Extra work top

Hi folks,

met a couple with the same van the other week and they had a drop down worktop fixed to the toilet
 wall across to the sink, it was obviously original.
Before I buy a piano hinge and a piece of wood, can I buy such a worktop still? Is it done as a kit as it will then match the van? The worktop was identical to the table in the wardrobe and I don't want to cut that up as the wife wont be very appy.

Answers on a postcard please.  

Best regards, Mike.  still waiting for summer:uncertain:

This subject was covered 2 years ago, take a look, it answers a lot of your questions....

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ps - I still haven't got round to doing it.

We have a Duetto and one of the previous owners made a shelf which is metal with 4 battens underneath and this just fits on the small lip over the fridge and the small batten on the bathroom wall and is just level with the little piece of worktop near the sink unit.    This just lifts off and we put it down between the fridge and back door and is fastened with elastic so it will not fall out when door is opened.    I would not do without this as it makes a little worktop that you can put hot plates or pans onto.

Thanks Paulmold for the link and Hilda for some good ideas, will have to investigate further.

Best Regards, Mike 

Flying High wrote:Thanks Paulmold for the link and Hilda for some good ideas, will have to investigate further.

Best Regards, Mike 

Hi Mike, I did this mod myself too, It's never been an original feature to my knowledge but managed to get a matching worktop from reighton caravan spares and the hinges from a caravan accessory center

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I didnt need mine to be too big, just enough for the halogen oven. I didnt use piano hinges only the self supporting brackets

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Happy camping Neil

Hi folks,

Well this being my next project I ordered the brackets from Autosleeper and the brown catch to hold it in place. The original kit is no longer sold or fitted by the company as it is deemed a fire hazard as it blocks the rear doors when up. Then after a lot of trolling the web I managed to get a a table from a local caravan shop for £20 which after one cut will fit. the only trouble is that I will have to fill the cut piece as it is hollow. So for about £50 I shall have a table like Chris has.
Thoughts on securing the brackets to the toilet wall is to use coach bolts, (the domed type) and stainless through the wall.

Will stick up a few pictures once done.

Best Regards, Mike

Hi mike, what sort of weight are you wanting it to hold? Mine easily copes with the halogen oven when full (surprisingly heavy) and I used short fat stubby screws that don't show through into the washroom, If your not wanting to use it for anything more than the odd hot pan and plating up I would go for that option first instead of having fixings showing in the washroom. Just a thought  

don't forget to get some pics up when its done, I love to see what others have done to there vans  

Neil

I think that Minnie's mum made a similar modification to her van as well.

My last van (Lunar) had dreadful plastic hinges on the folding shelves which broke very easily. Replaced them with steel locking ones from CAK tanks - exactly as supplied as original hinges in my A/S Broadway - they feel like you could put a large gorilla on them without breaking. Cheers and have a good weekend.  

Thanks Harper22 and Duxdeluxe for your imput. Hinges I have already got direct from Alan at Autosleeper, fantastic delivery and arrived in 28 hours.
I have purchased a caravan worktop for £20 but need to cut it down one edge to fit. I was going to use a skill saw but I have been advised against this at the surface will chip. Has anyone any ideas how to cut this material, I believe it is hollow or filled with egg boxes or something??

Thanks in advance, Best regards, Mike.  

Those hinges are really good!! No idea about cutting, though. Hope someone else can help. Have a great weekend

Harper22 wrote:Hi mike, what sort of weight are you wanting it to hold? Mine easily copes with the halogen oven when full (surprisingly heavy) and I used short fat stubby screws that don't show through into the washroom, If your not wanting to use it for anything more than the odd hot pan and plating up I would go for that option first instead of having fixings showing in the washroom. Just a thought  

don't forget to get some pics up when its done, I love to see what others have done to there vans  

Neil

Hi Harper22 were do you get those stubby screws??

Best Regards, Mike  

Flying High wrote:

Harper22 wrote:Hi mike, what sort of weight are you wanting it to hold? Mine easily copes with the halogen oven when full (surprisingly heavy) and I used short fat stubby screws that don't show through into the washroom, If your not wanting to use it for anything more than the odd hot pan and plating up I would go for that option first instead of having fixings showing in the washroom. Just a thought  

don't forget to get some pics up when its done, I love to see what others have done to there vans  

Neil

Hi Harper22 were do you get those stubby screws??

Best Regards, Mike  

as far as i'm aware Mike they were just some gold coloured pozzi drive wood screws 4-5 ish mm ones i had already, but they are the sort screwfix sell, the toilet wall from memory was about 5-6 mm thick laminated ply and by the time I had taken into account the thickness of the hinge i think they went in the wall about 4-5 mm and didn't show through, Its been on about 8 months now and usually left in the upright position in use and not had any problems with movement so far. Obviously its down to personal taste but i figured I would try short fat screws first and then go the bolt route if that failed as didn't really want fixings showing in the washroom as wanted it to look as factory fitted as possible.  

Hi Harper22
Great news on the screw/ plugs I will give it a go thanks for that.

Re the worktop cutting I have a pro kitchen fitter coming early next week to make the worktop the correct size.
I chickened out on doing it myself at I think the worktop is hollow. 

Thanks for all your help everyone. 

Best regards, Mike

Great stuff - let us know how you get on  

Hi guys,
well the kitchen fitter has been and gone and a lovely job he did too.   

The only problem is that when he cut through it as I thought it was hollow not quite egg boxes but square type corrugated card inside. Fortunately I then had a lesson on how to fix it by the kitchen fitter before he left. After a bit of cutting I managed to refit the end piece of wood so now I will have a table which is light and should do the job, I will try to take some pictures tomorrow of how he did it.

Best regards, Mike XX  

 This is intresting stuff. My Duetto has a baton fasted to the bathroom wall and we did think it looked part of the origional van not an add on . We have two redundant cup hooks under it to hang a supermarket bag for rubish, bought a small bin now. I can see a susing and bogling sesion coming on to see if we can make use of this worktop idea. We dont carry the big table we find the small one enough for us two.

Now the tricky bit


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Going to upload pictures and talk it through

Stand by.

Best Regards Mike  

Hi folks, another headache uploading but now the easy bit.


Image one... after the cut with a router this is what you get a load of cardboard in it so you have to cut this out with a knife to allow for the original frame to go back in.

Image two .. smash out the original wood frame and clean up.

Image three...Worktop prepared to take original frame.

Image four...insert the frame making sure it fits. (don't push right in otherwise you will struggle to get it out again to glue).

Image five.... I used "No Nails" and a friends finger to insert the glue inside the table.

Image six..... Drop frame into glued area.

Image seven...Clamp in a workmate overnight making sure all residue glue is removed.

There you have it, tomorrow it will be dry and ready to attach to the hinges and the van.

Hope it all makes sense.

Best Regards, Mike  

Looks good so far.
Photos of the finished item would be great.

(and I thought the worktop was solid wood!")

PB

Hi PB,

Yep it will come, I thought the table was rather light but I suppose that's how they are supposed to be. Hope to get the table in the van tomorrow, fixing the brackets to the table is easy as I can screw direct to the wooden frame now I know where it is.
Still got to finalize the fixing to the washroom wall, cant do a thing till the glue dries in 24 hrs. looking at lots of different ideas.
The kitchen fitter was a great help and he showed me how to attack the table and then left me to it.
I hope this helps anyone attempting to cut a table of any other unit to size, it took me some time but I think it will be worth it.

Best Regards, Mike  

Hi folks, finished shelf.

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From the other end.

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Closed

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Fixing behind rear panel, rear washroom panel removed and bolts "Locktighted" in holding rear shelf bracket. The shelf needs to go forward from the rear doors otherwise the curtain catches. It is also difficult to release the rear drop catch on the table when it is up.


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Caps in wash room, I decided to go into the washroom with bolts on the front bracket for rigidity and covered the bolts with number plate screw covers which match the original caps already scattered around the room.

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Well there we are all finished.

Will be pleased to answer any questions you have if you decide to have a go at this.

Best Regards, Mike  

That looks absolutely brilliant Flying High.
Well done on a cracking job.

Have to put that on my list of jobs to do at sometime!

PB