After a few 'test runs' with our Camplite 16BHB, we started making modifications.
Like many, we figured that the camper would be more usable with more shelves. As the camper is mostly aluminum, I thought that it would be best to stick with the decor and use aluminum for the shelves. Fortunately, working with aluminum is as easy as wood.
Materials:
[ul type="disc"][li]1/2, 3/4 and 1" square aluminum tubing, 1/16" wall, in 4', 6' or 8' lengths (local big-box store)
[/li][li]1/2, 3/4 and 1" angle aluminum, 1/16" wall, in 4', 6' or 8' lengths (local big-box store)
[/li][li]3/4" mesh expanded aluminum, 4'x8' sheet. (from local industrial steel supplier)[/li][li]1/8 & 3/16" aluminum rivets[/li][li]#8 and #10 stainless steel self-tapping sheet metal screws
[/li][/ul]
Tools:
[ul type="disc"][li]Tin snips (straight, left and right)
[/li][li]Hacksaw
[/li][li]Carpenters square, tape measure & drill[/li][li]Pop-rivet gun
[/li][/ul]
The aluminum angles are easy to cut with the tin snips. The hacksaw was used to cut the square tubing. You can also use a power miter saw (a carbide blade for a miter saw will work fine on aluminum).
One of the first mods was to re-purpose the rear cabinet by adding shelves. We don't use the outside door, so that stays closed. The shelves are great for the odds and ends that need to be reached from the main door without climbing up the steps (matches, fire starter, hiking boots, axe, etc.)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/elbgh2.jpg)
(http://i50.tinypic.com/f3stp4.jpg"%20style="max-width:100%;)
[img style="" style="max-width:100%;max-width:100%;" src="http://i48.tinypic.com/e6ziw0.jpg"]
After cutting the expanded aluminum the wrong way (lengthwise) I switched to laying it out crosswise. It's a bit more rigid that way. We aren't hauling rocks though, so either way is strong enough.
Shelf unit in place, with an old maple cutting board as the top. The cutting board is clamped in place with a friction fit between a couple of angles, but is still removable. I thought that a removable cutting board would be useful, but we've never removed it, so it could as well be permanent. The shelf unit is held in with a couple of sheet metal screws into the sink cabinet and floor.
(http://i46.tinypic.com/bhdgfq.jpg"%20style="max-width:100%;)
Really nice! Thanks for sharing !
Will you come and make mine... I'm all thumbs :-) Very nice!!!!!!!!
I'm impressed and really like this. Just wish I had the room to do something like this in the QS.
More mods.
Utensil Rack:
To hang utensils, I added a couple of towel rods from Ikea. The lower rod keeps the utensils from swinging around during travel. The hanging 'can' is another Ikea thing. It's wedged over the upper rods and below the lower rod, so it also stays in place while traveling.
The tan aluminum sheet keeps the adzel from getting messed up by the utensils and stove splash. It's inserted under the factory aluminum trim. The aluminum is a leftover from when my house was sided, and just happened to match the Camplite interior fairly well.
(http://i58.tinypic.com/1z4hdsm.jpg)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/axdv8n.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/1zf2612.jpg)
You are way too talented....
Michael, thanks for all the mod posts! Hope you keep them coming. What kind of damage did removing the valance leave? I've been too chicken to try it.
Quote from: @shovelhead" timestamp="1417707308" source="/post/5396/threadYou are way too talented....
I used to be a machinist. Metal is easy. Wood has me baffled. :)
[quote source="/post/5397/thread" timestamp="1417749898" author="@spunk4"]Michael, thanks for all the mod posts! Hope you keep them coming. What kind of damage did removing the valance leave? I've been too chicken to try it.[/quote]
The valances are attached with a 2 (or 3?) automotive style trim panel fasteners, like are used to [a href="http://www.perfectfit.com/15290/155987/Trim-Clips--Auto-Fasteners/Nylon-Trim-Panel-Fastener---Ford.html"]attach plastic trim in automotive interiors[/a]. When the valances are pried off, you'll have 1/4" holes in the wall where the trim fasteners were. The existing joints in the adzel panels are covered with a tape that blends into the panels real well. In theory LL has that tape & it could be used to patch the holes.
I'll either come up with some other way of hiding the holes, or find some of the adzel tape.
I've added more shelves to the 16BHB.
First up - remove the top bunk. It's a great storage shelf for sleeping bags, pillows, and misc junk, but we never sleep up there, and I'd like to try opening up that space to let in more light. I'll partially recover some shelf space by adding a shelf where the back of the bunk used to be.
Bunk removed, starting shelf build:
[img style="" style="max-width:100%;" src="http://i61.tinypic.com/2h7qkn7.jpg"]
The shelf rests on the aluminum angles that used to hold up the bunk. I added a 1.5x1.5x1/8 angle on the closet side and another spanning the opening, and 1x1x1/16 stringers to support the expanded aluminum.
[img style="max-width:100%;" style="" src="http://i60.tinypic.com/2a0lwz5.jpg"]
A Cabela's Creek Company [a href="http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camping/Camp-Cooking-Dining/Camp-Kitchens|/pc/104795280/c/581015880/sc/104248980/Creek-Company-Hanging-Camp-Cupboard/746707.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fcamp-kitchens%2F_%2FN-1116241"]hanging camp cupboard[/a] and a bungee net keep stuff from flying around:
[img style="max-width:100%;" style="" height="1131" src="http://i61.tinypic.com/5bv03r.jpg" width="638"]
We'll see if we miss the rest of the space that the top bunk provided vs. the extra light and better organization of the new shelf.
incredible job...i really like the use of that expanded mesh for the shelving! right now we are using large bins for the majority of the dishes and i have been wanting to install pull outs...thanks for the ideas
One more shelf - then the pop rivet gun needs to catch a beer and rest a bit.
At the back of the 16BHB is a blank wall that was originally designed as a spot to hang the television. IIRC, there was a sticker on the back wall showing where to hang the TV. No TV for me, so it's dead space.
The back cabinet is within arms reach of the door while standing outside on the ground, so it ends up being a handy spot to set things that need to be reachable from outside. I've made it more useful by adding a shelf in the spot where the TV might have been:
(http://i62.tinypic.com/6jjynb.jpg)
(http://i60.tinypic.com/2uxtw08.jpg)
now you got me planning another weekend mod. hopefully i can find similar expanded aluminum locally
thanks again for the ideas!
One more modification.
I originally hung the[a href="http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camping/Camp-Cooking-Dining/Camp-Kitchens|/pc/104795280/c/581015880/sc/104248980/Creek-Company-Hanging-Camp-Cupboard/746707.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fcamp-kitchens%2F_%2FN-1116241"] Cabela's Creek Company hanging camp cupboard [/a]over the new shelf that replaced the top bunk and tried using it as a clothes closet for myself. That turned out to be inconvenient, so I moved the hanging cupboard to the bathroom wall at the foot of the bunk:
[img style="max-width:100%;" src="http://i58.tinypic.com/30x7bki.jpg"]
The cupboard (clothes closet) hangs from a couple of 1/2" hollow aluminum rods/tubes that are in turn supported by a couple of brackets that I fabricated out of 1x1x1/6" aluminum angles. I used a 1-1/2x1/8" flat stock to support the bottom of the brackets, lest they push to far into the unsupported Azdel on the shower wall.
The cupboard/closet happens to be the right length so that the bottom just touches the angle that was holding up the bunk, adding a bit to the support.
I use 3/16" pop rivets and #10 stainless steel self-drilling sheet metal screws for the assembly, and I'm still using aluminum for all of the modifications.
--Michael.
Very nice! Are you using aluminum or stainless steel pop rivets?
[quote source="/post/13708/thread" timestamp="1438026800" author="@aggie79"]Very nice! Are you using aluminum or stainless steel pop rivets?[/quote]
I used standard aluminum pop rivets for everything I've done so far.