Finally finished my 12x70" wire shelf addition over the back storage cabinets in our T@B 320S, a la @Dalehelman..
One thing I did differently was to anchor the front corners into the sturdy wood shelf brackets over the side windows..
And by a happy accident, when trying to anchor the back corners into the side wall, I encountered the aluminum frame, such that all four corners are now mounted into very secure structures.. (The plastic anchor below was cut with a Dremel tool to support the shelf from underneath.)
This accomplished my other major goal to have the shelf high enough to avoid banging heads when sitting down in the back seat. As a result, and to avoid putting screws into a thin ceiling panel, I made these custom brackets from 4-inch strips of common shelf brackets, and bolted the snap-on plastic shelf supports to the top of the bracket. This allowed the bracket to be screwed into the solid wood cabinet frame..
For several reasons, there is a slight backwards tilt to the shelf. First, I consider this an advantage, as items on the shelf would be offered a bit of resistance to sliding forward during braking, though it's really not noticeable when standing inside the trailer. I also wanted to have the front edge higher to avoid banging heads.
More importantly, on the passenger side below, you can see the bottom of the wooden shelf bracket doesn't extend as low, so this was the lowest I could mount it for max space. I really didn't need to put the two side wall supports there, but they were done before I discovered the rear corners would be mounted into the aluminum frame.
The center brackets I made may not be the most attractive, and took some extra time, but they seem to work well, and provide the needed strength and more headroom. I'm confident this shelf will be strong & give us a lot of extra needed storage. The front edge of the 12" deep shelf is only about 6" below the ceiling, and we plan to attach a 4" tall stretchy cargo net over the opening to keep clothing items or small boxes of supplies from falling out.
-Brian in Chester, Virginia TV: 2005 Toyota Sienna LE (3.3L V6) RV: 2018 T@B 320S, >100 mods
Nice job! I have one of the @Dalehelman specials in my trailer as well. I use it for bulkier clothing , like jeans, sweatshirts, & such. I'm thinkin' after havin' to pick stuff up off the bed after traveling, I might use some type of bungie to hold stuff in place. Still a work in progress.
2016 T@B MAX S-aka: WolfT@B TV: 2006 Chevy Avalanche LT Z71 aka: WhiteWolf, or 1972 Chevy Custom10 P/U aka: SnarlingWolf Spokane, Wa. Eric aka: Lone Wolf
Instead of ordering cargo nets from Amazon, I'm going to try these. I've ordered the 20" & 36" nets for the side shelves, and the 48" for the wire shelf across the back..
Brilliant idea for putting trash receptacle. We use an aluminum flower pot from Ikea and put it on the back of the sink. But now I shall look for a place to store one up high!
@Dalehelman how did your wire shelf work out initially when you only used stick-on command hooks for the mounting brackets before doing any drilling? Any issues before you decided to permanently mount??
Looking through all your mods, I realized you had already thought of putting a shutoff valve on the toilet water supply that I did and posted here after having to replace the Thetford valve assembly. Also by putting the 90 degree valve in you apparently avoided the tightening problem I encountered putting in the version that I did that comes straight out from the wall. Good idea!
@JanandDave as long as I put it in "backwards" it has never unrolled yet. @SAM you get the brownie point! Yes, L@dybug was in her shed when I took the pic. We renovated the original 1948 garage to fit the Tab. I need to retake it when I'm somewhere more scenic I guess!
2017 T@B 320 Max S silver and cherry red, L@dybug ("Bug" aka my esc@pe pod), TV 2015 Toyota Highlander aka Big Red
While on the subject of storage, this is my favorite mod. I'm not a big fan of A/C--and I rarely have the AC to run it--so this space is now put to good use keeping smaller items like my solar suitcase and propane lantern at the ready.
As a paperweight, the Frigidaire works just as well in my attic as it did in the T@B. ;-)
While on the subject of storage, this is my favorite mod. I'm not a big fan of A/C--and I rarely have the AC to run it--so this space is now put to good use keeping smaller items like my solar suitcase and propane lantern at the ready.
As a paperweight, the Frigidaire works just as well in my attic as it did in the T@B. ;-)
That overhead shelf in the back is up next!
I think this is the best idea for those who do not use A/C. It's easy enough to reinstall if you sell and you are getting the use of extra storage.
2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014
I think this is the best idea for those who do not use A/C. It's easy enough to reinstall if you sell and you are getting the use of extra storage.
Yep. My version is actually a self contained box that just slides in in place of the air conditioner. Although this reduces the usable space in the cabinet somewhat, the A/C could be restored without much fuss for a trip to warmer climates or resale. Not that I'd ever consider that... :-)
I have a few questions for the original post pictures. Did you paint the walls or is that a wallpaper? I really like the dark gray. Also did you originally have a sink in your bathroom and remove it? I’m thinking about removing my sink.
Comments
TV: 2005 Toyota Sienna LE (3.3L V6)
RV: 2018 T@B 320S, >100 mods
One thing I did differently was to anchor the front corners into the sturdy wood shelf brackets over the side windows..
And by a happy accident, when trying to anchor the back corners into the side wall, I encountered the aluminum frame, such that all four corners are now mounted into very secure structures..
(The plastic anchor below was cut with a Dremel tool to support the shelf from underneath.)
This accomplished my other major goal to have the shelf high enough to avoid banging heads when sitting down in the back seat. As a result, and to avoid putting screws into a thin ceiling panel, I made these custom brackets from 4-inch strips of common shelf brackets, and bolted the snap-on plastic shelf supports to the top of the bracket. This allowed the bracket to be screwed into the solid wood cabinet frame..
For several reasons, there is a slight backwards tilt to the shelf. First, I consider this an advantage, as items on the shelf would be offered a bit of resistance to sliding forward during braking, though it's really not noticeable when standing inside the trailer. I also wanted to have the front edge higher to avoid banging heads.
More importantly, on the passenger side below, you can see the bottom of the wooden shelf bracket doesn't extend as low, so this was the lowest I could mount it for max space. I really didn't need to put the two side wall supports there, but they were done before I discovered the rear corners would be mounted into the aluminum frame.
The center brackets I made may not be the most attractive, and took some extra time, but they seem to work well, and provide the needed strength and more headroom. I'm confident this shelf will be strong & give us a lot of extra needed storage.
The front edge of the 12" deep shelf is only about 6" below the ceiling, and we plan to attach a 4" tall stretchy cargo net over the opening to keep clothing items or small boxes of supplies from falling out.
TV: 2005 Toyota Sienna LE (3.3L V6)
RV: 2018 T@B 320S, >100 mods
TV: 2006 Chevy Avalanche LT Z71 aka: WhiteWolf, or 1972 Chevy Custom10 P/U aka: SnarlingWolf
Spokane, Wa.
Eric aka: Lone Wolf
And yes, ericnliz, we were also thinking of clothing storage and/or bins like Dale did. I want to find some elastic cargo netting.
TV: 2005 Toyota Sienna LE (3.3L V6)
RV: 2018 T@B 320S, >100 mods
https://www.organizedobie.com/Barrier-Stretch-Nets
TV: 2005 Toyota Sienna LE (3.3L V6)
RV: 2018 T@B 320S, >100 mods
(We use the bottom half cut from a quart-sized plastic milk jug.)
I carry more stuff in my pockets than that.😀😀😀😀😀
2018 320S Outback
2018 320S Outback
The Command hooks were just temporary. Once I was confident of the shelf placement. I wanted a more permanent and stronger mounting solution.
Looking through all your mods, I realized you had already thought of putting a shutoff valve on the toilet water supply that I did and posted here after having to replace the Thetford valve assembly. Also by putting the 90 degree valve in you apparently avoided the tightening problem I encountered putting in the version that I did that comes straight out from the wall. Good idea!
Fergie
I love it when a plan comes together.
Camp On
As a paperweight, the Frigidaire works just as well in my attic as it did in the T@B. ;-)
That overhead shelf in the back is up next!
2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014
2016 NuCamp 320 T@B Max S
T@bbey Road
Appleton, WI