Welcome to September’s Mega PowerMod Contest, sponsored by Goal Zero. One Mega Mod will be published in every Email Alert in September. At the end of the month, we’ll hold a reader vote to determine September’s winner. Click here for information about the 2023 Mod Contest, including how to enter.
Sean Rayne, Berlin, Maryland
Kitchen Makeover
2022 Ford F-350
2017 Host Cascade
We wanted more counter space and a larger sink for doing dishes. The original sink was a double bowl and took up a lot of space.
Above: The original kitchen in their camper
The original countertop was fiberglass and glued down. It was easier to leave it in place than to demolish it and remove it.
The original sink was part of the countertop, molded all as one piece. I used a jig saw and cut the original sink out, leaving the original countertop in place. I also cut the edges back so they were flush with the face of the cabinets with a router.
Once everything was removed, the butcher block was cut and installed on top of the old countertop and screwed down from underneath.
We went with a single bowl sink. We like the look of the black stainless steel. It’s a single bowl so it has more space for washing dishes, but it’s a little smaller than the original double bowl sink.
I used the cutout for the sink as a cutting board to fit over the sink. It worked perfectly for making a cover for the sink since it was already close to the size I needed. After a little trimming, sanding, and routing, the cover was made and it’s a cutting board to boot. And, when the sink isn’t being used, we have more workspace when preparing meals.
Additionally, I moved the faucet over to the side so it did not block access to the counter behind the sink. The original setup had the faucet right in the middle and it just seemed like it was in the way all the time.
I looked all over for a black stainless stove, but I couldn’t find anything I liked. The stove I chose has a little more of a commercial, heavy-duty look to it. It was also smaller allowing for more usable counter space, which is always limited in a truck camper.
The two-burner stove was smaller than the original stove so it did not fit in the existing opening. That didn’t matter because the new hole was cut in the butcher block. Everything underneath was covered with the new countertop.
There were no real challenges that I ran into that wouldn’t be expected. Any renovation always has unexpected things come up. That’s just part of it. You just have to look at it as if you are working on your home. Anything can be done to upgrade your space. The only snag was the connections to the water lines.
I had to order adapters. The drain line was a piece of cake. Planning ahead was the most important thing and taking lots of measurements. The saying is true: measure, remeasure, then measure again before you cut. You might even want to measure once more!
We will be using this mod for the first time this weekend. Hopefully, it works as anticipated. This is a work in progress. We are planning on re-painting the interior of the camper next fall/winter. It’s fun to personalize your home on wheels.
Materials Used:
This was a full-day project with a helper. I had around $900-$1000 in the above items and miscellaneous materials. If I were to guess I’d say you could double that for labor.
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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Bathroom Glam Remodel
Welcome to September’s Mega PowerMod Contest that’s sponsored by Goal Zero. One Mega Mod will be published in every Email Alert in September. At the end of the month, we’ll hold a reader vote to determine September’s winner. Click here for information about the 2023 Mod Contest, including how to enter.
