to that with the ARB hold down kit.
Sometimes I pack stuff into the left side of the fridge that blocks the vent, but I really try to avoid that. I think a 1" gap on the sides would be fine as long as the fridge isn't enclosed. I wouldn't be worried about holes in the back panel, but for sure try to keep the side vents from being blocked. |
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epowell
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2015
Posts: 4733
Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:51 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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| erste wrote: |
| Nice progress! |
My only partial regret at the moment is that I think I went overkill on the heaviness of the wood used... the unit is getting pretty heavy, and I now realize that it would have been enough just to use 1/4" or 3/8" ply with 1/2's around the edges.
...anyhow it is SOLID!
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:52 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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| Viking Funeral wrote: |
Over there, keeping everything Original is the gospel, which means that drilling a new hole anywhere in your bus is considered Original Sin. So I avoid posting anything about my rear cabinets & other camper interior mods, because absolutely nothing I've installed in the back is original.
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Yeah, the things I did to my '67 split even make me cringe nowadays. Because I was living in mine, I cut out the front seat partition, and then installed the cabinets from a late bay van. I'm not a cosmetics guy, so I used white house paint to "touch up" the exterior. To be fair, it had already been hacked up quite a bit, but my additions were just insult to injury. Most of the Vanagon guys aren't shy about modifying their vans, but typically these are just overpriced aftermarket doodads that they think make the van look cool and utilitarian. Apparently, it's just money.
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erste
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2013
Posts: 1110
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:26 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
| Most of the Vanagon guys aren't shy about modifying their vans, but typically these are just overpriced aftermarket doodads that they think make the van look cool and utilitarian. Apparently, it's just money. |
what "doodads" are you talking about? And is that even relevant to this thread? |
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outcaststudios
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Joined: February 09, 2015
Posts: 1732
Location: Maine
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epowell
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2015
Posts: 4733
Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 8:47 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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The only thing weird is the propane fitting goes straight out the back of the stove, and I anoly have about 2" max behind there.... I guess I will have to find a 90* elbow adapter to get the propane fitting facing straight downwards...
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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vanagonjr
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Joined: October 07, 2010
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Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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epowell
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2015
Posts: 4733
Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 1:40 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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| vanagonjr wrote: |
| The extra weight is likely less than a big bumper or a couple of kids in the back seat. While I favor minimizing weight, I wouldn’t sweat this at all. Carry-on! |
Thanks... it IS really nice and solid! And I won't have a fridge and my water "tank" is only 10litres... my little 1,6D NA can take it 
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buspor63
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2005
Posts: 1179
Location: Knoxville,TN Where America stops for gas
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| Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 2:08 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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| epowell wrote: |
My only partial regret at the moment is that I think I went overkill on the heaviness of the wood used... the unit is getting pretty heavy |
"Simplify, then add lightness"
Colin Chapman
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TopBud
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2004
Posts: 1111
Location: Flagstaff AZ
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| Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: Kitchenette design DIY |
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erste- how do you open that fridge with the shelf above it? Can you post a pic with it open. I am liking the design
Thanks
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