Video showing a remodel to twin couches

[Manitou]

A while back someone was selling their chinook post remodel. They had changed to a twin couch setup that could be individual twin beds or a big King. Anyone have a link to that video? I've just ripped out my dinner and 1 stripped boot away from having the couch out. I have some new flooring to go back in, but need ideas for twin couch set up. Thanks!

[Blue~Go]

Here you are, the movies are by Mike who did the great remodeling job on his 2003 Chinook Premier. The video is in two parts. Great craftsmanship and some really good ideas!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFZY-H1188o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjonc5DdpYY

[SMan]

Very nicely executed!

[Blue~Go]

This was some months ago, so things might have changed, but here is something neat (as I remember it): So the reason the video was made was because they had bought the Chinook (intending to keep it long term), done the remodeling, and then decided on something a little larger (I think maybe they bought a Sprinter/View type). So they put the Chinook up for sale (and made the videos), then, IIRC, took a long trip in the new rig. Subsequently, they decided their Chinook was more to their liking, and since it had not sold yet, decided to keep it. That pleased me as they had set it up so nicely.

I've always wished he'd find this forum.

[Manitou]

I wish I could just take mine to him and have it done up the same way.

[Blue~Go]

Yes, wouldn't that be great! Of course that might take the fun out of it for him (job vs. hobby)

I have a bit of your feeling myself though, as last summer I took my Chinook to an acquaintance who also happens to be a cabinetmaker in real life and we started a grand remodel. Yay! But then some serious health issues made it so he couldn't finish. Boo! These things happen (sadly).

Now I've decided to finish it myself. A pain in the rear now (and taking longer of course) but in the end it's cool to be learning more things, and since I'm doing it "as I go" I have the opportunity to take my time tweaking things. Both in the cabinetry department and in other background items (electrical, plumbing, heating, insulation). I couldn't have done all that if I had to "keep up with" a pro working at their warp speed. I'm keeping it livable as I go so it's not out of commission. In fact, as a result of having a bit (more) time to live with my mockups in use, I'm changing some details for the better.

But if I could just drop it off at Mike's place? VERY tempting

[HoosierB]

Yes, wouldn't that be great! Of course that might take the fun out of it for him (job vs. hobby)

I have a bit of your feeling myself though, as last summer I took my Chinook to an acquaintance who also happens to be a cabinetmaker in real life and we started a grand remodel. Yay! But then some serious health issues made it so he couldn't finish. Boo! These things happen (sadly).

Now I've decided to finish it myself. A pain in the rear now (and taking longer of course) but in the end it's cool to be learning more things, and since I'm doing it "as I go" I have the opportunity to take my time tweaking things. Both in the cabinetry department and in other background items (electrical, plumbing, heating, insulation). I couldn't have done all that if I had to "keep up with" a pro working at their warp speed. I'm keeping it livable as I go so it's not out of commission. In fact, as a result of having a bit (more) time to live with my mockups in use, I'm changing some details for the better.

But if I could just drop it off at Mike's place? VERY tempting

Same here! I have both of those "Mike videos" bookmarked and viewed them on several occasions. That sofa idea to replace the jack-knife may be next winters project.

My Chinook galley remodel is back on track after being in storage over the winter. My "cabinet-maker-carpenter" moved out of state, so, like you Blue, I guess it's up to me now. A recent trip to Lowe's for a new table saw and a variety of lumber has me fired up again. My mock ups have been removed so the finish work can begin... in theory...

[Blue~Go]

My "cabinet-maker-carpenter" moved out of state, so, like you Blue, I guess it's up to me now.

Funny, but I had been wondering what became of your most excellent remodel plans. I say "funny," because maybe you were wondering the same about mine

I did come away with some really good "pieces" that I will be incorporating. Two finished upper cabinets (the two that go over the long windows), that just need the door hinges, valance, and any inner false floors I may add installed. Bummer is that I can't put the passenger side one in yet because it needs to attach to the bulkhead that goes between the fridge/stove slots, and until I have that new bulkhead in (I have the old one back in for now), I don't want to put it up.

I also have the main bulkhead, and the two small ones that go ahead of the sink/stove counters. Plus the closet bulkhead and front wall. And the sink counter base, plus drawers for under sink and stove. Just not put together or in the Chinook yet (details, details). I mostly put the old stuff back around the sink and stove area, but still have the wider aisle created by the original fridge being gone (and boy am I enjoying that!)

So I was staring up at a bare overhead in the "living room," and missing the storage! Hence I whipped up a "temporary" long cabinet for the couch side and put that up. Funny thing is that (to me), the temporary cabinet (which I threw together at a boondocking spot) looks better than the original. Mostly because I really dislike dark oak. The new "real" ones, plus this new mockup, are both light maple. Ahhhh. But I also made two other changes (that are on the real new cabinets as well). One is that I lessened the angle of the faces to 15º. I like this look better than the more-angled stock Chinook ones and also better than the straight fronts of the Premier. I mocked them up with cardboard until I liked them back last summer. (All just my taste of course.) The second thing is that instead of the deep upper valance (on the bottom of the cabinet) I used a 1-1/2" "tall" piece of maple. Now I can see out 100% of the window at the top (actually I could make the valance 2" and still see, plus block more of the curtain hardware), whereas before the deeper valance blocked the top of the window.

The mockup cabinet is made something like the original, with plywood face and bottom, and oak corner blocks and fastening strips. I'd say it's maybe 30# lighter than the original though - that MDF is heavy! For doors I'm just going to use canvas panels that fasten at the top (so they can flop down when I'm accessing the contents since I won't install the struts on this temp cabinet). The real cabinets will have doors much like the originals, but just different panel and rail/stile style. This is also giving me a chance to play with lighting/speaker/etc. locations on a cabinet I don't mind drilling holes in (it's just pre-fin maple ply put together with deck screws and glue).

Of course now that I've had more time, I'm noodling some other changes before I put stuff together. One example is that (getting back to the subject of beds and couches, finally, on thread topic ) I think I may move the bed/couch over to the passenger side. There are two reasons for this: One is that I really miss having an opening window right next to my head when I'm sleeping. On the driver's side of a Concourse, the screened part of the window is sort of "behind me" over the sink. On the passenger side it will be right next to my head. I had one right there in my camper van and miss it still. Two is that, about 85% of the time I don't really need leveling blocks to be comfortable living, but so often the bed is still slanted slightly toward the passenger side to roll me out of bed. I did make the bed so I can tilt it a bit (a la boat berth), but it'd be nicer just to have it automatically either be flat or roll me INTO bed. This "passenger side slant" is of course almost always true if parked on a street (say I visit someone) since streets are crowned to the outside, but seems to come up a majority of other times too. I prefer not to put out the Lynx blocks and since keeping track, if the bed was on the other side I'd hardly ever have to put them out.

Then if I do that, I have the potential option to put the stove on the driver's side and expand the kitchen a bit lengthwise (still room for a chair/table ahead of it). I probably sound easily annoyed by now but I don't really like having to constantly swing stuff "across the aisle" from stove to sink when I'm cooking.

And then if I do THAT, I could potentially put the fridge where the stove was (as you are planning), because even with my larger fridge's resultant higher counter top (since it has to sit on top of the wheel well) it's fine as long as I'm not trying to have it be a stove counter. It'd be around 40" high. Then the original fridge area could be (more) clothing/other storage.

Well who knows how that will all end up, but I find it fun to noodle

[Scott]

the temporary cabinet (which I threw together at a boondocking spot) looks better than the original.

Wait, so you build cabinets while you're camping?! Do you bring a portable table saw? Or are you a magician with a straight edge and circular saw? That's pretty incredible. Good for you!

[Blue~Go]

I've ended up doing some interesting projects while boondocking (it "helps" that making tool noise in a campground - ten feet from your neighbor - wouldn't be cool). In this case the tools used were mostly battery or hand powered. The construction is really basic. Plus, since I knew this was only a temporary cabinet, the pressure was off to make it nice - it just had to be functional and not hideous.