Did a quick search for any help with the claustrophobic/ head knocker cabinets that encircle the bed on my GV. I found none so far. How many of you have eliminated these and what seems the best path? Thanks.MM
Great storage in those cabinets. I only hit them the first trip. :D
....doesn't take long to learn to duck....they are worth it, all my extra bedding, blankets, pillows, etc. go in 'em....
I asked the question once to my wife, hey let's get rid of those cabinets around the bed.Not in your wildest dreams. Nuf said, after three years living with them it's an automatic tilt my head. Storage is great. :))
Remove the cabinets and then you have to fill holes, improvise some type of coverup where the side walls meet the ceiling.
Maybe even have to replace the ceiling fabric to eliminate the witness marks of the cabinets.
Just not worth the trouble. Try wearing a helmet or a turban the first few times until you get used to the cabinets being at head level.
Mine were factory delete. Bedroom and salon. Really opens it up.
You will adjust to them being there very quickly I would leave them there as there is never enough storage space.
I see no logic for having a 36 X 90inch bus that makes you duck to get out of bed. One side is going .
I am surprised that so few others have the same thoughts.
Another vote for keeping them.
Depending on your physical height, I can imagine the bedroom cabinets being either a minor inconvenience or a major headache. :headwall:
For me and DW (both 5'8" or thereabouts) they were (after the first month) no problem. Storage space is priceless - head wounds heal.
The cabinets probably have the main cabinet framing on the interior covered/hidden by a thin piece of luan/plywood. Look for small screws in the panels that make the floor of the cabinet, and the end of the cabinet. If you remove these you should be able to pull out the finished interior panels and see the places where the cabinet is screwed to the ceiling and the walls.
If the cabinets are divided in the middle, you may also have to take out the middle divider wall in order to lift up the floor.
Chris
This is the factory way...
I have to agree, to me they are a PITH (pain in the head), but since I'll be selling the FT this fall, I'll live with them.
We don't really use that storage much. Hope someone takes theirs out so we can check it out. I think it would be great to have them gone.
jor
Dave,
That's really pretty. It is a whole different look from ours and surprisingly open. Nice to see. Thanks. P
Dave, thanks for taking the time to show us those pics. I see how to remove them. But dont yet have a solution to the joint from side to cross over bed cabinet. I may simply saw near the corner and sand a round joint . Maybe I can Salvage enough of one box/door to fill in the corner area .
For lights, I will try to use an LED bar with dimmer . It wont look as nice as Dave's but should open up the 10in of space.
Looking back to my childhood days it is amazing how fast I learned to duck my head when my Mother was taking a swing at it.
The learning curve here might be a bit slower because of age? >:D
Cut open a tennis ball and use something like quake hold to mount it to the corner until you quit hitting it.
Having remodeled the TV cabinet that used to house the front TV, I would not want to remove any other cabinets as there will be screw holes and witness marks on the ceiling liner. I had to use graffiti remover to get rid of the black paint on the ceiling too. Sure glad the flat screen TV's came along and that head knocker over the drivers seat is gone. If you remove the cabinets suggest you keep them and the screws as the next owner may want them or decline to purchase the coach.
I was waiting to see the bidding war for the take out cabinets.
We wore bike helmets our first year or so.
Ive no problem with the ones along the side, its the rear ones over top of the bed that seem to be the most troublesome when..... moving around. yeah, moving around.
I like the look of them deleted from the factory, but I agree at this stage in the life of my RV, its too late to remove them. The headliner would look horrible.
I'm short. no problem. Or, sleep upside down LOLOL
The cabinets over the head of the bed make good handholds---'nuff said. >:D
The cabinets hit me in the head at least four times every time I put sheets on the bed, or do a good job making the bed, for that matter... (NO, you don't learn after the first time, or even the second...). I HATE them, but they hold a lot of STUFF. I'm just happy they've got curved edges.
I dont think that they will be worth anything post removal. They are built /joined very nicely in the corners and will require sacrificing the side cabinet for the rear cabinet corner.. I plan to install LED strip lights in the upper holes , moving the inner tube light sections. Pretty sure that I can get the LED inside of the OE light covers.
Yes, there will be some exposed holes, some slight color variance in the headliner, but in the dark @ 2:30 in transit to the WC , I wont hit the thing. I am just going to take out the curb side .
My race engineering company motto is" Function first".
I have about $10K in the Bus as it sits and really dont care about the future owners . I am pretty sure that we saved it from rotting in the fields. It is far from perfect and will need some wood panel repair under the windows. Bright side is that it smells as tho it was never smoked in.
Thanks for all of your inputs .
MM
Nitehawk!! NO, NO, NO--Don't say it!!! Behave myself!! >:D >:D
OK, I'm back. Can't help myself!!
If you ride a bicycle try wearing your bike helmet--just while making the bed. Better than seeing stars in the daytime!
Before I remodeled our overhead above the dash I would hit my head EVERYTIME I was working up front around the dash (takes a lot of knocks before I learn) so I wore a thick hat while up there until I reduced the TV enclosure flush with the rest of the o'head cabinets.
One can even see the steel bracing I put up inside the cabinet to hold our 32" TV.
Mike,
Sounds like a done deal. It's your coach and there is no committee that has to
approve mods to it. Get the Sawzall and a sledge hammer and go to it.
Carter-
It's yours 'til it isn't yours. Do what ever makes you happy.
Use a chainsaw or a jackhammer or a blowtorch or a wrecking bar. Until it is the way you want something, and it belongs to you, go ahead and alter it.
When I change something it is to make the DW happy--or me, not what some stranger thinks.
You could think about a divorce, my DW is 5' 2" and has no problems back there. Me?, I'm 6' 2", but since I snore (loudly), I am relegated to the forward fold-out couch.
Shhhh Mike!! Don't give my wife any ideas!! ::)
Mike, do yourself a favor and buy an oscillating saw. The fien brand multi tool is a percsion saw, whose Patent has expired, so there are some are some cheaper Alternatives. You can easily make precise plunge cuts and the blade position can adjusted to a multitude of positions to cut in very cramped locations. With diamond blades you can use your fingers to steady and guide the cutting edge of the blades and not splinter the edges much. Blades are offset so you can almost cut flush against another surface. Totally amazing tool that you will find so many uses for around the house, in the coach or in your race and fabrication shop. Very little blade jump, kickback or chatter. Total control of the cutting edge
Put painters tape where you are going
to cut, it prevents splintering the wood.
Carter-
Only had a n issue once. Raised up from looking at the safe. That is the 1st time I was in the coach. That was the last time I hit my head again. Sore head equals lesson learned.
The impression in the fabric if removed, can be steamed out easy. With a wet towel, and a hot iron. Did mine in the front from the TV cabinet removal.
It also works on carpet like magic, when you move furniture.