Van Conversion Cabinets that are (actually) Lightweight and Maximize Storage
I hope you find this video useful. This 2022 Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 camper van conversion is finally taking shape which is exciting!
If you’ve read that 80/20 builds lightweight cabinets…well it does compared to traditionaly built wood cabinets. I cover why 80/20 doesn't yield a great product, and what wood construction concepts and techniques I utilize.
This is my opinion and experience on the topic. I demonstrate why wood cabinets can be lighter, be plenty strong, and be much more efficient for storage than aluminum framed options.
0:00 Intro
0:58 Let’s talk about 80/20 Aluminum Extrusions
1:28 Weight comparison of my wood cabinets to 80/20
6:49 Realistic perspective on 80/20 strength
7:44 Building with 80/20 is easy
8:21 80/20 storage efficiency
9:52 Plywood selection and weight considerations
11:49 Using thin sheets necessitates using wood glue
13:07 How to use thin materials in a strong way
15:05 Cabinet construction examples
17:47 Aesthetics and unique options with self veneered panels
19:15 Drawer design to reduce weight even further
If you found this entertaining, educational or even enraging, consider buying me a coffee...or a beer;). Please use the link:
www.buymeacoffee.com/projecto...
Thank you for your support!
If you live in the Pacific Northwest two great woodshops:
Edensaw: www.edensaw.com
Continental Hardwood: www.continentalhardwood.com
Everything I know and ever needed for veneering: www.veneersupplies.com and joewoodworker.com
Best scale for weighing odd shaped objects: amzn.to/3klA0Cp
This dude needs more recognition....
Thank you!
No kidding - It’s unfortunate that vans built with marble counters and stone walls get more recognition than something with good engineering and solid craftsmanship.
Very informative, thank you for the post.
He is new on yt. He will rise to the surface, don’t worry.
He's just too stealthy!😂
Years ago I built a teardrop trailer. I wanted to build light, but things kept adding up and it turned out to be a heavy beast. I wish I could have watched a video like this before starting out. The regret of building heavy lasts as long as you own it. 😐
As a craftsman who also builds out Adventure Vehicles, I can honestly say…this person is so accurate and spot on with their information on good construction techniques for lightweight cabinets. Only thing I could add is to use nylon glides for those wood drawers.
That might make them slide a bit too easily, so you'll also need to add latches to stop them sliding open while you're driving.
Soap on the slide area would work too (no weight)
A good wax of the sliding surfaces works great! I do that for my circular saw rip fence track guide.
Could you explain show an example of your nylon guide?
@@nagualdesign You will always need some kind of latches or other drawer securing technique. You can't make a drawer så hard to slide that it is road safe and at the same time make it usable. I mean you can manage it by luck or only driving really carefully but if you are going on an adventure, there will be some tough movement.
I’ve no interest in building cabinets but watched this the whole way through totally fascinated . Great job 👏
This guy is brilliant, entertaining, accurate, knowledgeable, mathematical and left handed 😂.
I'm a cabinetmaker and I've done 4 van conversions. There are two major issues that seem to be ignored by van builders - the first one is the weight of the cabinets and your comments here are very good. The other issue is one of ergonomics - how often I've seen seating, particularly bench seats with a vertical backrest and a flat base - not in any way comfortable.
Any tips? :)
@@3jcb123 110° between seat & backrest not 90°. Angle the base to match the height - it should not lift your feet off the floor but should support both front & back. Experiment with clamps & bits of board to see if you can refine it to suit yourself better. (More upright & higher seat for working or eating, less upright for relaxing).
Dealing with that issue right now.. I ripped it all out...
@@WizzRacing The results of your attention to ergonomics will benefit all who use the benches. Hopefully, they will appreciate all that you have invested in creating quality.
I’m always wondering about upright seating at 90 degrees angle. Looks uncomfortable.
Yes I found this vid very interesting, I am a retired carpenter but even at my age I can still learn of talented people
For those that don't understand engineering structures and shapes that give different kinds of strength you've done an EXCELLENT job of explaining it.
I've just completed a pre-trade joinery course, and although I enjoy working with "real" wood, I'm convinced you can do heaps with thin ply for cabinets. When I see KZheadr van builders use 3/4" and 1/2" ply for all the cabinets...and them soft close, heavy duty drawer runners - the weight of it all😮 This guy is a master at creating beautiful, strong, lightweight cabinetry.
Thinks, are you single Angela? 🙄
Why are you asking? 🙄@@jupiteradventure5284
The list of benefits he rattled off are not theoretical. As an engineer that used to race cars, and now drives a van, I can assure you these measures make for a safer, more enjoyable, and more off-road capable ride. Ever wonder why you always see RVs on the side of the road changing a tire? Weight. (Ok and aged tires). Ditch the giant bumper and other off-road ornaments as well. Stellar job on those finger jointed 1/4 ply drawer boxes - not easy.
We should be friends!
Everything this man said is the gospel truth. My biggest "van life" peeve is watching guys use 3/4" plywood on everything like they're building a kitchen cabinet for a house.
My project cost just went down 98% thanks to this video! Thank you so much!!! ❤
Aircraft interiors need this type of super light cabinets. Every once matters.
Love the common sense and engineering that combined with top quality woodworking!
You gotta love people who are so committed to improving their craft, and attaining such a high level of craft performance. Phenomenal presentation. Thanks for sharing with the van/truck conversion community.
Brings engineering to woodwork and well explained.
It's about time someone made a video like this. I framed my cabinets from 80/20, but had a friend who is an excellent woodworker help me with the wood aspects. He had never worked with 80/20 before and had some similar thoughts that you shared. At the end of the day he indicated that, as an experienced woodworker with a garage full of woodworking tools, he could beat an 80/20 design on weight and space efficiency. But he also said the average guy probably could not, and his wood designs would not match the 80/20 strength in the event of a vehicle accident. I would be interested in experimenting with an 80/20 carcass but some lightweight wood elements internally (where the high strength is not needed) for things like drawer slide mounts, drawer latch beams, etc to save material, weight and cost. Thanks for the video.
with 8020 you either need to do proper calculation before ordering extrusions or you'll need some tools (e.g. mitersaw and thread tapers), the cost of a mistake is high. The other thing is vibration that can make all screws unscrew (so you have to apply a threadlocker). I built a small bed frame for a highlander out of 8020 (10 series), and it is heavy as hell probably around 45-50 lb (but super solid I have to admit). Next time I will build out of plywood or plywood laminated foam, cost of all those bolts and nuts adds up and the build becomes quite expensive. For a case of an accident I would prefer something less heavy even if you anchor it properly.
“… in the event of an accident …” No matter 8020 hold… as long as the kitchen sink don’t fly through my skull when I brake in an emergency, wood cabinet will be enough. When driving around with your house in the back, you can’t expect the crash test rating of a modern commuter car.
What about humidity? The wood expands and contracts with weather and humidity. Is it still durable and sturdy? I'm thinking of having a van one day and I'm looking at all options for storage materials, affordability and practical.
@@raquelkhadiri162 in my experience expansion is not an issue. If you were building the gaps so tight a layer of paint would stop it working maybe expansion would be a problem but the sort of gaps us mere mortals can manage there's plenty of room for expansion.
@@raquelkhadiri162 where humidity _is_ a problem is the glues they use to make plywood - interior grade plywood won't cope with a winter in a van, the glue dissolves & leaves all the layers to separate. Use "WBP", "exterior" or "marine" plywood & if you can get them to admit what glue they're using phenolic or melamine are the best.
I really like your approach, a good friend of mine owns a yacht wood supply company (Seafarer Marine of Ft. Lauderdale) that uses a vacuum table to veneer many panels. They produce lightweight stable panels for high-quality joinery work. I really admire your skills as a cabinet-making carpenter.
So many van converters use ply that is too thick and too heavy and replicate their cabinets at home. That’s fine if you don’t have to move your home around! It’s about time van converters realised that caravan manufacturers (especially in the uk), use a framework and then clad in 3mm ply in most cases because our caravans need to be towed about. I’m using framework in mine.
I liked and subscribed at the first viewing! "Van Conversion Cabinets that are (actually) Lightweight and Maximize Storage" brought back memories of working in the garage and on the parking space with my daddy back in the eighties. I especially liked the toopic chapter (13:07- 15:04) labeled "How to Use Thin Materials in a Strong Way". The content creator provided an excellent explanation of the six types of stressors on materials. Useful information provided in the description as well. Watching this video was time well used.
I’ve never understood the 80/20 fascination mainly because of the ineffeciency in space use, thanks for actually calculating just how bad it is!
Probably because people who use 8020 are less concerned with optimising use of space than they are with optimising ease of construction.
@@jasonhendrickson2289 Yea, exactly. The skill and tools (look at his shop) required are not really DIY. I am pretty handy generally, but even if I had his shop I doubt I could build those cabinets unfortunately. Beautiful stuff tho.
This is great. I built a Ford Econoline into a camper when I was 16. I've been a carpenter virtually my whole life. Now I am (waiting for the snow to go away and weather to warm a bit) renovating a 14 foot travel trailer that I NEVER should have bought just so I can get rid of it and move on to what I really want to do, which is to build my own trailer on top of a flat bed. At the same time I'm putting together a workshop, since we just now got into a house with a two-car garage. So I have a lot to do and will probably never reach your level. But if the trailer build goes well I may go into van conversions/trailer builds as a way to bring in some cash, and something to do during retirement. This is all good information I can use to reach that goal. PLUS I can see you're a climber and biker... two of my passions as well. Cheers dude, and thanks!
Damn man! I thought I had a lot going on. I'm a pretty miserable aluminum welder but that has been a curiosity of mine: build a super lightweight travel trailer. Thanks you!
I’ve been a traditional woodworker my whole life, but I have not seen a presentation regarding Poplar core plywood as thorough as yours. I am planning to build a gypsy Vardo and will be definitely sourcing some of this plywood for cabinetry. Thanks a ton.
Thank you! Good luck with your build!
We are currently building a Vardo style van, ( our third build). My neighbor built a van of 80/20 and it was almost undrivable it was so heavy.
I used to build seaworthy sailboat furniture out of mahogany and teak veneered plywoods and solids. Once the plywood furniture was fiberglassed to the hull it was almost indestructible. You overloaded it up with canning and all the stuff you need and it withheld everything through any storm. Wood is solid when used properly and much prettier!😊
Wow! I can’t believe how much I learned from you about math, wood, building cabinets, finishing….I want to build out a ProMaster City - I know my exact layout but since I am a senior woman with no building skills 🙁 I wish I could find someone like you who knows what they are doing! This video is one of the most enjoyable on the details of building that I’ve watched - thank you for shooting it!
It is a lot of work so it is hard to find a friend who is willing to do it but with the rise in popularity of vanlife, there are plenty of companies that do van builds. Check around in your area but make sure you check the reviews of the companies so you don't hire some low skilled ones.
What a great video! I've been completely sold on the idea of using 80/20, but he info here really changes my mind.
Such a cogent and gentlemanly presentation! Thank you very much for sharing!
Dude's earned my business - subscribed...
I'm happy to hear someone addressing this topic. 80/20 has its place, but not in cabinetry. And I cring when I see diyer using 2x4s in their build 😮
Nice share. Migh call you The Cabinet Truther. Appreciate an honest man with a walk behind the talk. Bless you.
As a long time wood worker I have to commend you on this video. You have made some really good points here that so many people who do van builds should learn. Keep up the great work you are doing!
I agree 100% I feel that no one takes weight into account when building out their Van. I love to work with wood and I was considering using 2020 for my van. You have given me a lot to think about now. I have been remodeling an RV and after taking things apart I have a new respect for weight savings. I can’t wait to start my build … again.
Haha. I think weight is talked about a lot but not is done much about it. First video: "You want to make sure your van isn't too heavy." Every video after: "watch me build a 4000 lb conversion."
@@projectofscience I subscribed I will watch all of your videos. But I will most likely build out of wood instead of Aluminum or I might combine i.e. Cabinets and such out of wood, Bed/bench out of Aluminum. Best of both.
This is great, much appreciated.
Very nice work 🙂 thanks for sharing
Awsome info ... thanks.
Fantastic info and approach!
Great info..thanks for sharing
This was awesome! Subscribed.
Super neat stuff
Added to my design! Thank you soo very much!!
Great tips! Keep up the good work.
Outstanding!
Thank You for explaining it so throughly.
Great information! Thank you for sharing this!
Very interesting and informative. Thank you.
Great info.
Very interesting.many thanks for sharing.
Wow! Great idea. You're spot on!
Great video, many thanks for putting this together
Thank you for your consideration of weight! I am using a hybrid combination of aluminum angle, wood and plastic, though your approach is having me reevaluate some of my choices. My biggest limit is tools and workshop space - I've built jigs, etc., to make my hand tools more accurate, yet some of your craftsmanship is beyond my capabilities. Another consideration that occupies my worries is prompted by watching the (few) RV crash test videos. Lighter is much better in a crash, almost always. Your explanation of forces is very helpful when imagining a crash. Thank you!
Outstanding
Wooden drawer slides are fantastic, look at any old school cabinetry! Like you said the weight savings just eliminating drawer slides is considerable, plus there's space savings and huge cost savings as well! You can also design them to eliminate drawer locks as well; this was done on a lot of vintage campers and boats. Anyway, great video, and great points!
The elimination of drawer locks, is going to depend entirely on the expected use case of the vehicle. If you only expect to drive on pavement, or well graded gravel roads? It's probably fine. But the moment you think or believe that you will go out exploring on logging roads, or remote access roads, or anywhere that the road isn't graded, yearly? You are still going to want latched drawers and cabinets. The vibration and impacts will dislodge pretty much any lip or friction based retention. As always, it is important to understand the limits of the mechanisms you use in making whatever it is you make. For a lot of people? The lip, or friction based retention will work flawlessly.
@@scottgoldmarble7509 I'll contradict that assertion. I sold high level catering equipment for over 20 years - all van based. I ragged my vans to within an inch of their lives around the lanes of the Cotswold hills. - $300 knives sat on shelves and never moved! (they were on non slip mats but no other retaining.) Another point in case: 50 years ago a dear friend of mine left his brew on the A frame of his trailer - 47 miles later he got home - tea was cold but still sat where he'd put it - and If as TTT says it'll work for boats.......
@@CosmicSeeker69 I did say it is probably fine on pavement and well graded gravel roads. I'm not sure what the roads of Cotswold are like, but they are clearly better maintained than many of the logging roads I know of, here in B.C. Canada. Often times you will be dodging potholes that are 2-6 inches deep, or running into washboard so bad, you have to slow down or you will lose control of your vehicle. When you hit roads like that? It doesn't matter how good of a non-slip mat you have, things are going to move, because they are going to not be in contact with the mat. Things will start bouncing around.
Well done.
Awesome thank you.
You nailed it. ❤
Great presentation. Thank you. Cheers from OZ
Had been so convinced on the usage of 8020 that until I watched your video. Absolutely sold on your take of why wood is the better option and all the points you raised were absolutely valid. You can't imagine how happy my girlfriend is now that I too wish to make it in wood. Would be great if you would share more on your construction techniques even though you've shared some great insights in this video. All the best in your KZhead channel!!!
I agree, I would love to see a basic cabinet construction, including one drawer layout.
@@blandry021 i think we all do :)
There are many woodworking channels that cover the basics, this guy made the important points on how to keep it light and beautiful, dont ask more of him...
Great craftsmanship, terrific comparisons.
I meant total weight. You do a great job of your unit v. a unit with 80/20. I am seeing builds get heavier and heavier with highly decorative interiors and endless exterior add-ons.
Ty, eye opening for sure
Thank you! Very useful info, and easy to follow your explanations.
As a lifelong cabinet maker. I got to say Well done." It seems nowadays even with CNC control cutting people don't understand the benefits of accuracy and gluing components to create strength. Happy to see your video. I'll be watching more.
I would so love to have a small cabinet from you! You are so interesting and the only one bringing these factors into view for us. Thank you
Thanks for a fantastic video. Great craftsmanship.
Beautiful work, a true craftsman.
Awesome and very detailed explanation Great job!!!
Finally! Someone said it! 80/20 is totally not worth it! Expensive! Heavy! And very very hard to build! I know cz I’ve done it! Believe him! 👍👍👍
My thoughts are that you are correct, light is right. However we built our conversion with thin wall welded steel square box, with 3mm ply screwed to the frame. Two reasons for this. 1. This is my skill set! 2. Crash protection. Wooden cabinets perform very badly in a crash situation and you will end up with that fridge in the back of your head in a head on. Steel frame bolted to the chassis is better for this in my mind. I know it’s worse case scenario but you spend 95% of the time parked when weight does not matter. So like you say do what suits you. Your cabinets are beautiful and thanks so much for taking the time to share your skills. 🏴🏴🏴
Wow! Learn something new everyday. Thanks for sharing. Your vid is awesome.
I'm amazed at the quality of your woodworking skills with such thin material, very impressive.
I Love this video, you info is GOLD and I now look at plywood all differently!! Thanks!
Incredibly informative!! Thank you for sharing your experience and thinking!!!
Excellent video man, thanks so much! Really interesting and useful.
Wow! That's rad. Very useful video.
Wow. This was very enlightening. Woodwork FTW!
Excellent! Very clearly and humorously explained. Thank you.
Thank you
Intelligent observations!
Thanks!
Wooow. Absolutely amazing video with details I have looked for years for! ❤
This was extremely enjoyable and educational to watch. The cost and weight saving are amazing with a little thought applied.
Wow. Good research. You are gifted. Thank you for your work.
This is one video that is well worth watching, very good advice being given.
Just when I thought I was going to use 80/20 for my van.. Thank you so much for the video! I will be watching more for more tips!
I often see pretty custom builds and the first problem i see is they're overweight on the axles /suspension. So valuable to mention space considerations too on 8020 vs wood formed to sides pillars, taking up too much space and aesthetically clunky lego looking in the end. Thanks for the great stress / sheer tips on thinner wood.two thumbs for your methods. Liking your great wood shop too.
Awesome video!
I'm not a good enough woodworker to build like you do, but I do agree that it is the correct way to do it. One thing you might want to look into is making "sliderails" under your drawers from PTFE sheets, you can find them thin as paper and hoe thick you need. I had a scrap pice I put under a wooden box that sometimes would bind, and now it feels like it is on lubricated rails
lol i read that as hoe thick cause it made sense haha
impressive well done and informative
From the get go. “I hope this creates a discussion more than battling words.” Instant subscription my man. Awesome video, always wanted to build my own, thank you so much! Awesome work!
Very cool. Very precise, well thought out, and tested advice.
Innovation at's finest = success.....+ new subscriber
that was an excellent informative video, thank you.
Wonderful video, very informative, your cabinets look awesome and thankyou for sharing.
Great information. Thanks for the weight comparison with aluminum.
Exactly what I was needing for my minivan camper build. Many Thanks!
This is amazing and super helpful for anyone trying to decide what material to use for the van. I never really understood the 80/20 fad for cabinetry, plus it’s so expensive. Great video
And, time consuming- bc once you've cut the frame and screwed it together- making sure that you have threaded all the brackets on first, you still have the job of panelling it all.
Dude, you are the cabinet GOAT!
great video!👍
Pure genius
Very helpful....I'm about the start building cabinets for my SUV...really appreciate the tips!