The Gnarhauler: Another white cargo van.

[Twoxentrix]

Well done, Those door panels look very nice.

[ibike]

Latest project complete. As I’ve used the van I’ve discovered that hauling my gear around in plastic totes isn’t a great long term solution, plus I recently picked up a Thetford cassette toilet I’d like to be able to tuck away. Enter the storage cabinet.

This project has been very much build as I go. I had unused space between my drivers seat and wheel wheel box/bed platform. I decided to use all of it.


Rough carcass of the cabinet. I was working off some rough sketches I had drawn up, making adjustments to fit the available space as I went.



Here’s the concept for the hideaway toilet. Both lower sections will have doors. Above that will be drawers and then some cubbies above that.






Once I had all the pieces cut and and test fit, I got to applying laminate. This is the first proper cabinet I’ve ever built and first time working with laminate. Definitely a learning curve.







Cabinets installed in the van. They bolt directly to the l-track with some brackets that are mortised into the cabinet sides and secured with t-nuts and machine screws.



Hidden toilet


Up close view of the drawers. Drawer face is attached to the bottom drawer with a Southco latch, top drawers are on push to open slides. I lined the drawers with some extra trunk liner I had left over from my door cubbies.


Storage cubbies. These have a 2” lip on the front, and a 3” lip on the rear to keep gear from falling into the abyss. The right side was designed to hold a full face dirtbike helmet, the left side will most likely be used for soft items and packing cubes.


Bottom doors open. Toilet on the right, space for dirtbike boots and shoes on the left. Contemplating a waterproof tray for snowboard boots in the winter.


I built my drawer faces and doors a la Sportsmobile with radius corners and t-slot molding. I have more material on hand for some door mounted tables and a galley box that I’ll start on soon.

I also apologize for the dark photos. I’m trying to step up my photography game and started using a proper camera as opposed to my iPhone.

[Justgosurfin]

Originally Posted by ibike

Latest project complete. As I’ve used the van I’ve discovered that hauling my gear around in plastic totes isn’t a great long term solution, plus I recently picked up a Thetford cassette toilet I’d like to be able to tuck away. Enter the storage cabinet.

This project has been very much build as I go. I had unused space between my drivers seat and wheel wheel box/bed platform. I decided to use all of it. Attachment 43560

Rough carcass of the cabinet. I was working off some rough sketches I had drawn up, making adjustments to fit the available space as I went. Attachment 43561

Here’s the concept for the hideaway toilet. Both lower sections will have doors. Above that will be drawers and then some cubbies above that. Attachment 43562
Attachment 43563


Once I had all the pieces cut and and test fit, I got to applying laminate. This is the first proper cabinet I’ve ever built and first time working with laminate. Definitely a learning curve.Attachment 43564
Attachment 43565
Attachment 43566
Attachment 43567
Attachment 43568

Cabinets installed in the van. They bolt directly to the l-track with some brackets that are mortised into the cabinet sides and secured with t-nuts and machine screws. Attachment 43569
Attachment 43570
Attachment 43571

Hidden toilet Attachment 43572

Up close view of the drawers. Drawer face is attached to the bottom drawer with a Southco latch, top drawers are on push to open slides. I lined the drawers with some extra trunk liner I had left over from my door cubbies. Attachment 43573

Storage cubbies. These have a 2” lip on the front, and a 3” lip on the rear to keep gear from falling into the abyss. The right side was designed to hold a full face dirtbike helmet, the left side will most likely be used for soft items and packing cubes. Attachment 43574

Bottom doors open. Toilet on the right, space for dirtbike boots and shoes on the left. Contemplating a waterproof tray for snowboard boots in the winter. Attachment 43575

I built my drawer faces and doors a la Sportsmobile with radius corners and t-slot molding. I have more material on hand for some door mounted tables and a galley box that I’ll start on soon.

I also apologize for the dark photos. I’m trying to step up my photography game and started using a proper camera as opposed to my iPhone.

Wow!! Stoked to go back and read some more of this. That’s what we’re thinking for wall covering too

[SteelheadJones]

Nice job. That looks professional. How did you learn to do it?

[ibike]

Originally Posted by SteelheadJones

Nice job. That looks professional. How did you learn to do it?

Thanks, I did lots of research on here on how other members have put their cabinets together, YouTube videos, trial and error etc. This was my first cabinet/laminate project. I definitely picked up some techniques along the way and found things I’d do differently next time.

[aarcaris]

Your cabinets turned out great! I guess I must have missed some of your more recent updates but just went back through everything it all looks awesome.

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by ibike

...This was my first cabinet/laminate project. I definitely picked up some techniques along the way and found things I’d do differently next time.

You know, this is probably what holds me back from certain DIY projects. I desperately want to do it right the first time, and do it once, but sometimes that means I don't do it at all. I have to break that mindset and dive in to more big projects.



Herb

[marret]

Yeah, the cabinet turned out great.

Care to share your lessons learned and what you would do different?

I think if one installs things in a manner they can be removed that may lessen the concern about pulling something out and redoing.

I have done one cabinet in my van and laminated it to match. I used a plywood structure and a Kreg pocket hole jig with glue to join together. I also built a shelf in the back corner, kind of tucked in behind the Danhard and fridge, with plain aluminum to save weight. I have thought about changing it to wood, but I am hesitant due to weight.

There is a router laminate bit that really helps make it look good after installation.

[ibike]

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

You know, this is probably what holds me back from certain DIY projects. I desperately want to do it right the first time, and do it once, but sometimes that means I don't do it at all. I have to break that mindset and dive in to more big projects.



Herb

Same, I frequently suffer from paralysis by analysis. I see all these vans on the web from professional builders and try and hold my work to the same standard. Hard to do when this is my first van project, and not having access to a full fab shop, CNC router etc. I’m doing my best to not scrutinize my own work, or dwell on stuff I wish I’d done different etc.

[ibike]

Originally Posted by marret

Yeah, the cabinet turned out great.

Care to share your lessons learned and what you would do different?

I think if one installs things in a manner they can be removed that may lessen the concern about pulling something out and redoing.

I have done one cabinet in my van and laminated it to match. I used a plywood structure and a Kreg pocket hole jig with glue to join together. I also built a shelf in the back corner, kind of tucked in behind the Danhard and fridge, with plain aluminum to save weight. I have thought about changing it to wood, but I am hesitant due to weight.

There is a router laminate bit that really helps make it look good after installation.

Thanks, I appreciate it. I was so focused on strength and durability I didn’t think about the work flow of laminating the cabinets.

I dado’d and glued all the shelves in. This made made for way more work as I had to laminate a 3d cabinet as opposed to just two sides of each piece and assembling with pocket screws.

I had a few oopsies with the router trimming the laminate on the edges of the plywood, I’m assuming it was my technique, especially on the radius edge on the rear of the cabinet.

I also skimped out on plywood, definitely a buy once cry once scenario. I ended up using white birch, partially because the lumber yard was out of Baltic at the time I stared this project. Not the best material. Way less layers than baltic, a fair amount of voids in the core layers, and not perfectly flat.

One thing I would definitely do again is the attachment method into the van. Both cabinets have l-brackets mortised into the insides that are secured to the cabinet via t-nuts and machine screws and bolt to the l-track on the floor. I also ganged the two cabinets together with t-nuts buried in one half and furniture connecting bolts that thread in through the other side, sandwiching the the two half’s together. The cabinets can be taken out of the van in about 10 minutes if I need extra space to move bulky items or for passengers etc.

The other detail that I’m actually pretty proud of are the HDPE runners I put on the bottom of the cabinets. I got a 1/2” thick black cutting board off Amazon, cut 5/8” strips off on the table saw, and attached to the bottom of the edges of the cabinet with 1” countersunk screws. This allows me to slide the cabinet around inside the van without potentially damaging something. It also serves as a moisture barrier if the floor happens to get wet.