The wall behind the sink and hob has been blank since I built the van. I had always meant to do something with this area, but never got round to doing it. So after a trip to France, and seeing how well a shelf and kitchen storage was working in a friends van, I summoned up some motivation to build my own, and here’s a video and description on how I did it!
Kitchen Storage
So the first job was the easy bit. A length of pallet wood screwed to the wall with 3 pieces of square wood to act as spacers. Simple and effective, it now houses some plates, my chopping board, campervan cookbook, utensils and some random bits of junk.
Now it was time to turn my attention to the more tricky task – building a shelf. For the shelf I used an old floorboard, and stained it to match the rest of the van. At one end I attached it to the wooden bulkhead – which was easy enough – but on the other end I wanted to keep with the theme of the van, and use an old tree branch to support the shelf.
The Shelf
I managed to find a nice piece in my parents back garden, and proceeded to cut it at such an angle that it would support the shelf. With this done, I could just screw it into position on the wall. I added a small metal angle support for the rear of the shelf, which is hidden from view by the branch.
I purchased some copper pipe from B&Q to use as a retaining rail for the shelf. I had to find a way of fixing the copper pipe into position. So I cut two small square pieces of wood, and countersunk the ends to the same size as the pipe. These pieces would fix the pipe to the wall.
I then cut another piece of square wood to act as an upright support. I drilled a hole through the wood to allow the pipe to pass through, and screwed it onto the shelf. Its actually difficult to explain in words, so check out the video and photos above for a better idea on how I did it.
Having used the shelf for some time now, including my Portugal trip, it really has become one of those little things that has transformed the van. Everything I use on a regular basis is readily to hand – utensils, plates, cups, tea bags etc. Before I had to rummage around in the cupboards, now it’s all out ready to go.
Of course, I now have more space in my cupboards too, so I can store more food and drink.
All in all a very worthwhile modification! :)
