I have a RIB seat fitted in my campervan and storage is a little difficult to access under the bed. I also wanted somewhere to quickly and easily do cooking outside of the van, somewhere to make the wife a quick cup of tea, after that the sliding campervan storage and utility shelf was born!
What’s it look like?
It looks like a small table that is tailored for the back of the van. indeed, that’s exactly what it is. The great bit is that it slides in and out on runners and is completely removable. It doesn’t look pretty but is purely functional. I will put a coat of varnish on it at some point, not for aesthetics but so it’s easily wiped for hygiene when using it as a hob platform.
What Do You Need To Build It?
Here’s a list of items needed to build the sliding campervan storage shelf and fit it inside your camper.
- 2 inch x 2 inch wood (2 metres required)
- sheet of plywood/marine ply (size to fit or oversized to cut)
- Side Mount Drawer Runners 45 kg Load capacity or higher Click here
- 3 inch screws click here
- 16mm screws click here
- Cupboard Brackets click here
How Do You Build It?
It’s a simple build, even for the beginner so here’s a quick step by step.
Cut The Legs
4 table legs should be cut to an equal length, Using the 2 x 2 wood,. It’s up to you to decide the height. The short legs gave me enough room to store things underneath and on top. Decide your table height and cut the legs to length.
Cut The Table Top
I opted for a tabletop that was pretty much the whole length of the gap I had. The table top can only be as wide as the back doors or it will never slide out so you are governed by the width you have. Deduct 3 inches to make room for the runners and the left runner support.
Cut And Fit The Runner Support
First, the runner support is the same length as the runners. Next, you can screw this to the floor using the cupboard brackets and small screws. Mine screwed straight into the plywood floor. I used 4 brackets for each side of the support. If you don’t have a cupboard on the other side, you may have to install two runner supports.
Screw The Legs To The Table Top
I screwed straight through the top of the table top into the legs beneath. One screw for each leg. They won’t twist once the runners are on. This alone would make a great camping table. So many campsites now insist that cooking appliances need to be raised off the ground. This makes it ideal to keep your camp stove off the grass. It’s also great to place on a table. So many camp tables are made from plastic and would melt with the stove on them.
Screw The Runners On
The runners can be attached to both legs of the table on each side. This makes the table sturdy. The other half of the runners are screwed to the runner support(s) and the other onto the cupboard. These need to be screwed just high enough for the table legs to clear the threshold of the van. The threshold is slightly higher than the floor in my van.
Slide the table into position and enjoy your new practical sliding table/shelf. Camping will never be the same!
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