In November I bought an Aliner Ranger 10. It came with two "beds". The bed on the left side is also the dinette and is 40". The bed on the right side is 32". Since no one will actually use the 32" bed for sleeping, and I'll never use the dinette function, I decided to remove the top from the folding table, cut it down to make some additional counter & storage space and place it at the end of what was the 32" bed (next to the stove).
I wanted to keep it as light weight as possible so instead of using plywood I used Spruce, which is what I believe is what is used in the popups for framing of cabinets and stuff. I didn't even know Lowes had a section of this stuff. It's light, strong, easy to cut & drill.
So I made a three-sided box with a lip along the fourth side and attached it to the underside of the cut-down table top with 3 "L" brackets. I put rubber "feet" on the bottom at the corners so the box wouldn't slide around. Then I disassembled a sliding soft-close drawer I got on Amazon (this was the most expensive part of the whole thing) and flipped the brackets upside down so the drawer would hang under something instead of sitting on top of something. Apparently you cannot get an under-mounted drawer if you want something more than a keyboard tray. They just don't make such a thing.
Anyway, once I got the drawer mounted I set the box in place in the corner of the trailer and ran an extension cord along one side so I can plug in appliances and I have a gap on the other side for storing things like a roll of paper towels and a solar battery and such. Too bad the coffee maker wouldn't fit in that spot when traveling. The drawer holds kitchen utensils (spoons, spatula, etc.) and underneath the in big opening I keep paper plates, bowls, cups. So far, everything has stayed in place while under way.
I took the bed cushions out and put two of the dinette cushions on what was the remainder of the bed space to make a bench seat, and I got a Zinus mattress for the other, now permanent, bed.
The best part is that nothing is permanent. I can pick the new counter up and move it, converting this back into a bed on-the-fly if I should ever have to accommodate a guest.
Anyway, this was fun project and kept me sane during the winter months when all I could do was look at the camper instead of using it. Hope it inspires, or perhaps serves as a warning, to someone!
Ps: Do y'all like full-sized images on posts with multiple pics, or just the thumbnails?
I wanted to keep it as light weight as possible so instead of using plywood I used Spruce, which is what I believe is what is used in the popups for framing of cabinets and stuff. I didn't even know Lowes had a section of this stuff. It's light, strong, easy to cut & drill.
So I made a three-sided box with a lip along the fourth side and attached it to the underside of the cut-down table top with 3 "L" brackets. I put rubber "feet" on the bottom at the corners so the box wouldn't slide around. Then I disassembled a sliding soft-close drawer I got on Amazon (this was the most expensive part of the whole thing) and flipped the brackets upside down so the drawer would hang under something instead of sitting on top of something. Apparently you cannot get an under-mounted drawer if you want something more than a keyboard tray. They just don't make such a thing.
Anyway, once I got the drawer mounted I set the box in place in the corner of the trailer and ran an extension cord along one side so I can plug in appliances and I have a gap on the other side for storing things like a roll of paper towels and a solar battery and such. Too bad the coffee maker wouldn't fit in that spot when traveling. The drawer holds kitchen utensils (spoons, spatula, etc.) and underneath the in big opening I keep paper plates, bowls, cups. So far, everything has stayed in place while under way.
I took the bed cushions out and put two of the dinette cushions on what was the remainder of the bed space to make a bench seat, and I got a Zinus mattress for the other, now permanent, bed.
The best part is that nothing is permanent. I can pick the new counter up and move it, converting this back into a bed on-the-fly if I should ever have to accommodate a guest.
Anyway, this was fun project and kept me sane during the winter months when all I could do was look at the camper instead of using it. Hope it inspires, or perhaps serves as a warning, to someone!Ps: Do y'all like full-sized images on posts with multiple pics, or just the thumbnails?
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