Andrew’s Van Chat: Custom Cabinets
When we removed the interior cabinets, bench seat, etc. to apply Monstaliner to the interior of the Vanagon, our initial plan was to refurbish the dirty, outdated cabinets in some manner. A complete redesign/rebuild was in our future plans, but we weren’t ready to tackle that quite yet. We were weighing the options of either painting them or applying a better looking Formica. But as I was in the process of removing everything for the Monstaliner application, I was starting to dislike the thought of putting the old cabinets back in. Why go to all that work just to remove them again later?
We had put so much effort into changing the van’s color with Monstaliner. The Monstaliner turned out so well we wanted to do something to upgrade our cabinets. The original cabinetry is so nonfunctional, why couldn’t we build something to better suit our needs? I decided to try my hand at building custom cabinets. I had done some small wood projects in the past, but nothing like this.
Becky & I each sketched out what we thought would be the best design. We then compared them and weighed the pros & cons of each. We then sketched a final design taking aspects of both. It was perfect.
What I decided to do was break down each cabinet and take measurements of (or sometimes trace) each piece to use as a template for proper fitment. Once the main “boxes” were built, I would make the necessary openings for doors, cubbies, etc.
Tracing the contour of the rear cabinet to ensure proper fitment.
We decided to use Baltic Birch plywood which is a bit sturdier than average plywood. We used some that was a little bit thinner than the original material. This would lessen the weight of the new cabinets. We used 1/2” plywood in most parts, with 3/4” where necessary for a bit more rigidity.
When it came to redesigning the cabinets, one big problem we saw right away was the lack of access to the rear storage. One small door was not enough. Plus, the presence of a closet to hang clothes in the original cabinet seemed unnecessary to us. I created a couple openings in the rear of the cabinet to stuff things from the hatch area. I also integrated a couple sliding doors on the side to access those things from the inside while the hatch is closed.
The overhead cabinet, a.k.a. Headbanger Cabinet (Vanagon owners know why!), also needed an upgrade. We were gonna need much more storage up there. I not only made it a few inches deeper, but a bit taller as well. This added space is a game changer. Plus, I was able to upgrade the speaker size to 6x9.” What difference in sound! With as much road/wind noise the Vanagon produces, a sound system upgrade is a must.
We kept the bench seat storage cabinet pretty much the same. It serves its purpose pretty well.
The configuration of the middle cabinet and kitchen area was the one that required the most thought. We decided to raise the height of the middle cabinet to make it even with the cooktop area for better flow and additional storage (not to mention more counter space). We used a trunk design with two separate levels that allow us to lift the countertop to store things on the top level of the cabinet. To access the lower level, we added a door at the bottom next to the bench seat. We also added a false bottom to the top level of the trunk for another way to access the lower level. Inside there we store fluids and cleaning supplies; some things we do not use as often.
We ended up removing the interior fresh water tank from the middle cabinet area altogether to give us more storage inside the van. We found an exterior fresh water tank from Euro Campers USA (eurocampers.com) that was designed to fit the Vanagon perfectly. It is mounted under the van on the driver’s side.
We used a similar setup as the original design for the kitchen cabinet. The refrigerator was kept on the left hand side. On the right had side, instead of utilizing a top drawer, we made the door larger to give us full access and more storage under the sink.
The sink/stove top combo we settled on is a unit by Dometic. We had been to a Boat & RV show in the spring to compare different RV cooktops. We found the Dometic brand cooktops were of much better quality than the others. It’s one of those things where you get what you pay for. The Dometic unit practically cost as much as all of the plywood we had bought to construct the cabinets! But, we had no problem spending good money on a dependable product considering this is where we’d be cooking and getting our water from.
Before we installed the cabinets into the van, we stained them midnight black and applied multiple coats of polyurethane. They came out looking absolutely beautiful. The surface is smooth as glass!
When it was time to build a countertop, we had decided we wanted to do something special with it. We wanted to do something in a Vanagon that we had never seen before: concrete countertops. The cabinets were so black and glossy, we wanted something that looked a little rough (almost like stone) to offset the smooth cabinet finish. We found a concrete overlay made by Direct Colors. We built the countertops with plywood, and applied the overlay on top. By using this method instead of pouring a concrete slab, there was very little added weight. It was literally like icing a cake. It turned out fantastic.
I have to say we are very proud of our project. This is something neither of us thought we would ever attempt to do, much less have the skill and know how. It’s amazing what you can do if you put your heart and soul into something!
Cabinet Materials - $600
Speakers $180
Dometic Sink/Stove Combo - $500
Concrete Overlay for Countertops - $70