With the galley cabinet temporarily in place, I wanted to plan out accessories: stove, sink, free counter space widths and overall dimensions and shape, etc. Where will the drawer guide supports lay, the water heater, additional counter top supports? Time to generate ideas and get DW involved. This is, after all, her space!
So from the fridge cabinet back, here is the layout decided upon, starting with the range cut out.
We chose a narrower than factory counter space width between the stove and the sink. That narrows an already unusable width and gives more uninterrupted counter space to the left of the sink by jogging the sink to the right. Doing so provides clearance for a full width breadboard, requires just a little more cut out and overall shallowing of the top drawer and gives a good aesthetic of the sink in relation to the door and drawer positions below it.
It also shifts the cook a little forward of where the bathroom corner juts out. All of that creates ample counter space between the sink and the back wall of the camper.
Directly below the counter space is a breadboard, which can be used for some more counter space, and immediately below that is the water heater.
Using the cut out dimensions of the water heater, which is just sixteenths of an inch taller than the heater’s actual physical height, I found there was only 1/8” clearance between the bottom of the breadboard and the top of the water heater (again, using the cut-out height figure). As you know, water heater tops consist of Styrofoam insulation. I wanted to avoid the breadboard sliding along that and damaging the foam. I think that would only occur if you lifted the breadboard as you slide it in, but that is a natural instinct, so I designed a protection method using more of the original wall paneling material.
I’ll finish the top where the board slides, and prime the bottom. I’ll use a ¾” cleat toward the front, and screws at front and back edges to secure. That will keep my water heater cabinet intact at an appropriate size, and lend support for a breadboard so it doesn't lift. To keep it from drooping I'll use 3/4" spacers attached to the bottom of the counter top.
Here is the range set in place. It doesn't rest on the wing, it rests on the counter top and sits slightly above the wing. I may install a spacer board for spreading the load, but I don’t want to affect the seal at the counter so I may just let it hang or place custom support wedges or something.
We had the parts camper stove top and over door saved out for likely use. We thought the burnt orange color might look better for our color choices than does the avocado green. But DW wasn't very excited about losing the oven door window, as the orange door was solid.
When I parted out the other camper in early summer last, as the days warmed up you could tell, even from a distance, that the camper had been home to mice for quite some time. I didn't want to disturb those lower and behind the scenes areas, so I only removed surface features and discarded the rest. That, unfortunately, included the bulk of the range. What a pity. But I salvaged the stove top and door cover.
As it turns out, I needed the entire door for the window. My two door covers were not interchangeable. So we have no choice but the avocado green. In that light however, we found a new love for the green appliance in contrast with the maple tint of the walls; they are complimentary colors. And Lil' Queeny might enjoy the new accent color! In reality, the avocado is Lil' Queeny's original color, so there's "cool points" in using it.
And another view, this time with the 1/8" glass tile backsplash example in place.
I also cut a lid for the battery tray. I intend to cover it in carpet runner, the same as the dinette floor, then screw it down, or hinge and latch, but I’m leaning to screws. For access I’ll always have a screw driver handy and there shouldn't be any routine reason to get to the batteries, but I’m still evaluating that. I kind of like the tight install versus the ease of access.
The fresh water tank lid will also receive the same carpeted treatment. So the whole u-shape region of the dinette will have a carpeted cohesiveness to its overall look and that will add warmth and a coziness to the whole setup under the cushions.
Then I cut a left front counter top template. It is here where the counter and cabinet try and jut into the aisle. The original counter was quite squared off here. We like the swoop and it gives a little more counter surface, makes sense for entry and still provides space for the bathroom hot and cold copper pipes to elbow from beneath and rise along the back wall up to the ceiling.
Those water pipes will exit the water heater cabinet just below the breadboard.
Below that same area is where I’ll stow a fire extinguisher, and if room, a Mag Flashlight. Between the lower area stowage, and the above copper pipe runs, will be the space in the cabinet face for a new door to the bathroom supplies storage.
Even from the outside looking in it’s staring to look like a camper!
