modifications after the fact

Submitted: Monday, Apr 11, 2005 at 09:45
ThreadID: 121905 Views:3777 Replies:2 FollowUps:0
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Hi everyone,
Just wondering whether anyone has had modifications done after delivery by BTi.
After travelling for 12 months I would like to alter some of the cupboards and make them large drawers instead, particularly the two under the window on the door side. I use these as my pantry and am sick of bending down to see into the cupboards. Deep drawers would have been much better but can I have them changed without paying the earth?

Prue
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Reply By: Motherhen & Rooster - Monday, Apr 11, 2005 at 10:27

Monday, Apr 11, 2005 at 10:27
Our appears to have had a double door cupboard under the stove - this is now a large drawer which i keep pots & pans in. I don't know who in the van's history did this - it would not be difficult.
Motherhen

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Reply By: Boystoy - Monday, Apr 11, 2005 at 22:36

Monday, Apr 11, 2005 at 22:36
Prue,
As the name implies, our BT is the old boys toy. My wife is a good designer and innovator, and I am fortunate enough to have accumulated enough talents to make her ideas work.

We have made many small modifications to our BT. (No disasters yet). One of the most useful was to convert the storage under the stove into a pot drawer. This originally had a drop-down front, which we added an extra 50mm piece of tassie oak to the bottom of the door to give the height we needed for the pot drawer. It sure beats the cardboard box we were using previously.

We originally only had top access to the space under the dining seats. This was a pain to access. We bought a large drawer front from BT and made another drawer, which I use for my laptop and printer. Some will tell you that drawers take up space, but you must consider the convenience factor.

Another simple mod is wine storage. We have a "wasted" space between the wheel arch and the front of the "L shaped"seat under our table. This space tapers and is about 100mm wide at the narrow side. I simply cut a strip of 12mm ply and cut a series of holes with a large holesaw. I then bevelled one side to match the slope of the timber and wedged the plywood in. Result an instant wine rack that works!

We have many other things to make life easier, but I could rabbit on all day. Most of these can be done by the average person without special talents. Look at other vans and get ideas, then modify them to suit your own needs and abilities. Don't be afraid to try. The results justify the time and effort that you put in.

Regarding your deep drawers, The drawer slides used by BT are readilly available at hardware stores. I bought mine from Bunnngs. You can replace the slides easily, however it takes a liitle talent to extend the actual drawer. This should not be expensive if you were to take the drawers to the nearest kitchen maker. Make sure they use the same style of construction, and not use MDF or Pyneboard as these wont last on the road.

Good luck and happy travels.

Neil and Pat
A Bushtracker (or BT) is a "Boys Toy"

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