Budget cabinet ideas

glennbtn

Hi All

Looking at building my own camper shortly, based on a Vauxhall Vivaro.

I don't have the space or want to spend the money on expensive furniture ply that the pros use. After some budget ideas for the cabinets on my 1st build any advice here would be great

Thanks

Glenn
 

groyne

Quite a few people buy Ikea units and cut them down, others make them out of MDF and laminate or paint them. Several ways to do them, it just depends what sort of finish you want.
 

john1974

mine were made of ply, and I have left them like that.. quite like the look.. they do the job although haven't quite finished..

will try and get a photo..
 

john1974

now don't all laugh !!

floor isn't finished (was going for cork tiles)

images are panoramic, hence the 'bumpy' lines here and there

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/17f00_LAFb32hzy56IG39A4Ggszh4wT6tt3rJxTyuvN8afxIMsNZVqICBX_uEd0Qh6ObEJjmSbttZRWuAX6gmGW1fgdeIxl2SGamNl6PD9gZVYznvodrlDJ2WFR0z3THUBB2lON_DdfZGagSamPcFCuuibwtqyEt0f3N1DlYnKW5375jl-nyaV1MLzCjJFqQGd-GSJIVyngmq7-sPWK2Ojv2hSXu1_DXZ-K4CxZAiNKGXqSuzSIIATIOUcldTB9r0xcENx5H1TPHC2sSRJRg1eCH84QE3wmDJLKxboSIQSpYcxFXGn8uRAkGSUeVTTi4nqIpUpGwwMeGiqlKOpBO8UiRfc7CzaVbdXIL8O_v9Up4k5MJtIchN8QYqcFN7eLQ31w8Tv9EIthb3EA5Wk289Gi76PmmEr-TC6fm68VLwT6R3W4ZMZbRNf8-wSGEQ06zkzFqBrBcRmM0F0RZpmtkroI5aWJuq-Iulix5d1Nkm0j53gDmQFDK4rat5IAD9dwcawwGqDUqGfQbesqvktm4ydaIEaYcHbe8inl0DvsJAl4yb-UM0gAV9eVlMDxJbIBBMmomSwzn8eZLNam9NkA0-Mcdwv43D842bnYhH4ZAGtFzEXhUFoEv=w638-h974-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YCfmXFtCfHKcPHY7D9CzUCa6YidXsA6OdYx4ch4fR6lEI8KhZr20ITRGoYU50lJNw76hilSWU2l519BvIakjOkSD1tWheyHmOKCUoZBuoyfhgI_EN2V2lMmQnfC7ko__ce0dR0kcTvbTsBnHcumcX8JRwpw5O-3a98klc9lymb7QtmMNg1SI9SC4eHyOl06NcUEzYZTtn7V8ydUINhbymuXmN346sNwYkouJiPxWTPtRHpNlYCf_69v32eV0Xb8k09ULj4UjRP_t4drEly48MyKeF0SjLowlk4h30syp0Ksq_cfzL2k9XcQXeUkZkCPKTvDTzSAN60d71CNqXV9SUV8NGpAToyJQvW5waFcZYSm75GG7gOJ_-dps263h1Aopk9tPw1H0ULRntHez-9DBR6Nzd13AqIjc2qkQe-FqCPf8acUrkhIGG4w9h4K2IaHVCSL3-a4hvWe54iKEbgBoazvICfVOiZr0RdK12Kyhf0E4KRhyqr6AXbr5mHlDzYls4TjlxcQnnHOgEanRMdZ-JODXX6EQiAKKCumqmQf3islgj9iloh2MjkAYe53ZNFhHylGG9ncgkMUv2RWiUXcSn0QviSNG7Nmz_7LJExaT4SnK4yOnbnBCv4UW=w1824-h974-no
 

Nev Simpson

john1974 said:
now don't all laugh !!

floor isn't finished (was going for cork tiles)

images are panoramic, hence the 'bumpy' lines here and there

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/17f00_LAFb32hzy56IG39A4Ggszh4wT6tt3rJxTyuvN8afxIMsNZVqICBX_uEd0Qh6ObEJjmSbttZRWuAX6gmGW1fgdeIxl2SGamNl6PD9gZVYznvodrlDJ2WFR0z3THUBB2lON_DdfZGagSamPcFCuuibwtqyEt0f3N1DlYnKW5375jl-nyaV1MLzCjJFqQGd-GSJIVyngmq7-sPWK2Ojv2hSXu1_DXZ-K4CxZAiNKGXqSuzSIIATIOUcldTB9r0xcENx5H1TPHC2sSRJRg1eCH84QE3wmDJLKxboSIQSpYcxFXGn8uRAkGSUeVTTi4nqIpUpGwwMeGiqlKOpBO8UiRfc7CzaVbdXIL8O_v9Up4k5MJtIchN8QYqcFN7eLQ31w8Tv9EIthb3EA5Wk289Gi76PmmEr-TC6fm68VLwT6R3W4ZMZbRNf8-wSGEQ06zkzFqBrBcRmM0F0RZpmtkroI5aWJuq-Iulix5d1Nkm0j53gDmQFDK4rat5IAD9dwcawwGqDUqGfQbesqvktm4ydaIEaYcHbe8inl0DvsJAl4yb-UM0gAV9eVlMDxJbIBBMmomSwzn8eZLNam9NkA0-Mcdwv43D842bnYhH4ZAGtFzEXhUFoEv=w638-h974-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YCfmXFtCfHKcPHY7D9CzUCa6YidXsA6OdYx4ch4fR6lEI8KhZr20ITRGoYU50lJNw76hilSWU2l519BvIakjOkSD1tWheyHmOKCUoZBuoyfhgI_EN2V2lMmQnfC7ko__ce0dR0kcTvbTsBnHcumcX8JRwpw5O-3a98klc9lymb7QtmMNg1SI9SC4eHyOl06NcUEzYZTtn7V8ydUINhbymuXmN346sNwYkouJiPxWTPtRHpNlYCf_69v32eV0Xb8k09ULj4UjRP_t4drEly48MyKeF0SjLowlk4h30syp0Ksq_cfzL2k9XcQXeUkZkCPKTvDTzSAN60d71CNqXV9SUV8NGpAToyJQvW5waFcZYSm75GG7gOJ_-dps263h1Aopk9tPw1H0ULRntHez-9DBR6Nzd13AqIjc2qkQe-FqCPf8acUrkhIGG4w9h4K2IaHVCSL3-a4hvWe54iKEbgBoazvICfVOiZr0RdK12Kyhf0E4KRhyqr6AXbr5mHlDzYls4TjlxcQnnHOgEanRMdZ-JODXX6EQiAKKCumqmQf3islgj9iloh2MjkAYe53ZNFhHylGG9ncgkMUv2RWiUXcSn0QviSNG7Nmz_7LJExaT4SnK4yOnbnBCv4UW=w1824-h974-no
Click to expand...

Nothing to laugh about there John, damn that's good work and inspirational too!

Good Work Fella!
 

Deleted member 951

I'm getting pictures of the kitchen area in a PVC.

Very nice it looks too.
 

glennbtn

Same with me. Just a chequered page with a no entry sign

How odd
 

IanH

glennbtn said:
Hi All

Looking at building my own camper shortly, based on a Vauxhall Vivaro.

I don't have the space or want to spend the money on expensive furniture ply that the pros use. After some budget ideas for the cabinets on my 1st build any advice here would be great

Thanks

Glenn
Click to expand...

Weight, weight, weight!!! Weigh everything you put in it and record the weights.
The ply used is much lighter than, i think, you will use

If you,re not careful itll be over 3.5t in no time!:idea-007:
 

Byronic

You don't mention whether you have plenty of time to spend on the conversion.
But if you do, then one of the lightest and cheapest ways of fitting out a van
interior is to construct in a timber and ply panel face method. The ply
only needs to be 3.76mm (nominally 4mm) 8 x 4 sheets with single face
veneer if you want a timber finish, or just low grade if you cover with
the ubiquitous glued polyprop. carpet liner. The frames softwood 40x18mm
The ply can be knife cut along a steel straight edge. Door frames faced both
sides of the frame to give rigidity, finished with simple mouldings mitred
at corners.
A few pics to give you the idea.
 

Jays

Good pics?
I am not yet convinced on the fixed bed in a p.v.c!
Waste of limited space in my opinion?
 

groyne

I am not yet convinced on the fixed bed in a p.v.c!
Waste of limited space in my opinion?
Click to expand...

I'm going for a fixed bed in my new build as I want a reasonably large garage to put my boat in.
 

izwozral

Budget Cabinet ideas

I would increase the pension and the winter fuel allowance.



Oh, it's not a political question then?

:have fun:
 

john1974

thanks Jay..


i don't know.. I have had both FB and non FB before.. but that was a long time ago and not relevant as neither vehicle (tiny british and large armerican - campers) went very far..

I miss another place to sit, with a decent table.. but I really like the bed always there and no fuss.. if I had to change that part of van it wouldn't be that tough.. I will leave it for now and do some more trips .. :)
 

wildebus

Forum Member
IanH said:
Weight, weight, weight!!! Weigh everything you put in it and record the weights.
The ply used is much lighter than, i think, you will use

If you,re not careful itll be over 3.5t in no time!:idea-007:
Click to expand...

Doubt if you want to be close to, let alone 3.5t in a Vivaro :p

I used IKEA units in my LWB T5, so a similar sized vehicle
I had 7 cupboards with a total run length of 4.2M as well as as quite a few sheets of standard Ply sheet as bases and tops and IIRC the whole vehicle weighed in at around 2.3t including fuel and all camping gear, so plenty of payload left over (mine is a 3.0t GVW)
 

suneye

Forum Member
Jays said:
Good pics?
I am not yet convinced on the fixed bed in a p.v.c!
Waste of limited space in my opinion?
Click to expand...

We bought a van with a fixed bed and I thought the same and we had plans to change it. I was wrong, very wrong. We realized very quickly that it was brilliant and would definitely not change it. We have adapted the storage under the bed to suit us and it has meant we can keep the living bit of the van uncluttered. I went away with my brother the other week and I thought never in a million years would all that moving stuff around and the whole space being taken up by the bed suit me now.
 

Jays

With our p.v.c we have a rear lounge, with a back bulkhead to give vertical storage in the back, this eliminates the leakage/draughs from the back doors.
We can the sit with our feet up on each side of the van, this then turns into the bed.
 
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