# advice needed for motorhome worktop construction



## johnny (4 Oct 2014)

Hi all.
Now that my new shed/workshop is finished I am ready to start on my next project which is to attempt to tidy up our old Ford transit campervan.

One aspect of this that has been nagging away at me is how best to update the kitchen worktop .Currently it is formica ,about 20 years old , 1350mm x 500mm and kernackered.

I have not decided whether it is better to copy the existing and have hinged worktop covers to the sink and hob or to just have an exposed worktop with inset sink bowl and hob and sacrifice valuable worktop area which is always precious in a campervan.

What materials and finish would you use to recover the kitchen unit and how would you construct it bearing in mind the need for light weight ?


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## kostello (4 Oct 2014)

Goldberg's have a special light weight plywood for motor homes......

http://www.superva.co.uk

Have never seen or used it..


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## Stuart (4 Oct 2014)

There is a 15mm thick board called Voringa, it comes faced with various hardwoods or with a formica type covering. It is light weight and if my memory is right about half the weight of similar man made boards.

Remio stockist normally have a range of the boards.


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## johnny (5 Oct 2014)

kostello":ymk7xbgx said:


> Goldberg's have a special light weight plywood for motor homes......
> 
> http://www.superva.co.uk
> 
> Have never seen or used it..


KOSTELLO
thanks for that suggestion that is just the sort of thing I need. As it happens there is a van conversion Company within 5 miles of me that can order sheets I'll make some enquiries.



Stuart":ymk7xbgx said:


> There is a 15mm thick board called Voringa, it comes faced with various hardwoods or with a formica type covering. It is light weight and if my memory is right about half the weight of similar man made boards.
> 
> Remio stockist normally have a range of the boards.


STUART
Reimo is the industry's major stockist of parts of course but Germany based . The price of their furniture board sheets is 200+ Euros :shock: ( without shipping )so unfortunately a bit too rich for this sort of job really.


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## novocaine (6 Oct 2014)

clear cut conversions will sell you the board at a sensible price, they also do all the hob and sinks. perhaps something like a SMEV 8322 to replace your old sink and hob unit would be an idea?


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## johnny (6 Oct 2014)

novocaine":3ex17u1r said:


> clear cut conversions will sell you the board at a sensible price, they also do all the hob and sinks. perhaps something like a SMEV 8322 to replace your old sink and hob unit would be an idea?



thanks for that tip I'll check em out. 
I've since found a local Company (10 miles) that specialise in furniture boards I'm going to go take a looksee when I can.

I've looked at over 1000 hobs and sinks of every conceivable size and shape and colour and I still can't make my mind up.

The Smev range look nice and modern and sexy but the problem with them is the glass covers. They leave nowhere to prepare and serve food up unless I keep the existing hinged worktop covers which kind of defeats the object of having nice looking Smev sinks.! They are perfect for caravans where you have more worktop space but in a small campervan worktop space is critically tight . 

My current thinking is to have exposed worktop with an inset plain stainless bowl and use a router to make a drop in board for the bowl ... that way I won't need the hinged flaps and I won't lose all my worktop either but I'm still not convinced :roll: I'd probably need to rout a step for the bowl rim so that it is flush with the surrounding worktop .

Thanks for your interest and suggestion


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## celston (6 Oct 2014)

I've done a few of these, and whilst weight definitely is an issue to be considered when building furniture for motorhomes, the amount of weight saved by using lightweight board for the worktop is minimal. Certainly not enough to consider using more expensive specialist board. I say this because by the time you've done the cutouts for sink and hob, you'll have very little actual board left!

I'd go for 18mm or 22mm WBP ply myself, seal the cut edges and cover with HPL (formica).


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## johnny (6 Oct 2014)

thats a good point about the cutouts and weight :wink: 

I think if I was to go that route I'd simply use some 30mm kitchen worktop .

Its cheap, available anywhere with a wide variety of finishes and the surface is hard wearing .
The bonus is that you don't have to faff around buying expensive formica and gluing it onto the equally expensive plywood sucessfully with all the difficult edging to glue on and plane etc which will still look distinctly diy when finished

I'll definitely only consider buying a finished worktop solution. Making one is too expensive and too time consuming and with no advantages really that I can see


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## novocaine (7 Oct 2014)

I use the glass top as part of the work surface, it's toughened glass so can take it, I always use a chopping board anyway. the 8322 is half the size of most sink/hob units too which gets you some more space.

should say that the van I'm converting is a Mazda Bongo which makes your transit look massive.


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## johnny (7 Oct 2014)

novocaine":3jsxoovy said:


> should say that the van I'm converting is a Mazda Bongo which makes your transit look massive.



:lol: its like a Tardis lol actually no matter how much space you have things seem to expand into it . 

when preparing food and serving it up you do need a reasonable sized flat level surface otherwise its extremely difficult to even make a sandwich let alone cook a full meal. 
Every time we go away I come back determined to create some more worktop space somehow. 
If you look at our kitchen unit it has 3x fold up covers that are 1350mm long which actually give some great worktop space but once you need the flaps up for cooking and washing stuff you lose all of your worktop .  

The answer is to have a fold up/down worktop that you can put in place when cooking and serving up but its where to put it that doesn't block access to the toilet and the rear door


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## houtslager (8 Oct 2014)

Don't forget W I P s, or it NEVER HAPPENED


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