How happy are you with the dark cherry cabinets?

[warholic]

Here's my input: I was just at SMB Fresno this week and the cherry cabinets look nice. However, IMO they are formal looking, dare i say "too formal looking", for me. I will be taking my SMB off-road a lot and will get dusty/dirty inside, and cherry will definitely show dust more than grey/almond.

[warholic]

By the way, all the cabinets are plywood now - only difference is the finish you pick.

[SteveInLA]

I agree that the cherry is formal looking. I was looking for the right term to express my feelings about both the cherry finish and the real wood finish I see in other motor homes and that was it. I want mine to look like a camper and not like a kitchen.

The new Volkswagen California has a nice look and I am waiting on some laminate samples that might get me here. Figures, a vehicle called the California is only available in Europe.

[warholic]

who's that guy outside?

Yeah - for the right application cherry is great, but it feels "out of place" to me out in the boonies and/or campgrounds. Also, it does seem to darken up the inside a bit more than I want. Anyway, Jonathon and jeff are the 2 sales guys I talk to and they both told me cherry is becoming more popular.

[kmessinger]

I thought the cherry was a vineer over real wood and lighter. The oak like I have is not vineer but paper over particle board. We easily scratched thru it

I was told the cherry won't swell like the particle board if it gets wet. Water will ruin the particle board.

I would go with any finish that did not use particle board and was a true vineer. Even the cabinets in our old Eurovan were better and the white color was actually great.

Regards,

Keith

[surfgeek33]

Steve,

If you can figure out how SMB can install better made materials, please let me know. That was one of my qualms about the SMB. The material they use can be much better for how much people are paying for their rigs. We had 69 and an 87 Westy, and the cabinets are better built and material than my former 08 SMB.

Ray

[billwilson]

Have SMB do what they do best:
4x4
Penthouse
cruiser/voyager top
xl storage
windows
bushwackers
Alumines front and rear
4d slung below
Propane slung below
Transflow XL fuel tanks

If you have need for custom
aluminess, front, rear or roof, ya gotta go there

If going solar, do your own research, get what you need
This will save you a ton ( ex: my two Kyocera 180 watt, top of line blue sky and all parts= $2,100)

Interior
wiring, plumbing, solar
headliner, insulation, flooring
cabinets
etc
get a local pro to do the work
(bummer is not alot of shops do this work)

The above is Three things:
1) a real pain in the ass (eats up a TON of your time and energy)
2) a savings of ALOT (on a new rig: at least $15,000 in cash)
3) pride of ownership that ya cant buy off an assembly line

JMHO

[warholic]

billwilson is a madman!!!!! .. amd right .......... but that takes a lot of time and research to parse out the build piecemeal...... I agree SMB seems too expensive (I don't wnat to say overpriced, but..) for the camper mods they do, compared to lots of other places. the good thing is there is so much info from this forum about SMB that you know what your getting.

And the cabinets are all plywood now, with veneer over them. The plywood is now standard - no more MDF.

[billwilson]

Originally Posted by warholic

billwilson is a madman!!!!! .. .

Nicest thing any one has said about me all weeek
Thanx!!

Yes i am a bit A.D.D. but the end result works for me

I am lucky to have:
the time
the energy
and the local guys close to me for the build

Not everyone has all three and
it really takes all three

Ex:
I have three trips to Aluminess
just in DESIGNING my rack and rear box

Two trips to Deaver Spring

One trip to Blue Sky

Six trips to the builder for design and test fitting
and mid stream changes

I agree whole heartedly that:
IF a guy does his homework here, parts, specs etc.
IF he holds the factories feet to the fire
He WILL get a rockin' rig very close to his specs

bw out

ps
happy T day to all

[dabeloe1]

We chose the cherry cabinets for our '08 Sprinter. I think the material is some sort of paper laminate because underneath some of the overtightened wood screws the paper is wrinkled. It does scratch, and it is dark, but after living my entire life in houses with oak cabinets we just wanted something different.

-Dave