Ever since we got our new caravan in September 2012, I have been toying with removing the microwave, firstly because we never use it and could make better use of the space, and secondly because it takes up over 13Kg of valuable payload. However, having taken the microwave out some months ago, I was rather put off by the untidy void behind it and the amount of work needed to turn it into a useful space that looks reasonable, so I put it back.
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| The ugly void with microwave removed |
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Having just spent 16 nights away and not used the microwave at all, I decided to have another go. I was also motivated by the fact that my brother has only had his new Bailey a few weeks and has already taken his microwave out and tidied up the space to create a useful storage shelf. You can see details of his project here:
http://caravandiy.blogspot.co.uk/
As our microwave was situated in the "kitchen"area above the sink and between two other cupboards, we didn't think it was an appropriate spot to have an open storage area, so we would have to fit a door or doors of some description. I wanted to be sure that I would be able to revert to the original layout with microwave when time comes to sell the caravan, so I couldn't do anything too destructive. The two plywood battens in the base of the cupboard on which the microwave stands are glued and screwed to the base, so removing them would almost certainly damage the base panel. Consequently I decided to make a false base to sit on top of the battens. I figured that the cables could be tidied up quite nicely with a piece of trunking stuck to the rear panel at ceiling level. Everything else could be unscrewed and removed.
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| The cables now concealed in trunking |
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I removed the 13A socket and terminated the cable in a connector block which I wrapped in insulating tape and concealed in the trunking. The other cables were long enough to run through the trunking, leaving only the feed for the LED strip above the sink, which I subsequently diverted into the left hand cupboard where I fitted a length of small section trunking.
I made up a base board out of a piece of thin plywood that I had laying around, and covered it in some vinyl floor strips that I had left over from the bathroom floor. I glued and stapled some blocks of wood the same thickness as the microwave support battens so as to give additional support to the base at the sides.
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| Underside of baseboard with supports |
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| Upper side of baseboard |
The front edge of the baseboard is finished with a piece of hardwood edging strip and a strip of plywood planed down to the same thickness as the edging strip so as to conceal the plywood battens. The baseboard drops into position and is held in place with Velcro, although I doubt whether it would move if it were just held in place by its own weight.
Now for the door. I decided to go with a tambour door in silver, which I had made to my dimensions by Waivis Ltd. What an incredibly helpful company they are, putting up with my damned fool questions and helping me decide on the best option. Once I placed the order, the door was manufactured and delivered to my home in three working days - fantastic service. The tracks that the door runs in were supplied over-sized for me to trim to the correct dimensions, and they simply screw to the side panels of the cupboard. I had realised that the cupboard was wider at the bottom than the top, and Waivis had allowed for that in the manufacturing tolerance. What I wasn't so prepared for was the fact that the cupboard tapered towards the back, so the door would jam as I tried to roll it back. I had to recess the rear section of one of the tracks into the side panel, and trim a little bit off the width of some of the slats to overcome this.
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| The completed cupboard |
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| The finished article |
Currently our intention is to use the space as a draining area for the washing up, thus freeing up worktop space. We have a drying rack from Lakeland whereby the dishes drain into a tray which can then be emptied into the sink. We also have a drying mat that the rack will stand on to catch any drips so as not to introduce the dreaded damp into the area.
