Dinette Storage Drawers

[TUCQUALA]

Never liked taking the cushions off of the dinette seats to retrieve stuff inside that can't be reached from the door area. Consequently, probably only used 50-60% of the area under the seats.

Built a couple of boxes that slide on nylon guides just wide enough to go through the door. One side is full length, other aboot 6" shorter due to electrical area with cover over it. Opposite end has wheels to roll the load out.

Probably still will use less than full capacity, since the drawers are only as wide as doors allow. Didn't want to open up the door area and find or build new doors, nor did I want to put slides in due to mounting concerns with slide out floor AND cost!!!!

Going to put a couple of 1X2's in next to the seat frames to guide the wheels when going in and out!!

[JesseJ1826]

I did the same thing about 5 years ago. Used small (1") casters from the orange store at the rear. Also on mine the board across the back is twice as high as the sides. We store bottled water and beer in ours and found that sometimes if you pull the drawer out too quickly the stuff falls out. The high board prevents this. We could only use one of the dinette seats as the seatbelt hardware interferes in the rearward one.

[TUCQUALA]

wannavolunteerFT: Cheap and dirty, that's how I do woodwork!!! Sides and ends are 1X6 pine, bottom is 3/16" what could be called masonite (DW used to work for them!!). Sorry, off topic!!

Just butted up, glued, and 1-1/2" nails from a nail gun. Plenty of glue and nails!! Front and back are faced to the sides. Wheels are from leftover 1X6 cut with a 3" hole saw, then power sanded as round as I could before I got bored!!! All cherry stained, although it doesn't quite match the Jayco paneling. Wheels are axled with SS hex bolts with body washers on all meeting surfaces, and nylock nuts to hold together. Only about 3/4' of wheel is below the bottom of box, just enough to have the axle bolt in an area of good wood and still roll well.

[riven1950]

We ended up using a closely sized plastic tote to store stuff in the hard to reach back end of the area ( filled with rarely used stuff ). Then we put more stuff used more often in front of the totes where it can be just pulled out. So no need for the drawer. Ours did come with doors so no need to remove cushions etc. to get to the storage area.

[wannavolunteerF]

OP, this is exactly what I want to do.... please post more details. are boxes built of 1x4's or what? Looks like masonite bottoms? what are the wheels?

I can work a saw or screw gun, but am not always so good at figuring out construction how tos.

[dewey02]

Hank MI wrote:

old guy wrote:
good job. I bet there are many of us who have wondered why they don't do this in the factory for us.

They did for me, both seats have slide out drawers. No door, built like a cabinet drawer where the front of the drawer is the door/face. We store pots, pans and misc in them. You may want to install a lock on the slide so it wont fly out while traveling. Ours will if we forget to lock them.

X2. Although our 2012 StarCraft 235fb has only one seat with a drawer. The other has black drain pipe running through the back 1/3 of the area. Still, they could have put a shorter drawer in there. We've never had a problem with the drawer coming open while on the road. It seems to have a pretty good catch lock on it.

[TUCQUALA]

No problem with sliding out since they set down on the carpet inside the door frame. They would have to "jump up" aboot 3/4" or more and "lunge" toward the door to bang it open!!!

Just the rear has wheels to help with pulling out, you lift the front (oval finger cutouts) and slide through the opening on nylon corners in the door frame. Very smooth movement.

[wmoses]

This is a very nice and practical mod. Good work.

[tenbear]

Hank MI wrote:

old guy wrote:
good job. I bet there are many of us who have wondered why they don't do this in the factory for us.

They did for me, both seats have slide out drawers. No door, built like a cabinet drawer where the front of the drawer is the door/face. We store pots, pans and misc in them. You may want to install a lock on the slide so it wont fly out while traveling. Ours will if we forget to lock them.

My drawer opened every time I made a left turn. I installed one of these on the back end of the drawer. It stays closed now but is easy to open without having to unlock anything, or having to remember to lock anything.

[Hank_MI]

old guy wrote:
good job. I bet there are many of us who have wondered why they don't do this in the factory for us.

They did for me, both seats have slide out drawers. No door, built like a cabinet drawer where the front of the drawer is the door/face. We store pots, pans and misc in them. You may want to install a lock on the slide so it wont fly out while traveling. Ours will if we forget to lock them.

[TUCQUALA]

One is used for shoes and boots, the other for water, pop, extra booze!! Now after 10-20 miles on the forest roads, I won't have to reach or pull cushions.

[doxiemom11]

I store boxes with tax papers (past 7 years) so don't need to get to them often.
Other things used more often are then in front of them and reachable. Your idea is a good one though if you store items you need to get to.

[tenbear]

Nice job.

I took a different approach. I used slides and made the front of the drawer to match the dinette, there was no door there.

We use it for all the boots and shoes that used to collect under the dinette.

[old_guy]

good job. I bet there are many of us who have wondered why they don't do this in the factory for us.

[scbwr]

My Minnie doesn't even have the doors but I looked at how the ends are framed, and hopefully this year, I'll make doors for the two cabinets and then see if I want a sliding tray or box. DW will be happy just to be able to slide the vacuum into the opening. We really don't use the dinette storage for much more than stuff we rarely need.

Nice job ....you are inspiring me get busy before our trip in late May!