# RV lightweight cabinets??



## Belg1960 (Jan 3, 2010)

My son and I will be building out the interior of a van (Sprinter type probably) and I have build plenty of standard cabinets but am looking for ways to save weight but still be structurally sound and be able to handle the bouncing of an RV. Thanks for any input, links or advice.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

Look around this site to give you some ideas… (But it's not cheap)


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I think the way it has been commonly done
in trailers is you build a frame for the whole
cabinet and nail 1/4" panels to it to enclose. 
Some cheap apartment style cabinets are still
built this way, though most probably with
sides a little thicker than 1/4".


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## tyvekboy (Feb 24, 2010)

JBAY … those honeycomb panels look interesting but as you say expensive.

Now I would think the same could be done if you made panels like a torsion box. The best way to describe what I'm envisioning is with pictures:










Components would be a frame pieces 3/4" thick by 1-1/2" wide. Grid pieces 1/2" wide by 1/4" thick with 1/8" dados. Also skin components of 1/4" plywood.










The internal grid would be glued together.










Then the skins would be glued to both sides of the grid.










Then the lightweight panel is glued inside the frame. This would be time consuming but cheaper than the honeycomb panels.










These panels can then be assembled into your cabinet boxes and doors to the boxes. The outside frame of the panels will allow you to join the sides and tops of the cabinets and also places to install hinges and knobs. You might be able to use pocket screws … I don't know if 1-1/2" is enough for pocket screws.










Another simpler way to do this is to make the frames with 1/4" dados and insert 1/4" plywood inside the frames.










This might be an even lighter method.

Both are time consuming but when you've got more time than money, this is the way to go. Maybe both methods could be use depending on where it will be used and the look desired.

Hope this gives you some ideas on how to make lightweight cabinets.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

I installed some metal ones for a customer at work few weeks ago. They are nice but I saw the invoice for them. Yeah if it were me I think making my own goes easier on the wallet. The honeycomb idea looks like it will work, but be time consuming to make. Works in aircraft!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I've watched videos on pro built cabinets for vans and tiny trailers and always thought it would be fun. Some were built from a veneered honeycomb cardboard, like cabinets in aircraft. Others were built with 3/8 ply. Mostly it is the design that interests me because you need maximum utility combined with compactness.


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## Belg1960 (Jan 3, 2010)

Guys, you have given me an inspiration. How about using triple wall cardboard as the center panel instead of the torsion box? I found the dimensions for this are 5/8 for triple wall and 1/4 for double. If I used double and then added 1/4 luan on each side I'll have some pretty solid 3/4"??


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Go look at a few RVs. They are framed with 1x and 1/4" paneling. They hold up better than you would think.

I have towed them at least 50,000 miles. Never had any major failures yet.


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## Belg1960 (Jan 3, 2010)

> Go look at a few RVs. They are framed with 1x and 1/4" paneling. They hold up better than you would think.
> 
> I have towed them at least 50,000 miles. Never had any major failures yet.
> 
> - TopamaxSurvivor


Bob, I plan on using 1/4" beadboard plywood with a solid frame for the doors and drawer faces. Any chance you might share the way you held drawers closed? I used some Blum hinges for the doors and some catches with two rollers and a pin on his last one and he said that he had them come open a couple times.


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## EricTwice (Dec 9, 2016)

Years ago, when I lived in Florida I did several sets of cabinets for boats.
I cut the parts from polyurethane foam sheet. then I marked where I needed solid structure. I routed out and added eastern white pine of the same thickness. I covered the parts with plastic laminate as I assembled them.

The finished project had very little weight and was fairly strong (just make sure the foam you use is not affected by the glue. You don't want your work to melt)


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## Belg1960 (Jan 3, 2010)

> Years ago, when I lived in Florida I did several sets of cabinets for boats.
> I cut the parts from polyurethane foam sheet. then I marked where I needed solid structure. I routed out and added eastern white pine of the same thickness. I covered the parts with plastic laminate as I assembled them.
> 
> The finished project had very little weight and was fairly strong (just make sure the foam you use is not affected by the glue. You don t want your work to melt)
> ...


Eric, I thought about using foam but was wondering about the off gassing. What kind of foam isn't affected by the glue? I have always used contact cement and I know that eats foam.


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## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

Our RV uses these latches on drawers and cabinet doors that have side mounted hinges - drawer latches

Cabinets over sofa and bed have top mounted hinges and use these to hold them open and closed - door supports

Construction material for cabinets is 1/4 ply over 1x frames, as mentioned, or 1/2" mdf covered in vinyl "veneer." Drawers are 1/2 ply. Drawer fronts and doors are solid 3/4 with 1/4 panels. The 1x framing for bottoms allows running wires for undercabinet lights and outlets. Also, no backs, just nailer strips.

Ron Paulk is doing a construction trailer using some lightweight plywood - Ron Paulk YouTube


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## EricTwice (Dec 9, 2016)

I used an extruded polyurethane foam sheet, (not the upholstery material) The same stuff that's the spray cans of foam insulation. It's pretty much inert. 
(although I wonder if it would mater if you used a water based contact cement.)

The doors were a mitered frame with a foam insert. laminated front and back, trim and run a 1/4 round bit cutting the plastic back to reveal the wood below.
i put a thin band of teak on the edge and revealed it with the router. It's a nice look. It is more durable than laminate edges and removes the sharp corners.


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

When the sprinter first came out I was managing my buddies company. We designed a Sprinter as a mobile showroom. Had above head cabinets, counters and a bank of draws. Along the one wall we had used mechanics tool boxes with a counter on top. The bank of draws for a desk used self closing slides, the never came open while driving. The tool boxes we would lock just because of the weight of stick in them. The uppers stayed closed. The wall was skinned with 3/4 and the cabinets screwed into that. Electric was run behind skins.

The video mentioned above is basically how we did it.


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

Check out Clark foam. I built an ultralight camper with it years ago. I used 1/2" board stock with a thin skin of 'glass on each side. I think I had forty-odd moulds for various parts. It was extremely light and very strong. A 1/8" plywood panel might get it done more easily than moulds and glass and vacuum bags and all that.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Pat, They are all held with friction catches. Everyone we have owned had drawers and doors open occasionally.

We for doors that are side by side together to keep them closed.

We have 2 sets of fairly large drawers one above the other in our current unit. I miterd a stick of 1x to closely fit the cove edges between them. I used a barrel latch set to hold it in place. I added a dowel to fit into the hardware on one end and drilled a hole for the latch to slide into on the other end. Hope that makes sense.


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## Belg1960 (Jan 3, 2010)

> The video mentioned above is basically how we did it.
> 
> - mrg


Are you talking about the Paulk video??


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## Belg1960 (Jan 3, 2010)

> Pat, They are all held with friction catches. Everyone we have owned had drawers and doors open occasionally.
> 
> We for doors that are side by side together to keep them closed.
> 
> ...


Sorry Bob you lost me on the description of the mechanism.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Pat, I will try to post some pictures in a day or 2 if my immermet connection is good enough to upload them.

It is an easy add to most any drawer design as long as you have an inch of unobstructed free space on one side and 2.5 to 3 on the other.


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## Belg1960 (Jan 3, 2010)

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=67373&hilit=lightweight+cabinets
Follow the link to the video.


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## Yotter (Jul 2, 2017)

As an alternative check out http://deepredmotorhome.com/index.php for a full website on a campervan conversion or my own http://www.yotter.co.uk/VanMan.htm. These are both UK based. You can buy light weight 15mm board called Vohringer board here but the price is painful so I went the 2×1 frame and 3.6mm ply route held together with pocket holes and the corners trimmed with a little mahogany hardwood strip. used extensively over the last year and no problems or movement.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

I'm with Bob regarding 1x's and 1/4" paneling. Whoever engineered the cabinets in the single-wide I rented back in the day had his stuff together. The cabinets didn't flinch at holding a complete set of dinner plates and they did it with a minimal amount of materials.

I don't remember the details, but the cabinet sides were all 1/4" ply. The heaviest materials on the cabinets were the doors.


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

> The video mentioned above is basically how we did it.
> 
> - mrg
> 
> ...


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## Belg1960 (Jan 3, 2010)

Guys, bringing this back to life as the van has been bought electrics 90% done and we are starting to lay things out. I believe we will be using the 1/4 ply over frame method. 
Any other ideas would be very welcome as we come to the final design.


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

the suggestion of going and looking at some RV's is the best advise given. its been done for years aready so no need to reinvent the cabinet. i recently got done putting a new roof on a sprinter and some interior remodeling. all the cabinets had 2 parts- a front face and bottom. the tops and backs were the walls and ceiling of the MH.


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