# Help! Building motorhome furniture.



## 92961 (May 1, 2005)

I'm in a bit of a dilemma, as I need to build several furniture units for my custom horsebox/motorhome. I've done a similar job before in a big truck and used modified household kitchen base units then. This time, that option will be far too heavy. Has anyone any knowledge of building techniques using lightweight materials, such as decorative ply on a framework? I've searched quite extensively for plans, books etc with no luck. All I found was a series of German books which looked ideal, but my German isn't that good and I lost the website anyway! I'm pretty good at DIY and have a full woodworking workshop.. Any useful advice gratefully received.


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi 

Personally, I would use ply 10mm or less and no frame it will make some very strong furniture and not be that heavy.

There are some light frame and thin ply techniques explained in John Wickershams "The Motorcaravan Manual" Punlished by Haynes.

George


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Evening Eddie,

got absolutely no experience in woodwork but reimo do an amazing amount of products especially for diy motorhomes - lightweight furniture board, handles and hinges etc, etc, have a look here;

http://www.reimo.co.uk/id101.htm and click on DIY,

good luck,

pete.


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## Texas (May 9, 2005)

I've just bought a caravan. I intend to cannabalise the wood to refurbish part of my Devon, and then use the shell as a shed. Basically the units are made up of very light frames, the strength comes from sandwiching the frame between two 3mm plywood sheets, the outer decorative one, obviously goes to the 'seen' side. This caravan also yielded up more modern appliances than the ones I currently have fitted.

Texas


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## 92961 (May 1, 2005)

*Furniture*

Thanks to those who have replied so far.. I've sent for the Reimo catalogue and I'm going to have a poke around a caravan sales site for inspiration and I'm about to look up that book on Amazon. The kitchen unit especially will be complex as it has to house an oven, hide a 700mm wide by 600mm deep outside locker and a water heater, hold up the sink and hob and be able to mount a space heater on one end! Still trying to find a recent space heater but they're a bit like hens teeth. 
E.


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## Texas (May 9, 2005)

Have you tried ebay?


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## 92961 (May 1, 2005)

*EBay*

Yes, never off it! Just bought a great tool cabinet and drawers. Other goodies lined up..


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## 92833 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Eddie

I did my own conversion 5 years ago using 15mm vohringer lightweight ply.

It's expensive but when assembled has proved to be durable and robust and we have had no problems with it since the build.

I dont know where you are in the country but I Used AVA Leisure as my supplier, they are based in Surrey Tel: 01732862277.

The Key things that I learned with difficult shapes and sizes were :-

1. Do an awful lot of thinking and measuring before you cut anything.

2. Buy some cheap 6mm ply and make templates and models of the awkward bits before comitting to the "best" materials.

Good Luck

Paul


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## 92961 (May 1, 2005)

*Measure twice, cut once..*

Thanks, Paul. I live near the UK capital of DIYers and motorcaravanning and the warmest, driest place in the UK - Inverness. I've had a look at the Reimo system of furniture making and have their CD catalogue showing some plastic extrusions which are used to join panels together, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me at this stage, although seems a good idea. Maybe they do an idiots guide.. Doh.. The above is a woodworking maxim, I'm told!


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## Detourer (May 9, 2005)

Hi

Built my interior using ply and panels from some firm up north with an Irish sounding name.......like O'leary.......can't remember, but they are in MMM. Screwed and stuck with "No Nails". And there was the problem. When the wife and daughter said they would not travel (we had a World trip planned) in the thing unless it had hot water, shower etc etc I had to dismantle.......scews were no problem, but the ###### "No Nails"..........

Anyway, re-built and used NN again. No World trip ( see previous posts) but the vehicle (Unimog based) has taken on some real tough tracks (Atlas/Sahara) and not one panel has come loose. BUT, water heater has gone on the blink and the unit was built around it with door a touch too small........Yes, I know measure once, twice etc etc.


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