Project "Shell" nook

[Blue~Go]

That layout looks pretty good to me. Similar to the original but with some tweaks. I don't see a fridge but maybe you have other plans. I'm running a "cooler shaped" refrigerator right now (although with any luck I'll have my "real" refrigerator in some day soon). It's compact and of course easy to install, but the "lid on top" is not the most convenient, I find (because you need room above it, or need some kind of slide). But yeah, like you I went to great pains to make the entry area wider. I hated the original, narrow constricted entryway! (Mostly due to huge fridge.) I felt like I had to make an appointment to go outdoors.

With my new refrigerator area, it's much improved. First of all, the refrigerator doesn't stick out more than the stove counter. Second, there is a counter above the fridge (about 45" high) so that it visually opens up (plus that's a handy place to set things down both for the bathroom and for going in/out). Third, I have a cutout in the main bulkhead between fridge counter and stove area; and fourth, there is no large "microwave box" over the stove (of course you already don't have some of these things). The entry hall still isn't a grand plaza, but it's a world of difference, to my mind.

****

I think the upper cabinets do provide some rigidity (and rigidity in fiberglass is basically always a good thing as long as you avoid stress concentrations). Also, good stowage for lighter things. I have all my clothing (except bulky jackets, etc.) and linens in four of the six compartments, and then in the remaining two are dishes (I use lightweight stainless plates and bowls) over the sink and pans and things like crisps and crackers over the stove. That said, they could be just as reinforcing and not be full cabinets. Actually, when I started building my temporary cabinets, I was only planning to make three "septums" to give some diagonal bracing to the roof/wall intersection up there. Then I thought, "Why not put a bottom across them and I'll have three compartments plus it will make them stronger." Then of course it was easy to put a front on, and I was going to use sections of marine fabric and snaps for "doors." But I had enough wood left over to make doors…. So now I basically have a lighter weight and lighter color (light maple vs. dark oak) version of the original cabinets. I did make a couple of changes:

1) The original Concourse cabinet fronts had a really steep rake to them. I figured I'd just build them as straight boxes, like the Premier ones. But then I decided I did like the look, just not that much (and, somewhat counterintuitively, the extra raked storage actually does get used). So I made a 15º angle on the fronts (this was also easy to set and duplicate on the Ryobi portable saw I used).

2) Originally the driver's side cabinet in the Concourse was three same compartments (one long cabinet), with two over the couch and one over the sink. I kept that arrangement. But the passenger side was just two compartments over the dining area, and then over the stove was a HUGE box that held the microwave. This caused what is known (thanks Mike) as "limbo cooking" (you had to duck under it to see the stove). So I made the passenger side cabinet in the same style as the driver's side: One long unit with three doors, that then ties into the main bulkhead (between stove and refrig. compartment).

3) I also got rid of the large oak valances. They blocked the upper part of the window when I was standing up. So I stood on each side approximately where I usually would, and then figured out how long I could make a valance to *just* block the window frame but not the glass. Then I mounted these as just simple maple strips (no clear cutouts or fancy upholstering). I also went to curtains from the original blinds (so I didn't need the tall "stack" of the large valances to hide the blinds when up).

4) I didn't make the false floor that the original cupboards had. This concealed AC wiring for outlets, speakers, some DC wiring, and antenna wiring, etc. I found other places for the AC outlets, found ways to tuck away and DC wiring, removed antenna, and haven't re-located speakers yet (I made it so that I could put a false floor in just one of the three compartments if I wanted to for those). As a result there is more space, and more of a "lip" at the bottom (so stuff can't just fall out). I never did like the AC outlets with cords draping anyway. In fairness, I don't tend to use AC outlets a lot anyway.

I made these in a boondocks with a minimum of tools. Not that they look like a professional cabinetmaker made them (far from it!). But since these were just temporary (really just to stabilize the roof/sides), I only wanted them to look decent, be sturdy, and fit. I was happily surprised by how much I like them (might have tried harder to make them nice if I'd known how much I'd like them). But I do still have the "real" replacement cabinets that my cabinet maker made waiting in the wings, so my motivation to perfect these was low.

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I would say that either there was a floor cutout for the furnace in a given Chinook, or there was no cutout ever (different furnace model; different furniture over it. or something else). I doubt very much they made any cutouts and patched them. Also, looking at the rest of the construction, I believe they would have fiberglassed it (which is how they handled all the other similar things, such as wheelwells, fuel filler).

For ultimate strength you'd want to scarf join the new and old pieces. Meaning, you'd make a taper that went out into the existing good flooring, and then your patch would have a similar taper. But you may not need that. I will likely patch that area in before I re-do my flooring. I don't plan to have any massive point loads there, but neither do I want someone to step there and fall through (because anyone will assume it's just as strong as the rest of the floor once it is covered up). I will likely do something like the following:

1) Clean up lowered area.
2) Rout a section from the original floor that is something like 2-3" wide and around 1/8" to 1/4" deep around the perimeter of the hole.
3) Rout a matching section around the patch (new plywood to match thickness of old plywood, less a bit for epoxy. (One could also make angles for a scarph type joint for more strength.)
4) paint both surfaces with neat epoxy
5) Lay in a bed of thickened epoxy and set patch down so heights of the two match. Probably let that cure.
6) Use epoxy and fiberglass to "tab" the patch to the original sides (this is what the routed sections are for, so the tabbing doesn't stand proud.
7) Fair to a flat surface, then proceed with my flooring.

Things might be different if I were going to put a "while vehicle in motion" seat there. But then, I doubt anyone does that just anchoring to plywood, even if it was original thickness? I would think there would be steel members for anchoring seat and seatbelt, but that is not my area of expertise.

[eporter123]

Not a whole lot of updates, mainly been cleaning out the 'Chinook and trying to figure out how best to mount some seats. Here's the current setup with Transit Van seating for 6... Not going the shuttle bus route, but it sure looks like I am!

[Blue~Go]

Vehicle seats are usually pretty comfortable. I used a Stow-n-go seat for awhile as a club chair replacement for my dinette.

But okay, what I really want to see are more of those "guts" details! Any chance you'd post a photo of that shower corner we can't see? If you have a chance, I'm curious.

[eporter123]

Blue, there are some pics of that area on page 2. Let me know if you need anything more specific.

[eporter123]

Well...progress is slooooow with a house and a 6 month old...

I passed emissions this Saturday, so that's a good 1st step. In the Portland, OR metro area you need to pass the Department of Environmental Quality test. It's a OBD check for 96 and newer, so you can't have the CEL on. BUT, the Chinook is a "Heavy Duty" vehicle, so they still just do a tailpipe test, like on my '83 'Cruiser. I think the Heavy Duty allowance makes it easier to keep an actual work truck on the road. The dash light can be on, but you still pass if the emissions are ok. I think if I had to pick one, I'd go for the tailpipe sniff over the CEL. Just reading up on people's inability to get evap/drive cycles cleared is scary enough. My '97 ambulance was over 8500# and a 7.3 PS diesel, so all you had to do was sign a slip of paper verifying that and you got a pass on any testing. Kinda backwards as heavy diesels pollute a ton of heavy particulates. Germany is banning diesels in cities for this very reason.

Next off to the DMV for plates/registration. Then I'm going to order a swivel base for an added passenger seat, a new vent fan for the bathroom, a polycarb plate for the skylight, and add back in the vertical plywood bulkheads. Might take all summer...

[eporter123]

Worked on getting the floor all sealed up and primed for some paint. I’ve used great stuff foam for the varied wire/propane holes.

I patched a larger hole by cutting out the top layer of flooring plywood with a large hole saw. I then cut a new disc of 1/2” foam and 1/2” ply. I glued them in with wood glue and expanding foam and added some screws to hold it all flush. I was surprised to find that parts of the floor are an ice cream sandwich glued up with plywood and styrofoam.

[eporter123]

[kdarling]

Well, that sure brightens up the inside!

Makes it look bigger, too.

Looks like you're making progress!

Thx for the continuing pics.

Kev

[eporter123]

Well, I finally got some nice 3/4” plywood and spent the time to figure out the profiles for the left and right bulkheads. Took a lot of back and forth, but managed to get both sides close enough on the first jigsaw cut.

Real nice how they firm up the walls just wedged in place. It’ll get a lot better once they’re attached and more cabinets/walls/etc. are tied into them.

I went ~20” wide at the base on the passenger side, and ~36” wide on the drivers side. Both were about 75” tall. I needed two 4x8’ sheets of ply.

NOTHING is square in here! Even the whole floor is tilted forwards with no weight in the back. I’m using a big rectangle of plywood on the floor as a builders square for fore/aft. Then using the seams in the floor plywood to get square. And finally a regular level for left/right vertical. Tricky figuring out how to place these bulkheads.

[eporter123]

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