Forum Discussion

Bluebeard's avatar
Bluebeard
Explorer
Oct 06, 2015

Outside Shelves

Last time we went camping, I recognized that it would be nice to utilize the side of my 5th wheel camper to add some "work space" for cooking and serving. I started ruminating about it and came up with this simple solution. It packs away quite nicely, and is easy to set up.

1. I cut a piece of 1x3 board to accommodate slipping in heavy duty shelf brackets between the board and the camper

2. 1/2" plywood screwed into the shelf brackets with one carriage bolt and wing nut per bracket (near the bend in the bracket)

3. Dis-assemblable 1" PVC legs, cut to 30". The cross member is bolted to the plywood with carriage bolts and wing nuts. If the camper is on a side hill (as noted in pic) I added compression connectors where I can add length to the legs.

Took it out camping this last weekend and it worked GREAT! Next time I will bring a couple of channel locks so I can tighten the compression fittings tight enough to keep them from slipping. I have tendonitis issues so I cannot tighten the ends of the compression fittings tight enough to keep them from slipping.


Moderator edit to re-size pictures to forum recommended limit of 640px maximum width.

  • gbopp's avatar
    gbopp
    Explorer
    Oct 06, 2015
    Nice mod. Thanks for sharing.

    Do the brackets scratch the side of the RV?
  • downtheroad's avatar
    downtheroad
    Explorer
    Oct 06, 2015
    Looks like it is very securely attached to the side of your trailer..
    Did you use some kind of sealant in all the bolt and screw holes?
  • Bluebeard's avatar
    Bluebeard
    Explorer
    Oct 06, 2015
    1. The brackets do NOT scratch the side of the RV. I dado'ed the 1x3 to about a little less than half of its thickness, and notched the tops so the bracket would sit flush with the top of the 1x3. On a couple of the brackets, I had to grind them down enough that the bracket would slide past the rim of the side doors without binding on the side of the RV. Its pretty cool, the side doors open nicely so I can pull stuff in and out. It was raining when I was breaking camp, and it was nice to have a dry spot to put stuff as I was putting everything away.

    The only thing I would consider to do differently is to decide if I wanted the entry door to open all the way back to the side of the camper. Right now, it snuggly fits on the top of the tabletop (which holds it nicely as long as you don't need the door to open fully).

    I don't have much room in the under storage, so I have to be very efficient with my design. The boards slide nicely on top of my water tank, and the rest of the stuff breaks down so it can be put anywhere.

    No, I did NOT put sealant, but now that you reminded me, I will do it, pronto. It is very secure and with the 2 foot wide board attached to the 1" cross pieces via carriage bolts and wingnuts it seems pretty sturdy. If I were to put the 7 gallon water can on top, I would probably opt to put another Tee to split the distance between legs, so it would easily handle the extra weight.
  • Bluebeard's avatar
    Bluebeard
    Explorer
    Oct 07, 2015
    Gbopp- if you are concerned about scratching the side of the camper, you could plastic dip the L brackets and that would eliminate any possible issues. As of right now, there doesn't seem to be any issue with marks.

About DIY Maintenance

RV projects you can tackle on your own with a few friendly pointers.4,351 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 13, 2025