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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    North Central Victoria
    Age
    50
    Posts
    1

    Default Cabinet for the back of a Van.

    Hi,
    I just purchased a Multivan and want to put a cabinet in the back that will hold a number of Kitchen items. A similar sized commercial cabinet measures 120.5cm long, 58.5cm deep and 53cm high. The Van itself has Black leather seats and carpet with silver roof lining and silver duco.

    I'm picturing a top that has the feel of this coffee table images.jpg with three fold down doors across the back with rollers embedded in the doors and bottom of the cabinet to allow various modules to be installed. Car fridge/Portable wood oven/drifta kitchen etc

    I've never tackled anything with the finish I'm after before so it will be new territory for me and I have a few questions.

    1) Being a fairly permanent feature in a Van it's going to be subjected to some extremes of temperatures from your standard car sitting in the hot summer sun to desert or alpine nights as well as anything humidity wise from desert to Darwin and potential high levels of condensation from people sleeping in the van. I assume if sealed well the humidity won't be much of a problem but am I going to have problems with the difference in thermal expansion between the timber and the epoxy resin?

    2) Weight is going to be a factor, not just for the top and door faces but for the structural components as well. I imagine the epoxy rivers would become rather weak as the slab gets thinner. How thin could I go? Top being 121cm long and 59cm wide, supported at both ends and twice in the middle. Just to be on the safe side lets say the largest span is 60cm. What would be the best material to make the uprights out of considering they won't be seen and strength for weight will be an important factor.

    3) Furniture. The three doors will fold down and need to support significant weight. Lets say 40kg per door to be on the safe side. I image the heaviest thing will be 25 kg. Any supporting arms should be thin so as not to obstruct the box models that slide in. Is there anything on the market that is tine and will support 40kg or do I need to look at providing support for the open door from underneath? (cables threaded through the uprights perhaps with a retracting mechanism behind the cabinet?) also want to embed rollers on the inside of the doors and bottom of the cabinet to aid sliding of the box modules. Would there be an appropriate product on the market for this?

    4) Aesthetics . I'm assuming the Epoxy rivers are a fad at the moment and the look will probably be dated in the future but the date will match the year of the vans manufacture so I'm not to worried about that. Given the Black/Silver colour scheme what timbers would people recommend?

    This is in the very early stages of planning so any ideas are most welcome.

    Cheers

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Newcastle
    Age
    69
    Posts
    1,071

    Default

    We did a T5 ex ambulance conversion to a camper in 20015 with cupboards, drawers, sink, fridge, etc. The three main factors are heat, dust and vibration so we went with lightweight 18mm ply and laminex for most of the construction. If I was going for a decorative panel like that I would probably use veneers and epoxy onto the light weight ply. It is certainly a great look and I don't think anything that is artistic and custom made ever really looks dated.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge SA
    Posts
    3,339

    Default

    Hi Jack, welcome to a TOP forum. You'll find plenty of help on here. With regards to your location, would it be possible to be a little more specific with where you live, the reason being that should you require some help with a project, like this for example, someone close by may offer some assistance.
    With regards to the construction of your cabinets, I suggest that Meranti and Ply be used, it offers plenty of strength while being light in weight. For better ideas on how they're made, have a look inside Caravan.s and Motorhomes. They butt join the Meranti with a dribble of glue and staples. I'd preferably use half lap joins, far stronger, not that it really needs it with the ply stuck to it.
    Gluing timber doesn't seem to be a problem with epoxy, boats for a long time were built with timber and Epoxy.
    Any chance of a sketch of your design, as I can't quite work out your 3) Furniture statement, in regards to doors coming down and weights on them. Wondering if these will come down to help support something like a bed??
    I'd be inclined to use something different to the embeded rollers for boxes etc. No matter how well a Vehicle is dust proofed, you'll always some inside. What sort of weight is envisaged in the boxes, asking as this will have a bearing on what to use.
    I've used hundreds of these or similar for Fridge slides that I used to manufacture. As far as I'm concerned, they are the ducks nuts, I've never had a problem with them in any 4WD's in conditions that you're proposing.
    https://www.hafele.com.au/en/product...3/#SearchParam
    Engel sent one of my slides to China to copy, when they arrived here, the slide runners were absolute rubbish, not lasting the distance before falling apart.
    Regards,
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Strathalbyn South Australia
    Posts
    1,141

    Default

    Hi, I would look at the draws that are made for tradies vans/4wd’s as they would hold all the weight you require of them. Most are skinned with mdf/ply and covered with automotive carpet or checker plate which you could replace with your epoxy/timber combo.
    I fitted out a van many years ago and just used mdf for the doors etc and painted with 2pac.
    I am currently building a kitchen and using epoxy to fill and coat the timber bench tops. I don’t think you will have any real issues with the timber and epoxy combo in regards to expansion or humidity because you are encasing the timber with epoxy and it should reduce or stop the timber from expanding and contracting any way. Keep a window open to reduce any humidity and so you have some fresh air for the inhabitants.
    There are a lot of timber boats on the water that have epoxy coated timber in them and they take some time for the timber to become effected by the elements.
    I’m using West Systems 105 but I wouldn’t use it for river effects as it is not made for deep fills and would take too many shallow fills to get to the depth you need. I’m sure there is someone here who can point you in the right direction with the right epoxy.
    I would think that you would probably want around 20mm thickness for the top and you will have plenty of support under it for the short span you will have between supports.

  6. #5
    Mobyturns's Avatar
    Mobyturns is offline In An Instant Your Life Can Change Forever
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    "Brownsville" Nth QLD
    Age
    66
    Posts
    4,414

    Default

    If you search "river tables +epoxy" you will find plenty of info on the making of the top. Typically some good some bad, however tis is a start,

    https://www.rowetrading.com.au/blog-headlines/How-to-Make-a-River-Table-Using-Clear-Epoxy-Resin-and-Reclaimed-Cedar-Wood


    Mobyturns

    In An Instant Your Life CanChange Forever

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