Front storage compartment solutions?

[stevejahr]

We have a 2604WS with a very challenging front storage compartment. There is lots of room up there: 44" wide and 5.5' deep (across the trailer). That is the good part. The bad part is it only has a 21" wide door so most of the width is behind solid wall. The door is so narrow (to make room for the side window and awning arms) that we cannot even get our chairs in there.

What kind of creative things have folks done to utilize that lost space?

[J-N-D Wtexas]

The first thing we did was remove the fake wall that separates the WH, Pump, filter and hoses from the main bay. I would not have stopped anything from sliding into the water area anyway.

I installed a 4" tall bump stop rail to keep anything from sliding across that weighed a lot and installed a 1" wide x 1/8th inch think piece of aluminum with a LED light strip attached and wired it into the existing light. This allows me to move things towards the bigger door from the water side since the flimsy wall is gone.

Next I made a 4 ft long stick with a handle on one end and curved hook on the other. then I bought a nice little folding step stool that I can set on while I organize equipment, it is first out and last in on every trailer set up event.

As far as chairs we use the folding bag chairs that come with a bag to put them back into so they are long and skinny. We also purchased a really nice directors chair with built in side table that fits snuggly through the door.

We have two black plastic tubs that go along the back wall and our stainless steel BBQ grill goes along the back wall as well. I added some felt sliders to the folded legs of the grill so it does not snag or damage the flooring when I slide it around with the hook.

On a few occasions that we have had things that would not fit in the front storage we put them in the bedroom just inside the door so we can get them out easily.

Don't forget the storage just inside the back door that goes al the way through under the kitchen sink. We keep a folding table and electric grill under there. Plus there is some storage under the couch for long items you don't use a lot.

When we bought ours a few months back we thought we had made a mistake due to the front storage compartment limitations. After a few outings we have found places for everything we had before in a trailer with a bigger front compartment.


Hope this helps

[Croaker]

I opened up a hatch under the bed. Then I added a wall at the aluminum cross member to the right of the opening and a full size wall to replace the "flimsy" wall separating the compartment from the plumbing. Then I added aluminum angle, boxing in the opening for additional support

I purchased a 5' wide piece of plywood which I cut to be the same size as the mattress (less the thickness) and hinged it away from the back wall the same thickness to give room for the mattress to fold up without binding against the wall.

Works very nice. Now we can store bedding and extra pillows under the bed. The pass. side compartment is still pretty deep. No more "flimsy" wall. And the full size piece of 1/2" plywood supports the corners of the bed and when it is hinged up, the whole mattress raises, rather than folding in the middle.

And the "flimsy" shelf under the sink, just inside the door....replaced that with a real shelf.

Sorry I don't have a better photo. This one shows me just ripping into the project.

[stevejahr]

Sounds like one key is to use plastic tubs to be able to slide things around. I now have the door dimensions on my phone so I will have to shop for the optimal/max size.

I have contemplated the pole with hook.

Storage access from above is an interesting idea. I had contemplated installing a tip out door/drawer on the side away from the closet to serve as a dirty clothes hamper. I have also looked at that space to hold one of the built-in vacuum systems.

I hear all of you on the flimsy panel separating the two sides of the compartment. I have already done the 1/2" plywood panel replacement. In the process I moved the water pump and the panel over 6-12" towards the DS making the basic compartment even larger. This is what I did with the panel:

It now has my main power distribution on it with solar controller, 40A Maxi fuse for house power, spare Maxi fuse for potential future inverter, 6 fuse block for slides/etc, current measurement shunt, and the front slide controller. No more breaker/fuses on the frame

For storage cleanup I just finished doing a peg board panel across the front:

[Bama Rambler]

I thought of building a drawer or platform and using ball rollers. Then building or buying a channel and mount it to the floor in a tee fashion. That way you could pull it out and then across to access it.

Can you take a picture aimed showing that area through the access door?

[stevejahr]

Yes a rolling tray would address the 5.5' depth issue pretty well... but it would not do much for the 44" wide space with a 21" wide door (which is where the real challenge comes from).

There is a lot of space up there... I have crawled all the way inside a number of times now for one project or another. It just has crummy access to all that space.

[Bama Rambler]

I was also thinking about a three drawer/platform setup, where the drawers would fit through the door. I know it doesn't completely use the space but it would get you 3/4ths of it.

You'd slide one drawer to one side then the drawer behind it would move into the opening and could be slide out the door. You could 'rotate' the drawers to get to the one you wanted. Also, if the space were laid out correctly you may be able to employ four drawers and rotate them around.

[kantonburg]

Originally Posted by stevejahr

Sounds like one key is to use plastic tubs to be able to slide things around. I now have the door dimensions on my phone so I will have to shop for the optimal/max size.

I have contemplated the pole with hook.

Storage access from above is an interesting idea. I had contemplated installing a tip out door/drawer on the side away from the closet to serve as a dirty clothes hamper. I have also looked at that space to hold one of the built-in vacuum systems.

I hear all of you on the flimsy panel separating the two sides of the compartment. I have already done the 1/2" plywood panel replacement. In the process I moved the water pump and the panel over 6-12" towards the DS making the basic compartment even larger. This is what I did with the panel:

It now has my main power distribution on it with solar controller, 40A Maxi fuse for house power, spare Maxi fuse for potential future inverter, 6 fuse block for slides/etc, current measurement shunt, and the front slide controller. No more breaker/fuses on the frame

For storage cleanup I just finished doing a peg board panel across the front:

Your mods are really well done

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