Overhead cabinets on fiberglass high top

[AbuelaLoca]

I could use some advice/ideas on how to attach overhead cabinets onto the sides of my fiberglass high top. I'm planning on using the foam board/screen technique so they'll be pretty darned light, but the lip between the high top and the metal of the van is only about 3 inches deep. I'm thinking they'll probably be about 8 inches deep, so 5 inches will protrude past the "lip". I do have wood slats in the high top, so just need to figure out how to attach??

Any ideas?

 

[VanKitten]

I had this same issue. Attaching overhead shelving above the driver compartment. That top is just fiberglass.

This was my solution.....

I figured out exactly where I would be driving screws to attach everything....and in those places I glued pine boards.....

I used sikaflex 221. That stuff is totally amazing. It does not ever cure totally hard...it will not become brittle and break. And you will never get it back apart (waterproof too)

I used 2x4 s cut to length to wedge up to not just hold the board with sikaflex on it...but to compress the board to the Fiberglas shell.

Took a day to cure. Pulled the brace boards out from under...and went ahead and started screwing the shelving up. I included a dab of sikaflex on the screw holes too. Keep them from working loose in the rock and roll of a moving home.

 

[VanKitten]

Here you can see the first step of that process.....glue the nailers up with
Sika

Usually...the frame is built first...then screwed up into place.
I built the frame from poplar ... it is a hardwood, but much more lightweight than even pine

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Hadn't thought of gluing slats, but I like that!! Thanks!

 

[highdesertranger]

attach the bottom of the cabinets to the lip. make the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling. then run struts from side to side from one cabinet on one side to the cabinet on the other side. these struts must be tight and force the cabinets(wedge them) up against the side walls. when done properly the cabinets have nowhere to go. when I did van conversions this is how we would do it. I have even done this to mount 12 inch sub woofers and their boxes and they are heavy. highdesertranger

 

[AbuelaLoca]

I can't visualize where the struts would go exactly... across the front of cabinets wedging into the side of the high top? Or do you mean across the width of the high top? And what do I attach the bottom with? Just screws? I thought about L-brackets inside the top of each cabinet into the wood slats in the fiberglass? I flunked shop, btw, so be patient with me!!

 

[dr_nelson]

Tried to visualize it for ya

[img=781x624]

 

[tx2sturgis]

Tried to visualize it for ya

Americas Got Talent!

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Your art is always great! And thank you for remembering my poor ability to visualize!! You're bolting the bottom of the shelves through the lip? Did you do this in your van?

 

[highdesertranger]

the doc nailed it. nice artwork. whatcha got cooking in the drawing doc? highdesertranger

 

[dr_nelson]

@HDR, well this time I know what "to nail" means and I don't have to look it up 
Just got some Swiss Fondue going there... lol
Btw, awesome tip about how to secure the overhead cabinets. So freaking simple and effective!

@AbuelaLoca, no I haven't started those overhead cabinets, let alone any cabinet or the bed.
I am not going to bolt them through, that was just for the drawing. Sheet metal screws might just do it. Also, there should only be lightweight stuff in those cabinets.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

the doc nailed it.  nice artwork.  whatcha got cooking in the drawing doc?  highdesertranger

I was going to ask that last night too. lol I liked the last art piece too. Both pieces made me chuckle out loud.