Foamie cabinets...

[TCJ]

I've been following this guy "NØMAD" on youtube. He has built out an impressive transit van with plywood laminated 1" foam cabinetry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWkTqKjxKNg

I've communicated with him off channel about the failures in the system and how he's attempting to cure. Basic floor cabinets with doors have little issues. Draw slides are the crux as mounting into XPS. I've found that even the doors hinges are an issue unless you have denser skins and through anchor. He and I have talked about this and he's chasing another path.
Haven't checked in with him in a while.. Has he changed the skins he's using? He was fiberglassing, then veneering.. Believe he was headed towards 1/4" ply for skins..

Interesting. Doesn't he use solid wood core where the hinges or drawer slides go? That's what I did.
Also: I used epoxy as an adhesive, not gripper paint. I understand the cost advantage of the paint, but it just doesn't seem worth it given all the labor involved in making composite panels. The epoxy sticks tenaciously to both foam and wood: testing showed that the panel failed with the foam ripping before you can separate the skins from the foam.

[RJ Howell]

I've been following this guy "NØMAD" on youtube. He has built out an impressive transit van with plywood laminated 1" foam cabinetry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWkTqKjxKNg

I've communicated with him off channel about the failures in the system and how he's attempting to cure. Basic floor cabinets with doors have little issues. Draw slides are the crux as mounting into XPS. I've found that even the doors hinges are an issue unless you have denser skins and through anchor. He and I have talked about this and he's chasing another path.
Haven't checked in with him in a while.. Has he changed the skins he's using? He was fiberglassing, then veneering.. Believe he was headed towards 1/4" ply for skins..

Interesting. Doesn't he use solid wood core where the hinges or drawer slides go? That's what I did.
Also: I used epoxy as an adhesive, not gripper paint. I understand the cost advantage of the paint, but it just doesn't seem worth it given all the labor involved in making composite panels. The epoxy sticks tenaciously to both foam and wood: testing showed that the panel failed with the foam ripping before you can separate the skins from the foam.

If he now does, that's new since I spoke to him.

I'm discussing with another how he does it, yet it's intense on time. I like the basic frame as it plywood (1/2") and hollowed out, just leaving what would be a stick frame. Benefit is no joinery and study, con is waste material. His approach is much like what Tony does from building the TD frame. I just think he goes (he, not being Tony) a bit too far.

Thinking with the next experiment something along the way of a 1/4" frame with 1/4" ply or FG panel (1/8" in my case) over. Also thinking frame needs to be solid, not plywood.

[dbhosttexas]

Sorry guys and gals. I have been out actually using the camper. Got the 12v working with Lifepo4 / DC to DC charging AND solar charging. Figuring out where to stash things for travel.

I have a rear door spare tire carrier en route so I can get the spare out from under the van, and will want to build a foamie battery box for my battery bank, get those out from inside the van. Is PMF weatherproof enough to make this durable underneath the van exposed to road gack and the like? Or should I use actual fiberglass and epoxy resin? I definately want the foamie box for insulating value. Will be building this with thermostatically controlled battery warmer pads so I can keep travelling when the snow flies...

So my first things first. Foamie battery box. And Foamie cabinet divider. The electrical cabinet will house my gasoline heater (like a Chinese Diesel heater, but US designed / Quality controlled and runs on the same fuel my van does) and I want to separate all that from a general storage area. If I can slice off a big enough space, maybe keep my Joolca HOTTAP in there.

[Pmullen503]

......... Is PMF weatherproof enough to make this durable underneath the van exposed to road gack and the like? Or should I use actual fiberglass and epoxy resin?.........

I would use glass and epoxy.

Plus, you could mold in the mounting tabs by adding several layers of glass cloth to the mounting areas. Doubling the glass on the corners isn't a bad idea either. If you apply the cloth on the bias (45 degrees for the fibers) then you get ALL the fibers crossing the joint.

[dbhosttexas]

Yeah, I am not 100% certain of a retention system yet. Sort of figured I would have one end that would open upand allow the batteries to slide in, probably just retain them with straps. Really is no way to get clamps from above the way I am thinking...

Fiberglass / epoxy should be pretty easy to do, just need to get after it. Probably embed a 1/2 x 3/4 ply framing into it for the straps etc...

Will get busy after the holiday weekend...

This will give me more than plenty of space for the gas heater where I want it, AND under bed storage...

I am finding I don't use the DInette as a dinette at all. It is possible, maybe even likely I will convert the bed to just a simple platform bed, we'll see... That will allow better storage for sure.

[dbhosttexas]

Okay I have camped the van a couple of times already and still trying to determine what works, and what doesn't. I don't LOVE the dinette sleeper, but I don't despise it either. Seems like a waste of space for a single camper like me to have seating for six and sleeping for 4, 2 in the dinette, 2 upstairs in the Penthouse. Considering ripping the dinette out and building a platform bed with storage under it in the same space. I need to buy back the space the day / night shades suck up which is quite a bit. Honestly if I could rip that out, and do those fiberglass bump outs (Flarespace Flares) and be happy with the headroom I may just do that, it would give me a LOT more storage under the bed...

Not 100% certain of the under the body battery box idea, mostly due to cold climates, but seeing real world examples, and with foamie construction, and thermostatically controlled heating pads, I have seen guys running these same batteries in under body boxes in eastern Canadian winters... I think I can manage the lower 48 from the Mississipi west... Not going to try New England in winter though, no thank you... Nothing personal but I have the weather channel, I can see how cold it stays there... Feel free to make fun of Texas in August if you'd like...

Speaking of Texas in August, been too cold to worry about it, but I think I MAY have solved my Starcool AC problems as the coach 12v system was badly out of whack when I got the van so it never would power up. The one time I cranked it up after repairing the 12v system it blew cold, unstoppably until I shut down the AC entirely. (Needs a new thermostat I am certain). I might just be able to run AC and be comfy in a Texas early fall assuming I have shore power, which means FISHING TRIPS!!!!

[ghcoe]

This is how I make hard points for drawer sliders.

Slider hard point

20220318_124332 s.jpg (294.34 KiB) Viewed 172 times

Slider hard point with slider

20220328_103142 s.jpg (294.86 KiB) Viewed 172 times

It supports a 52qt refrigerator fully loaded on rough roads without any issues. Been two years since the install now.

52qt Refrigerator

20220319_150956 s.jpg (289.28 KiB) Viewed 172 times

[dbhosttexas]

I get to go out to the van sometime tomorrow I hope, and test fit the gas heater when I think it should go, see if I actually have enough room. If I do, great, if not. I will be in a HUGE hurry to get the spare tire and battery bank moved to make room for the heater...

So foamy battery box, some foamie doors, and it looks like foamie kitchen cabinet for now...