Cabinet Mod.

[jsmith948]

On our Cougar 282 RESWE, we have a double, overhead cabinet opposite the galley. The left side is split vertically by a shelf. The right side was just one large space. The DW asked for a shelf on the the right side so she could store our Keurig coffee maker and still have storage above. Framed the shelf with 3/4 X 3/4 red oak, and, 3/4 X 1 1/2 red oak for the front frame. The shelf is oak grained 3/8 " plywood. Everything sanded to 220 grit and finished with Minwax "Gunstock" stain and two coats of satin polyurethane.

[Andymon]

Very nice. I might have gone with an adjustable shelf of sorts but that's just me. you're looks professional!

[MISailor]

Looks nice and is no doubt sturdier than the one on the left that came from the factory.

[jsmith948]

While I had the tools out, the DW asked for a shelf under the galley sink. This cabinet is odd shaped so we decided nthe shelf would only occupy the rear portion of the cabinet under the plumbing.

[Sledge Hammer]

Nice work. It always amazes me that the manufacturers knowing that storage space is a premium for us, fail to install enough shelves to maximize the storage capacity.

[campingcpl]

Originally Posted by Sledge Hammer

Nice work. It always amazes me that the manufacturers knowing that storage space is a premium for us, fail to install enough shelves to maximize the storage capacity.

That's the problem they don't know. I'm assuming the majority of the sales reps for a lot of these manufactures have never spent a night in a trailer let alone weeks at a time in one. Me being from the rv capitol I know a lot of people that work in the rv industry and I know of several sales people that have never stayed a night in a camper but yet they say they know what the consumer wants and needs... my comment to that is... really? Who are you trying to fool? I knew one guy that worked as the head of sales for a division of an rv manufacture and he would require all of his sales staff to take a trailer out for even if it was just a weekend to see where they could improve their product. He would also require them to stay in the demo trailer that they would take on sales runs instead of staying in hotels. Personally I think that is what all sales people should do at the manufacturing level and the retail level. I really hate talking to sales people that don't know anything about the product they are selling other then what they are told and read in the lititure.

As an example; We were at a show and was looking at an rv along with a couple of other couples and one of the couples were talking to the sales person. The gentalmen asked the sales person where the furnace was located on that unit and the sales person responded "I don't know I will have to check". Well they had to go get another sales person to help them find the furnace which was easily located on the off door side just behind the baggage door and under the steps going up to the bath deck. I easily found it just by looking for the cold air return in the steps and pointed it out to the gentalmen after the sales person left.

Sorry for hijacking this thread and getting on my soap box but it's a subject that just gets my dander up. If I could say one thing to sales people out there it would be.... know what you are selling and don't assume you know what a consumer wants or needs when you don't listen to them to begin with! The other thing is, they just recently had the big open house event in this area with all the manufactures displaying everything they build for the dealers to look at. I feel they should open this up as well as the Louisville show to the public so the manufactures can hear directly from the public on what they like and dislike instead of just hearing what a dealer likes and doesn't.

[GaryWT]

Nice job, it is good when you can do nice handywork, mine comes out more like a 5 year old did it...

[allmi01]

a quick note to add to campingcpl's comments.

At 2 different RV shows, Keystone had rep's there for the brands. I talked with them at some length about a few things I woudl like to se changed and why. In all cases, the reps took notes and indicated they would feed back the information to the engineering / manufacturing folks.

Also, they knoew thier products and the dealers I was looking at using.

Mike

[Bob Landry]

If they really knew what we wanted, there would be a lot more exterior storage on these trailers. You fiver guys have it made. You can put a whole house in the front pass through. My Outback suffered severely for outside storage, which is what prompted me to do a rear bumper reinforcement and install a diamond tread storage box. The inside has more storage than the two of us will ever use and we find ourselves searching for stuff to put in the cabinets. Maybe if we were full timing it would be different, but then if we were full timing, I would probably have a fiver..

[ktmracer]

Talking to a factory rep at a show, it was clear to me that at least the rep I talked to (Outback) was a serious camper. And our layout shows someone put some though into layout and storage.

But, I'll agree, many of our drawers could easily have been made deeper. In fact I did exactly that, redoing the drawers with the longest full extension slide I could put in. Lengths varied between 16", 18" 24" and 28". So from a mfg standpoint, I can see why they just kept all the drawers at a 16" std drawer depth rather than stocking and making a variety of different drawer depths.

Life's a compromise, so are trailers.