Camper Mod Contest Entries

Interior Doors To Nowhere

Welcome to the sixth entry in July’s Medium Mod Contest.  One Medium Mod will be published in every Email Alert in July.  At the end of the month, we’ll hold a reader vote to determine July’s winner.  Click here for information about the 2023 Mod Contest, including how to enter.

Indoor Doors To Nowhere

Kim Pesko, Chatt Hills, Georgia
Interior Doors To Nowhere
2017 Ram 1500
2019 Palomino SS-1240

I wanted utensil storage. As always, truck campers lack storage. The Palomino SS-1240 has no drawers.

Drawers As Cabinet Faces Before Project Began

Above: Drawers were cabinet faces before project began

I removed the fixed door panels that didn’t open and then installed side walls to support the drawer slides. This was time-consuming because the openings are only 7-inches wide and 10-inches tall.

Drawers Right Side Before Modification

Above: Space on the right side before the drawer modification

This only allows one hand in space at a time. It was also complicated by the fact that the cabinet base was not square or perpendicular to the cabinet front.

During this process, I vacuumed all the debris left behind by the factory workers, and cable-tied the wiring into smaller bundles.

Drawer Slides Installed

Above: Drawer slides installed

I used drawer slides from cabinetparts.com; three 10-inch and one 14-inch drawer slide. These were described as light duty and were rated for 100 pounds per pair. Light duty?

The 10-inch drawer slides were $4 and the 14-inch drawer slides were $6.

I sawed the faux door panels in half to use as drawer fronts. I used 3/4-inch pine for the drawer sides and back and 1/4-inch luan for the drawer bottom. All four sides were grooved for the luan to fit in. I used Liquid Nails to glue the drawers together and clamped them overnight to dry.

Drawers In Place Slid Out

Above: Drawers in place and slid out

Because of the irregular shape of the cabinet, it took several tries to shim the drawers and slides so that they opened and closed easily. Then, I painted the drawer fronts. At Home Depot the color looked close, and you know the rest. The top drawer under the sink had to be modified to clear the sink drain. The bottom drawer is a 14-inch drawer and will be used for longer utensils.

Drawers Closed And Completed

Above: Drawers closed and completed

This modification has worked out great. I can store all utensils and some spices.

Materials Used:
4-foot 1×10 pine, I had in my shop
10-foot 1×6 pine I had in my shop
1/4-inch luan plywood 2’x2′ I had in my shop
Six 10-inch drawer slides at $4 each
Two 14-inch drawer slides at $6 each
Four drawer pulls at $2 each

It took me about 40 hours to complete this mod. I didn’t keep a close count. It cost about $90.  In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is hard.

Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.

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If you’d like to enter a modification you’ve done on your truck camper, click here. You can enter as many mods as you want, at any time.  Good luck mod makers!

 

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