Removing microwave and re-purposing compartment.
Posted: August 13th, 2014, 4:47 pm
I removed the microwave oven from my 1999 Concourse and thought others might like to see what is "in there" and how I went about it. This was the original Dometic, and in fine working condition. So why did I remove it? As you know, in a rig as small as a Chinook, there is not a lot of extra room for things that rarely get used -- and everything you do have means there is something else you cannot have.
For starters, I never much use a microwave oven at home, even when there is no (space/power) penalty for having one. I'm just not a "microwave person." I'll use it once in a blue moon, but not for anything I couldn't easily do on the stove or in the regular oven (my Chinook has a propane oven below the stove top, which I really like). Also of course it uses electricity, and I like to boondock. Now, I could run the generator or put in an inverter to run the microwave -- and I would if it was something I valued, no question. But since I don't really care that much about it, that's not my priority.
The other reason this was an easy decision for me is that the microwave is extremely easy to remove, and will be very easy to replace, should I or anyone else ever want to (of course it is stored away, indoors, waiting for that time). So I figured even if a week later I changed my mind, twenty minutes and it would be back in place, as if it never left.
Now on to it:
The microwave (at least in my 1999 Concourse) is held in place by six screws around the perimeter, going through the microwave flange and into the cabinetry behind. I removed those and then just put them back into the holes in the cabinetry, for safe keeping and because I prefer the look to holes or patches. The electrical connection is made by a regular "plug" plugged into an outlet. There is an opening in the left side of the cabinet (as you face the microwave door) and the cord goes through that and then plugs into the face of an outlet, which is in the adjacent upper cabinet. Remove the six screws, unplug it and it pulls right out.
Here is the compartment just after pulling out the microwave (ignore the multi colored strap you can just see in the lower right corner; that was holding my refrigerator doors open before I got the Dometic Airing Position Cards™). You can see four of the six attachment screws back in place around the outside of the compartment (black screw heads).
Here is another view, showing the bottom of the compartment. The wire loom that is looped around on the bottom is the wiring that leads down and out into to the range hood/command central display.
I thought about various things I could do with the compartment: Drawers, shelves, etc. Obviously there are lots of options, many of which would involve a "nice finish" to the inside area. But for starters I decided I would store soft things in it (clothing/linens/etc.) which meant I didn't really have to do much to change it while I tried it out. The first thing I did was put some wire nuts on the protruding ends of the refrigerator ceiling vent fasteners, just so nothing would snag on them.
For starters, I never much use a microwave oven at home, even when there is no (space/power) penalty for having one. I'm just not a "microwave person." I'll use it once in a blue moon, but not for anything I couldn't easily do on the stove or in the regular oven (my Chinook has a propane oven below the stove top, which I really like). Also of course it uses electricity, and I like to boondock. Now, I could run the generator or put in an inverter to run the microwave -- and I would if it was something I valued, no question. But since I don't really care that much about it, that's not my priority.
The other reason this was an easy decision for me is that the microwave is extremely easy to remove, and will be very easy to replace, should I or anyone else ever want to (of course it is stored away, indoors, waiting for that time). So I figured even if a week later I changed my mind, twenty minutes and it would be back in place, as if it never left.
Now on to it:
The microwave (at least in my 1999 Concourse) is held in place by six screws around the perimeter, going through the microwave flange and into the cabinetry behind. I removed those and then just put them back into the holes in the cabinetry, for safe keeping and because I prefer the look to holes or patches. The electrical connection is made by a regular "plug" plugged into an outlet. There is an opening in the left side of the cabinet (as you face the microwave door) and the cord goes through that and then plugs into the face of an outlet, which is in the adjacent upper cabinet. Remove the six screws, unplug it and it pulls right out.
Here is the compartment just after pulling out the microwave (ignore the multi colored strap you can just see in the lower right corner; that was holding my refrigerator doors open before I got the Dometic Airing Position Cards™). You can see four of the six attachment screws back in place around the outside of the compartment (black screw heads).
Here is another view, showing the bottom of the compartment. The wire loom that is looped around on the bottom is the wiring that leads down and out into to the range hood/command central display.
I thought about various things I could do with the compartment: Drawers, shelves, etc. Obviously there are lots of options, many of which would involve a "nice finish" to the inside area. But for starters I decided I would store soft things in it (clothing/linens/etc.) which meant I didn't really have to do much to change it while I tried it out. The first thing I did was put some wire nuts on the protruding ends of the refrigerator ceiling vent fasteners, just so nothing would snag on them.