235 RKS enhancements

[shineysideup]

Well, I finally got around to making use of all the space in my trailer. This has been an issue from day one, lots of space and no storage. A couple hours later, my mods were complete!

[acadianbob]

Nice job man!

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by acadianbob

Nice job man!

Thanks Bob. I kinda made is sound like it only took a little while... more hours than I care to discuss, divorce almost (from my wife, kids and myself!). It turned out that it was a lot bigger job than I imagined. I have a new appreciation for the people that build travel trailers. They really are carpenters' and more in many aspects!

This is step one, step two will add cabinetry above the couch and a remodel of the t.v. shelf along with some added wall cabinetry in the bathroom...

Step three is to do the same thing that mod guy did with the wasted space under the couch. I also ordered doors for under the dinette. I hate taking the cushions off to access that storage.

Of course I hope to complete these things before the season is over but time is not something I have a lot of with two young children who would much rather be camping than watching me tear the trailer apart and put it back together!

happy camping,

[acadianbob]

Yeah, I've looked at Mod Guy's modifications with envy. FYI, I have added some cabinetry by the couch and in the bathroom. I bought pre-made cabinets from Lowe's. They are a pretty good match. I also put one over the wardrobe where you did your mod. You are right in your assessment. The 235 has lots of space but not enough storage from the factory.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...otos-3853.html

These are the photos of the cabinets.

[MOD Guy]

Very cool! I like what you did with the closet, I wish I had thought along those lines when I did mine.

In June we did a 10 day vacation and, after doing the under couch mod, we actually had enough storage for all our stuff! Everything had a place to be put away. The factory TV shelf makes a great storage cabinet.

Looking forward to seeing the rest of your enhancements.

[shineysideup]

I got around to working on mod #2 and 3. I thought I needed some storage above the couch so I added an extra shelf. I didn't have enough of the radius edge rail so I've put the square edge in for the time being on the bottom. I might put doors on this setup but will try it this way for now.

The T.V. shelf was only used for storage so I modified to be a shelf and T.V. mount. The idea is to buy a LCD T.V. and put it on a swivel mount leaving lots of storage on the shelf.

I have plans for the bathroom also, I will make room for towel storage and a few other things (curling irons, straighteners etc!).

I still haven't got around to the dinette storage or the couch area, maybe before the end of the season...

happy camping,

[MOD Guy]

Looking good!

[backin15]

How did you remove the tv shelf? I have been wanting to do something similar.

[acadianbob]

You do NICE WORK!!!!

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by backin15

How did you remove the tv shelf? I have been wanting to do something similar.

You'll need a thin scraper/spatula type tool to pry off the small 3/4" wide trim off first. To remove the paneling I used a paint scraper to get underneath and pulled down. This sometimes results in broken paneling (depending on how many staples/brads are in it).

Once you have the paneling removed you can get the 3/4" framing out (mine was screwed into the walls and adjacent cabinetry). I could not have done this without some new material as the bottom rail wasn't long enough for a straight run. Your dealer should be able to get some cabinetry pieces or you could try and contact forest river yourself.

A brad nailer is a must along with a Kreg tool. A small handheld jig that drills holes in the rails the same as the factory. You'll also have to buy the kreg screws to use also.

All these mods turned out to be a lot more work than I thought but I think the extra shelving will be worth all the trouble. Nothing a lot of patience and time won't cover!

Good luck,

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by MOD Guy

Looking good!

Your mods got me thinking... I could do that!

I'm going after the couch and dinette redo next. What did you use for your drawer sides? 3/8" plywood?

[MOD Guy]

Originally Posted by shineysideup

Your mods got me thinking... I could do that!

I'm going after the couch and dinette redo next. What did you use for your drawer sides? 3/8" plywood?

IIRC, it was 1/2". I just used some wood I had in my workshop. The rear panel is 1/4" from the ref front panel on the dead ref I removed from my MIL's old Nomad TT.

[tonyz]

Oh man, after reading this thread, I'm itching to do a mod or two in my 235. Now that I got the wood shop sheet rocked and insulated, The wood stove should be in first of the year, then I'll have a toasty place to fabricate some rv fun.

[shineysideup]

I've wanted to add storage for the "dirty" things that I use to keep in my trailer ( hitch, W.D. bars, water hoses etc. ). I decided to add an aluminum truck box that is just the right size...

[MOD Guy]

Looks good!

[rmm2435]

Better insulate that battery from the lid

[GGB]

It looks like he has the battery in a batter box and the plastic lid is off beside it so technically it is insulated as long as the lid is placed back on

[shineysideup]

Originally Posted by rmm2435

Better insulate that battery from the lid

Yup, the lid was off for me to disconnect the battery terminal when I took the pic. I haven't installed the battery disconnect switch yet!

Happy camping,