Everyone loves gawking at a hard-earned restoration of an older model RV. Of course, taking a vehicle that was once headed for the scrap heap and giving it new life takes a tremendous amount of time and effort. Unfortunately, there are some times when an RV is simply past its useful life. Whether it’s from an accident or just from age and wear, a full restoration just isn’t possible in every case.
That doesn’t mean everything is lost, though!
The “upcycling” trend of taking something old and repurposing it has really taken hold in recent years, and it’s even made its way to the RV scene. Even if an RV is beyond repair, there’s very likely still plenty of use left in what’s inside. Here’s a look at a project tackled by an Instructables user from Sodus, New York named “.”
He says in his profile that “It’s fun making something new, but its more fun taking something and making something different,” and he shows that here. He took parts from a 1993 camper (including the sink, fridge, stove, and drawer fronts) and turned them into an outdoor kitchen for his deck.
First, he laid out a wooden frame 2 feet wide by 10 feet long.
The original kitchen cabinets needed a lot of TLC.
The cabinet doors were made from 1 x 4 and 1 x 6 shiplap boards, as was the framework for the drawers. This wood is usually used in the construction of barns, sheds, outbuildings and inexpensive or seasonal homes. Everything was stained in a provincial finish.
The actual drawers themselves were constructed with standard 60 pound, 18-inch drawer slides.
Mounting the lower drawers to the new frame.
To make sure everything fit properly, the kitchen was built to be exactly the same size as the kitchen that was in the camper.
Some spacers added for the cabinet doors…
…and the upper and lower fridge cabinet openings.
In goes the sink.
He said this countertop and sink were the first he’s ever installed. Looks pretty good for a first timer!
The finished product on the deck.
We don’t know if the RV used for this build actually belonged to beforehand or if he salvaged it just for this build, but either way it’s great to see the components take on a new, functional life. How many times has something with a little life left in it been tossed out before its time? Kudos to those who always see the value in something!
H/T Instructables
