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Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » New Aluminum Overhead Cabinets (No rot, no warp, no creaking, less weight)
New Aluminum Overhead Cabinets [message #258313] Sat, 09 August 2014 21:02 Go to previous message
kerry pinkerton is currently offline  kerry pinkerton   United States
Messages: 2565
Registered: July 2012
Location: Harvest, Al
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Senior Member
Last year I spent a long time redoing my wooden overhead cabinets. Total waste of time and I was never happy with them. When I took them down in order to put in the new windows, I knew I wasn't going to put them back.

What I've decided to do is build aluminum cabinets. This is definitely NOT a KISS product because it ain't simple at all. My plan is to build modular cabinets with approximate 3' lengths. I shorted the front cabinets so my seats would recline so those are not the standard 60" that came with the coach. The process is the same.

The material is .063 (1/16") 3003 H14 aluminum, the same stuff I'm building the car and Monique from.

Once I had the design finalized and checked by trial fit, I made some templates then cut two blanks and bent the edges in my brake. Obviously there is a left and right.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55523-aluminum-cabinets-bein.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00001.jpg

You can see the 1 1/2" flange in the front and the 1/2" lip.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55524-aluminum-cabinets-being-built.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00002.jpg

Next the back/bottom/front was cut and bent up. I have to stay on top of myself when bending this up as some go one way and others the other way.

You can also see an aluminum 'C' channel that is 1 1/2x 1 1/2 on the front and back. A piece of wood will go in there and the bolts will go through the aluminum, wood, aluminum, and on into the coach ribs.

I tacked this together and took it to the coach for a trial fit. Once I was confident it would fit it was welded up.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55525-aluminum-cabinets-being-built.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00003.jpg

A close up.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55526-aluminum-cabinets-being-built.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00004.jpg

All the seams were TIG welded and the welds filed down. These are two of my VIXEN files. Vixen files were originally used for filing lead back in the early days of car repair/construction. They work great on Aluminum. I have about 40 different types of VIXEN files.

[urlhttp://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55527-aluminum-cabinets-bein.html[/url]
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00005.jpg

Here is one roughed out. It will need some bondo because I did a lap joint in the front. They will get slicked with some Epoxe primer and painted with white urethane.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55528-aluminum-cabinets-being-built.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00006.jpg

And here is the door. Nothing fancy. I thought about embossing GMC in the front but I'm thinking it would be a bit much on all six doors.. Shocked

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55530-aluminum-cabinets-being-built.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00008.jpg

I thought the spring loaded hinges would be enough to hold the lid because it barely weights anything but I'll have to go with the spring lifts. Sad

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55531-aluminum-cabinets-being-built.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00009.jpg

Here is the view from inside.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55532-aluminum-cabinets-being-built.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00010.jpg

This is the finger grab on the bottom of the door. The door will have plastic door edge along all the exposed edges to keep it from scratching the paint and making metal on metal contact.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/aluminum-overhead-cabinets/p55533-aluminum-cabinets-being-built.html
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6657/Aluminum_overhead_cabinets_00011.jpg

I'm pleased with how it came out. It's a slightly simpler construction in terms of offsets and angles than the wooden ones but they were done that way for ease of construction.

I have not decided if I will make these for sale or not. I guess it will depend on the level of interest.

Kerry Pinkerton - North Alabama Had 5 over the years. Currently have a '06 Fleetwood Discovery 39L

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