Now we get one of our first looks at the galley cabinet area. Along the left side of the camper, the galley runs between the back-wall and the fridge cabinet.
There was originally - from left to right - some unaccessed space, then two larger drawers and a cutting board below counter space, then a large door below a double sink, then two smaller drawers and finally a stove/oven range.
My modifications will make that unaccessed space accessible, then the six gallon water heater in place of the larger drawers (which will be changed to door fronts for plumbing access), and I will be widening a cutting board (probably longer too) and making it very sturdy for slide out to use either as a cutting board or extra counter space, then the sink and large door as original (interior access to plumbing), then retention of the smaller drawers, and finally the range.
Here you see the galley cabinet face (upside down) with both end cap walls on it. Those end caps are 3/4" boards (that familiar 5/8" plus 1/8" stuff).
Originally these end cap boards also included 1x2 stringers at the back, and various drawer slides and other pieces built in that did not come out easily as a unit, mostly because it was very flimsy, and not exactly fastened together in the best way. Upon camper dismantling, I also took that cabinet framing apart.
Now I'm feeling like it was simply a cabinet built outside, then brought inside to install, and I found from setting the face in place that the heavy and bulky end caps are not only in the way, but really performing no function that proper cleating couldn't provide.
So I removed them. I also trimmed, in two spots, the face boards to fit the new sizing of the sub-box board (now 3/4" instead of 1/8").
We'll be showing a replacement of the discolored and damaged outside corning plastic trim pieces in a future "Finishes and Finishing" post. Suffice to say for now that we'll be changing it out. The above photo gives a pretty good view of it and there are three additional places in the camper.
This next photo shows the left side of the galley area. Note this water heater is an old unit for approximating, but is close in size to our planned replacement unit.
Also in the photo you see the limited amount of space for exterior wall hook-ups. Here's what we faced. There was really only this one spot for the heater (replacing the wider drawers). I wanted ample access behind the under-sink cabinet door and I didn't want to lose any more drawer space. Also, there's not enough space behind the range for wall utilities that are as bulky as plumbing lines. There is also an original city water hole in the siding at the location of the larger square hole (larger of the two non-water heater holes). That hole in the siding needed to be incorporated into the PLACEMENT of the new utilities locations.
Here's the picture.
And here's the view from the right side.
I'll talk a little more about these utilities placements in the "Fresh Water" and "Electrical" threads.
